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Inspiration Monday: Your Mountain Mantra
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A blogumn by Kalimba Bennett
Combining a single yoga posture – Tadasana – with a one word mantra is one of the best cocktails I know for creating the exact frame of body and mind that you desire anytime of the day.
Begin by choosing your mantra. Think of a one word quality you’d like to express this day, this hour, or this moment. If you have an important meeting you might choose STRENGTH. If you know a difficult conversation awaits you choose COMPASSION or PEACE. Other options might be JOY, PATIENCE, HUMILITY, LOVE, GRATITUDE, or any other quality that really inspires you.
Keeping that “quality” in mind, follow these steps and move into Tadasana (pronounced tah – DAHS – anna) or Mountain Pose:
1. Stand with your big toes touching and your heels about 2 inches apart. Roll back and forth from your heels to the balls of your feet. Settle in feeling your weight evenly distributed across both feet.
2. Create length in your spine by slightly tucking your tailbone under, pulling your belly button in toward your spine and gently pulling your chin in toward your chest so that you feel the back of your neck nice and long.
3. Gently firm your thigh muscles by lifting your knee caps.
4. Open your chest wide by rolling your shoulders back, pressing your shoulder blades into your back, and keeping your ribs pulled in.
5. Let your arms hang softly by your side with your palms facing toward the front of the room.
Close your eyes and notice the sensations of standing up straight with perfect alignment! Beautiful…
Now, let’s put it all together after the jump:
With your eyes closed and your arms straight, inhale and extend your arms out and up till your palms meet above your head.
As you exhale, pressing your palms together, lower your hands in prayer position till they rest in front of your heart.
For the next ten breaths, linking breath and mothion, you will say to yourself the phrase ” LOVE ( or insert whatever quality you have chosen) IN MY HEART.”
On your inhale, extend your arms out and up as you say to yourself the quality you want to express i.e. “LOVE.”
On the exhale, as you bring your hands to your heart, say to yourself ” IN MY HEART.”
Drop the hands extend the arms and repeat nine more times.
When you have finished your final breath allow yourself to stand still with your hands in prayer at your heart noticing the sensations that you actively created in your mind, body and heart. Let the sensation carry you through your day.
Have a BEAUTIFUL one!
Kalimba
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ooh I wish I could do this right now at the airport. But will def give it a spin when I get into the hotel. Nice!
ooh I wish I could do this right now at the airport. But will def give it a spin when I get into the hotel. Nice!
ooh I wish I could do this right now at the airport. But will def give it a spin when I get into the hotel. Nice!
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also.
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also.
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points in Features also.