Heather Grant | Contributors - Nourish plant-based living

From our inner strength and alignment, we feel stable and confident in life. Let’s explore the subtle power of tadasana.

Feet firmly planted on the floor, spine perfectly aligned, and heart shining forward. You stand tall and proud. You feel as strong and unswayable as a mountain in the deceptively simple yoga pose of tadasana.

To outside observers, tadasana, or mountain pose, can look like nothing more than standing up straight and still. Those who have practised yoga for a while, however, know it requires a lot of subtle effort and dynamic focus. When mastered, it can be an emotional experience that invites a newfound sense of confidence, strength, and stability, not to mention a myriad of physical benefits.

This powerful pose is rich in symbolism. The name comes from the Sanskrit words ‘tada’, which means mountain, and ‘asana’, which translates to seat or posture. As Erich Schiffmann says in Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness, the pose “promotes the experience of stillness, strength, relaxed power, and immovable stability associated with mountains”.

STRONG BODY, STRONG MIND

One of the traits attributed to mountains is strength, and mountain pose embodies this both mentally and physically. Scanning the body as you stand tall enhances bodily awareness, which makes it easier to correct imbalances when working on more advanced postures. Headstands and handstands, for example, are similar postures in terms of alignment. Mountain pose can also be returned to between postures to rest, realign, and refocus. Knowing how the body should feel when properly supported may also reduce the risk of injury.

However, the benefits of mountain pose extend beyond the mat into modern day-to-day life. About four billion Australians have back problems, according to data from the most recent National Health Survey. Posture awareness can help to reduce aches and pains, and a review by the International Journal of Yoga suggests that mountain pose in particular can help soothe neck and back tension. Multiple studies have also found that yoga practice can improve balance, essential for preventing falls as we age. We practice the essential qualities for staying stable by grounding through our feet and focusing our attention while standing in this accessible posture.

Although most of us are now more sedentary than ever, we might feel we mentally have a million tabs open. Focusing on the breath, noticing thoughts, and scanning the body while practising the pose can help build mental clarity. When our attention is firmly anchored in the now, anxieties about the future and ruminations on the past can be released. This is the essence of mindfulness, a practice that has been proven to reduce stress, anxiety, and emotional reactivity. Yoga may also positively affect our self-esteem; low self-worth is associated with slumped shoulders and a drooping head, while mountain pose encourages us to stand straight with chin up and head held high.

MASTERING THE MOUNTAIN

Sophie Ng, a yoga, meditation, and Pilates teacher, believes yoga is not about how many shapes you can make on the mat, but the way you move through life. She emphasises that the postures are designed to make your body feel good and your mind clear, extending beyond the asana practice. Let’s practise with Sophie’s top tips for mastering mountain pose:

Stand at the top of your mat with your feet firmly planted on the ground, as though they are the base of a mountain. Visualise grounding through your feet as your body extends towards the sky.
Draw energy up from the earth beneath you as you scan every part of your body. Starting from the ground, switch on the muscles of your feet, in the soles and the tops. Switch on your ankles and lower legs. Work your way up your body like this until you get to your shoulders. Relax the shoulders down, away from your ears. Make the sides of your neck as long as possible. Feel the energy drawing up your body all the way to the crown of your head.
Relax your face, eyes, throat, and soften your gaze. Allow your arms to fall naturally and lightly by the sides of your body, and let the palms face forwards.
Breathe steady and visualise the strength resonating within your body.
Test your balance by closing your eyes and turning your attention inwards. Alternatively, shift your weight forward and backwards, balancing on the balls of your feet and then on your heels.
Experiment with your arms by raising them overhead with palms either facing each other or with fingers interlaced and palms facing upwards.

As with all yoga poses, mountain pose can be modified to suit your individual practice. You might try seated tadasana, sitting tall in a chair, grounding through your sit bones with your spine extended. Ensure knees are directly over ankles and legs are bent at a 90-degree angle. Relax your arms by your sides and scan your body, drawing energy upwards in this modification of mountain pose.

Standing tall and still like a mountain, grounded with the energy of Earth, feel your strength pulsing through your body. From this pose, you can walk off the mat, into your life, with the confidence to move mountains.

“May you stand just like a mountain in a storm along the sea and may you always find the answer, to be free” – James Conleevv

Cover image: fizkes on Shutterstock

Balance the energies of each season, reattune yourself to nature’s rhythms, and thrive all year round.

Have you ever woken up with the sunrise? Or slept under the stars? How about adjusting the produce you purchase each season or changing the types of meals you cook as the year moves on?

Aligning with the natural world, its patterns, and the ebbs and flows of the seasons can bring about a sense of balance and contentment. But modern life can mask these natural cues for nourishment. Our working days mean many of us spend more hours indoors than we’d like, light pollution can block out the stars above, and seasonal foods are now available all year round. It’s easy to lose touch with nature’s beat and instead march on to some other drum.

