Practicing yoga makes you feel good. Stretching out the body during asana practice gives you a feeling of lightness in your body.
Your mood becomes cheerful and your spirit is lifted. All these feelings last well after the practice, sometimes for a few days! That’s pretty awesome.
Yoga has lots of other benefits, so let’s look at one specific posture that can easily affect many areas of your everyday life.
Practice yoga all the time without anyone noticing
Practicing yoga can extend beyond the amount of time you’re on your yoga mat. Whenever you’re waiting around, it is possible to practice yoga. Don’t worry about feeling self-conscious because no one will know you’re doing it. You’ll improve your posture and feel good. It’s as easy as Standing Tadasana (mountain pose).
So many benefits from just one asana
Obviously, good posture impacts the physical body. Your body becomes more balanced. Less effort is used to hold the body upright. Excess tension can be reduced. The organs are able to function better, and overall energy in the body is less blocked so it can flow freely.
Within just two minutes of standing in a good posture, our physiological state is affected. Chemicals in the body begin to change; the stress hormone, cortisol, reduces and testosterone increases. This translates to lowered stress levels and increased feelings of “I can do it.”
Good posture also has a big impact on us mentally. Stand with your chest open, shoulders rolled down and back, chest slightly lifted and facial muscles relaxed. Do you feel a little more confident already? You probably also feel ready to take on more challenges.
Every aspect of ourselves is affected by posture, including our emotions. Scientific studies have shown that standing or sitting upright is linked to feelings of positivity. On the other hand, slouching is linked to feelings of hopelessness and overall negativity. You can influence your general outlook on life just by changing your posture!
Practice every day and let the benefits come
With all these near-instant changes to your body, mind, and spirit, be vigilant of your posture and adjust it whenever you notice yourself falling back into poor posture.
There are many different variations on Tadasana, but keeping it simple is best. Stand equally on both feet while aligning the body so each part is stacked on top of the part below it. If you’re sitting, you can still practice it by placing both feet flat on the ground hip width apart and rest your weight evenly on the sit bones. Lift up from the very top of the head and relax everything below, especially the shoulders. “Tada” — you’re in Tadasana!