
Category:
Reset
“We can always begin again.” – Jack Kornfield
- Stand with both feet together
- Softly engage the legs
- Elongate the spine
- Bring the navel gently towards the spine
- Explore your neutral pelvis position
- Gently lift the heart space
- Bring chin parallel to the earth
- Let the arms rest by your side
- Gently energize fingertips towards the floor
- Connect with grounding and rooting on the inhale
- Connect with openness and rising on the exhale
This quote from Jack Kornfield is a perfect statement for Samasthiti. This posture offers us an opportunity throughout our practice to reset, come back and begin again. I cannot express enough the importance of this posture. In the Ashtanga system, we are asked to begin right here, standing equally balanced in both feet, with strong legs, a tall spine, open heart, arms resting by our side, and a smile on our face.
Throughout the practice, we are asked to return here again and again as a reset, a place to check in. Why? Because it’s easy to check out. It’s easy to get caught up in the dynamic flow of energy that’s being cultivated as you move and breathe in this powerful practice. It’s easy to get frustrated and defeated by the self-limiting belief we place on ourselves. Samasthiti reminds us to come back to the present moment, to reconnect with the softness of the breath, as well as give ourselves permission to simply be in the body that we are in today!
We can learn so much about ourselves, our body and our mind simply by returning or starting over at the beginning again.