Every Pose is Tadasana?
Every Pose is Tadasana?
You may have heard “Every pose is Tadasana or Tadasana is in every pose” and been utterly confused. You might have argued in your internal dialogue that “you’ve done wheel pose and wheel pose is most definitely not Tadasana.” But the cliche “every pose is Tadasana” is about a much broader concept of what Tadasana represents.
Tadasana mimics the anatomical neutral position which is depicted in every anatomy text with a skeleton standing erect with gaze straight ahead and palms turned forward. Anatomical neutral establishes a reference point from which all anatomical movement is described, named (i.e. flexion, extension, adduction, abduction and so on) and referenced from. To restate, Tadasana allows us to start to become familiar with our bodies in a neutral position before habitual postures, spinal, pelvic or limb movements are initiated (2)
To clarify, It’s not that neutrality is the end all, be all goal of a yoga practice; in fact, when yoga teachers treat the neutral alignment of tadasana as inherently superior for reasons of pain, function, and health, they could convey a counterproductive message to their students. Tadasana is just one of an infinite number of ways the body can be positioned. The human body is adaptable and resilient, and we can have pain-free, well-functioning bodies in any number of varying alignments—asymmetrical, curved spines, leg-length discrepancies, muscle imbalances, and all. (1)
However, for your yoga practice to support your overall wellness by counteracting your less-than-ideal everyday postural habits such as: slumping in your office chair; crossing your legs while sitting; sleeping on your belly or putting more weight in one leg while standing in line at the grocery store, and for your yoga practice to be fertile ground for expanding awareness and growth - the dynamic qualities of: action and reaction; surrender and engagement; push and pull are essential. To visualize this concept, when you are in wheel pose, near or at your end range of spinal extension, what the concept of “Tadasana in every pose” invites you to consider are small movements made back in the direction of neutral such as: subtle core engagement; dropping the ribs gently back towards the spine while maintaining the heart space open; slightly adduction and internal rotation of the inner thighs; spinning your hands back to center if they have rotated inwardly; regulating and softening your inhalation and exhalation and so on.
This pulling back prevents you from hanging out without awareness or engagement in your body’s end ranges. This dance with balance results in a pose that is both more comfortable to maintain over time, a pose that is more strengthening in nature, and a pose that has a lessened risk of injury over time.
In conclusion, finding Tadasana within each pose is about that never ending and often elusive quest for balance - inviting moderation and mindful, intentional movement into your yoga sacred space and into your life.
References: 1 = https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-myth-of-symmetry-in-yoga; 2 = unknown Photography Credit: Wild Thing Photography
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