Ayurveda, the world’s oldest holistic health system, can help us realign with nature’s rhythms. Originating in the Indian subcontinent, Ayurveda combines two Sanskrit words: ayur (meaning life) and veda (meaning science). It is, in essence, a science of life. This ancient Indian practice emphasises that bodies don’t exist in exception to the natural world, but instead are integrated with it and dependent on it for wellbeing.

This brief introduction to the seasons according to the Ayurvedic doshas will help you adapt and thrive throughout the year, finding balance and working with the energies of each.

THE THREE DOSHAS

In Ayurveda, there are three energy patterns called doshas. Vata dosha is characterised as cool, rough, dry, and erratic. Pitta’s qualities are hot, sharp, light, and mobile. And kapha can be described as cold, heavy, dull, and slow. A unique combination of these doshas is said to be present in every person.

Ayurveda divides the year according to the doshas: vata season is late autumn to early winter, kapha season is midwinter to spring, and pitta season encompasses summer. Claire Paphitis, The Ayurveda Coach, explains, “Ayurveda is about navigating the delicate balance between what our internal world is telling us and what is happening in the external world, so it’s important to understand the qualities of the seasons according to the dosha governing them.”

A basic principle in Ayurveda is that ‘like increases like’ while opposite qualities restore balance. Practically, this means making diet and lifestyle choices that counter the effects of each season. Bex Shindler from The Mindful Kitchen is a plant-based chef with a passion for Ayurvedic nutrition and wellness. She says, “We can maximise our health and wellbeing when we harness the different energies that rise and fall throughout the year and learn how to ride these waves.” By adapting to each season, you can help deter seasonal ailments and bloom all year round.

VATA SEASON

Beautifully coloured leaves on the trees begin to drift and fall. The wind is blowing, the temperature is dropping, and soon autumn will turn into winter. Consider how the dry and erratic qualities of vata prevail in this period.

Balance these qualities by focusing on warmth, moisture, and stability. Bex recommends cooked root vegetables, cool-weather greens like kale, and legumes such as red lentils. Claire suggests cooking with healthy oils to balance the dryness of vata and seasoning with plenty of warming spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cumin. To pacify your sweet tooth, favour heavy fruits such as bananas, apples, and pears.

apples and pears

Incorporate more stability into your life by focusing on establishing a routine. Wake up early to ease yourself into the day with silence and stillness. You might even include a 10-minute meditation to balance the mind. Try eating meals and exercising at consistent times. Finally, finish your day by soothing yourself with a self-massage using a warming oil such as sesame or almond. Weave these vata-balancing practices into your life, and you’ll enjoy this season feeling centred and calm.

KAPHA SEASON

Cool weather, a heaviness in the air, and rain trickling down the window. It’s kapha season, marked by wintery weather.

Claire explains that at the start of this season we are drawn to heavier foods, flavoured with the kind of spices that make them easier to digest, like nutmeg, ginger, or cardamom. Though nature begins to reawaken towards the end of this season, an excess of kapha can leave you feeling lethargic. To re-energise, turn to foods that are lighter, drier, and warming.

Cardamom pods on wooden surface

Claire suggests lighter grains, such as quinoa or barley, which dry out some of the dampness and cold that has accumulated. According to Bex, this is the perfect time to focus on foods that support your body’s natural cleansing and fat-burning processes. She recommends pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes found in greens such as rocket, broccoli, and cabbage. Be aware, the key to kapha season is to avoid overindulging.

Waking up early and starting with movement can be beneficial in this season. In the Ayurvedic clock, kapha time is between 6 am and 10 am. Try rising and getting active during this period, whether it’s a run, bike ride, or dance to your favourite song. If you focus on boosting your energy, you’ll be better able to enjoy the beauty of the season.

PITTA SEASON

Containing the longest days, the brightest sun, and the most intense heat, summer represents pitta season. To thrive in this season, focus on staying calm and cool.

In Ayurveda, the agni, or digestive fire, is a strong source of internal heat. When the environment is hot, it disperses to keep you cool. Hence, in summer, you naturally crave light foods and small meals that are easy to digest. “To alleviate discomfort from the sharp, oily qualities of heat and humidity,” Bex says, “choose refreshing foods that lighten the body and keep the system cool.”

Bowl of tofu and cucumber

Think light proteins like mung beans and tofu, and cooling foods such as coriander, mint, cucumber, celery, fennel, and melon. Claire warns that sour tastes are particularly aggravating to pitta, so hold back on fermented foods, vinegars, and mustards.

To prevent overheating, stay out of the direct sun during pitta time (10 am to 2 pm). Restore your mental and physical energy by practising restorative movement, like yin yoga or gentle swimming. Find ways to stay fresh, and you’ll have lots of fun in pitta season.

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As the doshas are expressed uniquely in each person, the seasons affect us all differently. By understanding the qualities of each season, you can bring your body back to equilibrium with the help of Ayurvedic knowledge, connecting to the rhythms of nature, helping you to bloom all year round.