It’s spring—so why not fall?

Apr 29, 2008

Falling is fun right? Well, at least it brings us back to our sense of humor that might be trapped under our super serious self-image. If you haven’t taken a tumble in a while, spring is the perfect time of year to start acting silly and recapture your lighter side. Not only will some wobbling bring a smile to your face, but falling is a sign that you are pushing yourself along the path to progress. In that way, there’s also a lot of logic to dusting off some balance poses to celebrate the energy surge in springtime. Try these balance poses, starting with totally easy and ending with quite the challenge.  

Tara’s Tip:  
Don’t psych yourself out!  In balance poses, it’s easy to start thinking, “I am in a super hard pose. Wow this is hard. I can’t believe I’m doing this pose.” And then, of course, you fall. Stay focused on the physical feeling of being in the pose, stick with it, breathe, and don’t let your thoughts get the best of you!


How Will this Help Off the Mat?
Testing your balance on the mat can provide a true assessment of where you are in live. Without going all New Age hippy on the topic, it’s fair to say that when you find the exact interplay of effort and relaxation in each pose, you will start to find parallels outside your practice. Do you overpower your poses with muscle and find yourself falling over? Do you relax too much, so a lack of energy causes you to fall? Is it a lack of focus or a scattered brain? Practicing balance poses give us a direct opportunity to see what’s going on in our lives. And if we pay attention, we can learn what we need more and less of to feel more balanced everyday.

Term of the day: Drishti
Sanskrit meaning: Vision or insight
English meaning: The point of focus where the gaze rests during Asana and meditation practice.
Translation: The spot you look for each pose.  (For example, in Triangle, you look at your top hand)
How do I use it?: Learn the point of focus for each pose, then use it, but keep your gaze soft (not too type A).
Why do I care? Drishti aids in concentration, which helps you to not fall over!

The Poses: