When I started Yoga I underestimated the importance Tadasana. Maybe because it was neutral and easy and did not require any effort. I would just glide through it during the Sun Salutes without giving it any importance. As my practice evolved and my body connected deeper, I started to appreciate this easy pose and realized it was the blueprint of all other poses. In the yoga practice it is regarded as a state of being that combines steadiness and ease. It sums up the entire yoga philosophy – unity of opposites in the quest for balance and inner harmony. Today, I naturally feel the urge to just stand – tall and firm, like a mountain. It is the epitome of commitment, perseverance and withstanding – a quality that all of us need in life. As I stand erect and relaxed I feel in a relationship- with the Earth. I feel a sense of deep communing with all living beings – past, present and future.

The essence of a mountain is stability, a deep and abiding quality tat withstands the tests of time. It is the solidity of rock and the stabilizing function of earth and it is unequivocally itself. For any relationship to endure, it must reflect the qualities of a mountain. In life stability manifests as a firm footing in the here and now that takes each step with deliberate intention and doesn’t get sidetracked by seeking shortcuts. It arises when you believe in yourself and your endeavors and focus totally on the task at hand. The spirit of endurance holds the vision – rain or shine, feast or famine – you will remain steadily on the course and can adjust to constant change without compromising our integrity.

According to the Yoga philosophy, growth requires putting down roots, and that means making a wholehearted commitment. Otherwise, your efforts may be unable to sustain hard times with a disappointing short lived affair as the result. Going deep can take you to great heights – from the horizontal into the vertical plane and beyond the familiar – into a 360 degree perspective. From this vantage point life expands into a multi-colored landscape full of possibilities, and the mundane is revealed as a miracle.

The willingness to persevere, come what may, is a maturity that can only be born out of experience. It is never achieved by pushing, coercing, or imitating, nor can it be given or taught. Maturity develops from the inside out, over time, inconspicuously, and it is more dependent on awareness than age. It is the ability to learn from your mistakes and observations in life, and the willingness to let go when the time is ripe. Is a deep and silent knowing that remains unswayed by emotionalism or popular opinion.

Yoga teaches us that endurance is healthy, pragmatic approach toward attaining a successful outcome, unforeseen events can undermine your efforts or relationships. A firm orientation in the present reduces the likelihood of panic once the winds of change begin to howl. It helps you remain aloof from the tendency to identify wit the emotional roller coaster of peak-and-valley experience.

Yoga gives us the gift of Sadhana – a regular self-maintenance and sticking to a routine that supports our stability by restoring balance and providing relief from pressures brought on by the overtaxed mind or an overextended life style, refreshing your capacity for insight and overview.

By dispassionately observing outer events as you would changes in the weather, and making any adjustments required by the moment, it is possible to proceed without major setbacks. Whether you find yourself in a high pressure zone, a dry spell, or a perfectly cloudless sky-blue da makes little difference. The silent center within you provides a grounded-ness that has seen it all and thus can remain calm and present. Then you can bend without a loss of integrity and firm without becoming stubborn or brittle.

It is understandable that the ancient Yoga saw the ability to endue through the highs and lows of life as the right foundation for marriage or contractual agreements. A marriage rooted in a supporting balance that enhances each partner’s capacities would almost likely strengthen the greater good of the community, and therefore the world. Harmonious relationships are like mountains – they are a testimony to a dignity and inner strength that remain unwavering in the face of hardship and adversity.

Sometimes we expect too much too fast, cutting possibilities off before they even take root. This approach is nothing but a dead end. Yoga teaches us to slow down and be realistic about the time it takes things to grow naturally.

Every time I have a hard time in my personal relationship, I try not to fret. I just stand for a couple of minutes in Tadasana. I bathe in the stillness and power of the mountain, and allow the right decision to arise. Sometimes I persevere, other times I let go. I just heed the call.

Yoga Stamina Routine: Persevere & Grow (open level)

This Yogea routine hones endurance of body, mind and will. Cradling between table pose and boat pose we open the spine while engaging the abdomen. Deeper isometric core openers tone the front of the body, while side plank pairs with spider lunge in to firm the side of the waist and open the hips. Standing poses change smoothly in a pose-counter-pose flow switching from external to neutral rotators, with subtle leg shifts to facilitate easy transitions. The standing prelude descends into kneeling bound poses brimming with thigh openers and toners. Seated core work introduces artful binds and meridian crossings. Further pelvic lifts and leg rotations in table pose strengthen the pelvis, arms, torso and hips. Diving into cobra poses and emerging from the base while engaging the core builds a solid center and a body as strong as a rock and as flexible as bamboo. An empowering relaxation pose lets you perceive your body as a stronghold in times of change.