Samasthithi

Tadasana is a difficult pose.

As I practise, I see how there are points that light up. The feet, the ankles, the calves, knees, back of the knees, thighs, hips, spine, trunk, abdomen, shoulders, the back, throat and the head are all check posts that draw attention to one single asana.

Yesterday, I found myself sweating in the pose, holding it for long. A longer hold helped me see how much my heels had dug into the mat. Every time I adjusted a few things, I felt the attention had moved elsewhere and there was again the attempt to get back. It was a bit like falling down and getting up again and again. In the process, while I didn’t get all of it happening simultaneously, I did understand the lift of the inner thighs and experienced the quietness of the outer thigh, a new awareness. It got me thinking that perhaps, tadasana is what I need to find in all the asanas.

All these years, my mental flightiness was expressed through my unsteady legs. I never realized how much freedom there is in grounding.