"The mountain is a symbol of the aspiration to transcend one's little self... The process of ascent is a spiritual pursuit toward a solitude in which the rational mind must surrender its dominance. All intellectual activity has to recede to allow the mind periodically to be in its original state."
I love how Radha encourages us to view the posture as a symbol and a metaphor. (That is something you won't find on the Yoga Journal website). The quote above struck a chord with me because during my teacher's training it became clear that my intellectual mind was a significant barrier for me. I can view my intellect as the mountain, a force to be climbed and conquered, or I can view myself as the mountain, perservering and patient. I'm inclined to go for the latter based on the feeling I have when I'm praticing the posture. I feel like if mountains had personalities, they would be these steadfast, patient pillars, staying strong but never resisting change. When I stand in tadasana, I find search for these qualities in myself.
Physically the pose is interesting as well. I tried it with feet hip-width apart and also with feet together. I felt taller and more steady with my feet together, and my posture was better as well. I recorded a video of myself doing the pose, and I noticed that I lean forward a bit, and there's a slight curving forward of my pelvis, as if I'm in a slight back bend. This is something a teacher mentioned to me a couple weeks ago, but it doesn't really sink in until you see it! Video taping yourself is an excellent way to get an objective view at your posture, even better than a mirror.
At this point, trying to find my ideal posture is quite uncomfortable. When I change the way I stand, my body says "Hey! What are you doing?", and I have a bit of a stress reaction... the biggest indictaor of this is that I often feel a tightness in my chest. In tadasana I think I should begin exploring what parts of my body are okay to let go of and relax. I think I often assume I should be engaging every muscle somehow, but I doubt that's the case.
I think I'll revisit this pose next time. It's an important one, a literal foundation, so there's no need to rush it!
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