Some days, I think yoga begins the moment we stop moving.
I remember once, after a hectic week, stepping into class late. Everyone else was already flowing, but my teacher caught my eye and simply mouthed: “Just stand.” So I did. Feet down, arms loose, breath shaky at first. And oddly enough — in that stillness, I felt more “in yoga” than I had all week.
Standing poses are like that. They don’t dazzle the way arm balances do. They won’t get you a dramatic Instagram photo. But they work in subtler, more honest ways: they steady you, strengthen you, and remind you what it feels like to stand your ground.
Why Bother with Standing Poses?
Well, let me put it this way: if you can stand well, you can do almost everything else with more ease.
They strengthen the big muscles — thighs, hips, core. Think of Chair Pose. It looks so innocent until your legs start to shake… and that shake? It’s your body rewiring itself to be stronger.
They teach balance. Tree Pose is humbling — some days you’re solid, some days you fall out five times. Either way, your nervous system is learning.
They reset posture. Mountain Pose looks like “just standing,” but if you really feel into it, it teaches the spine to stack, the shoulders to soften, the breath to flow.
And beyond all that — they quieten the mind. Because when you’re trying to hold Warrior II for a minute, trust me, you’re not planning tomorrow’s grocery list.
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A Small Morning Ritual
I often do this when I feel ungrounded:
Mountain Pose — I stand there, notice how my feet land. Sometimes I realize I’m dumping weight into one side, or curling my toes. Just noticing changes everything.
Tree Pose — I wobble, I laugh, I try again.
Warrior II — strong, steady, eyes forward. It feels like an inner pep talk.
Triangle Pose — side body opens, breath deepens, I feel stretched in every direction.
That’s it. Ten minutes. And yet my whole day feels different.
The Deeper Story
In yoga’s subtle language, standing poses awaken the root chakra — the place of stability, safety, belonging. But they’re not just about rooting down. They’re about rising too. Feet heavy, crown light. Earth and sky meeting in you.
And honestly, isn’t that what we’re all practicing in life? Staying grounded while still reaching for something higher?
Questions I Hear a Lot
I wobble too much in balance poses — does that mean I’m bad at them?
Nope. Wobbling is the practice. Balance comes by losing it and finding it again.
How long should I hold these poses?
Long enough to feel something shift, not so long that your breath gets ragged. For some that’s 20 seconds, for others 2 minutes.
Can standing poses be meditative?
Yes. In fact, they might be the most accessible form of meditation — because you’re literally standing in your body, nowhere else to go.
A Gentle Invitation
If you’d like to explore these poses more deeply — not as “exercises,” but as ways of feeling rooted and alive — we welcome you into our yoga teacher training course in rishikesh. Come stand with us, breathe with us, and discover what it means to be grounded.
