A question we often get asked is – how can I get better at balancing? There are many elements but first let me reassure you that you need not be perfectly still in any balancing posture! Why you ask? Because there are 26 bones in your foot! Can you imagine trying to coordinate each one to be perfectly still for an extended time? The bones shift with your breath and every subtle movement of your body – flowing as the body should. Balance is not about perfection; it is about maintaining a steady breath and feel the body gently adjusting to the posture.
Ok so where do we start? You may have heard me say it in class – Pada Bandha is the answer! Pada meaning foot and Bandha meaning lock, is the yogic technique of distributing weight evenly over the foot thereby grounding with the earth, creating a lock between you and the floor.
See the green imprint in the picture above? That foot imprint is how you solidly and evenly press down into your mat. You also want to add a slight outwards pressure to the sides of the feet and feel a sense of lifting from the inner legs that lifts the feet arches. You should feel the toes expanded, foot taking up space as it grips to the mat. With your feet engaged in Pada Bandha you will notice the strength of your legs and how your foot feels almost immoveable! You will naturally stand taller and broader through the shoulders as well!
The feet don’t work in isolation, there is of course the importance of our Drishti (vision) which is the yogic practice of a focused gaze point. I always say where the eyes go the body follows so keep your gaze lifted. Choose something unmoving to gaze upon, soften the eyes and jaw and allow that focus to help develop concentration into the task at hand.
In any balance posture it’s not about how high, long or deep your posture looks. It is whether you have found Stihira and Sukha, stability AND ease whilst in the posture. Remember, it’s a yoga practice, emphasis on the word practice. If you fall out of the pose, smile, soften the shoulders, shake it out, you CAN try again, there is no competition, your practice is yours alone, you got this!
Smiles & Sun Salutations
Ai x