Practical Pose for Maintenance of Energy: Goddess (Deviasana)

Strength with Softness

​​Centered in my inner divinity, I experience a balance of strength and softness.

This month, we have been focusing on maintenance of energy. Depending upon the weather, the stressors of our day, how much we slept, what we ate, or the general state of our bodies and minds, the energy we need, may be very different.

Did you wake up roughly this morning, stiff from a poor night's sleep? Perhaps you forgot to buy coffee or tea for your morning cup on your weekly grocery run; you're feeling sluggish and the only thing you want to do is go back to bed or at the very least, sit and do nothing all day? You're in need of waking up your bones, your blood, your mind.

Or is it that you spent all day on your feet, serving customers, chasing your kids, running from office to office? Your mind is racing, your limbs are vibrating, and what you really need is a sense of stability, of grounding... a moment of silence to connect with the ground below your feet, with just yourself.

These are very different places to be and each of us has had these days in our past. There is a different requirement to stabilize ourselves and find that balance of energy. For this span of needs, let's turn to goddess pose.

Deviasana, or Goddess Pose, is a balance of softness and strength. In it's own standard form, we feel our feet root to the earth as our wide, even stance provides a strong  foundation for the frame of the body. As we lengthen the spine and open the chest and shoulders, we allow the possibility of energy to gather, dissipate, and flow freely throughout our being. Extending the elbows out from the shoulders, reaching the fingertips toward the sky with palms facing forward in front, the upper extremities mirror our foundation. We simultaneously draw and release energy as we connect to earth and sky.

About the pose:

• Feet should be about three times hip-width apart. (You can always scoot the feet further by heel-toeing once you are in the general position.)
• Toes are angled away from the center of the body. All corners of the feet are solidly pressing into the ground.
• Knees are directly above or slightly behind the ankles; toes can be seen.
• Belly is pulled in. Spine is long. The tailbone pulls toward the floor.
• Shoulder blades are drawn toward the spine with elbows around shoulder height if it is comfortable.
• Fingers spread, opening the palms and facing forward.

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Options

1. Drawing energy inward; grounding (not pictured):
   1. Pull the elbows together toward the midline of the body in front of you, palms facing one another, about 6-12 inches apart.
2. Increasing energy; heating the body:
   1. Moving through the pose with just the arms, lengthening, then drawing back in.
   2. You may also choose to slowly move between the standard pose and the extended pose (five pointed star).
3. At a desk:
   1. Move your seat toward the edge of your chair, just far enough so you are still fully supported.
   2. Walk or step the feet away from the midline of your body, keeping your knees above or slightly behind your ankles. Lengthen the spine, pull the belly button in, and raise the arms into a goal post position or fully extended into starfish.
4. For safety and security (not pictured):
   1. To feel a sense of protection in this sometimes vulnerable position, face a wall or piece of furniture such as a dresser before aligning into the pose. You may also lie on your back with a blanket covering you.

Notice of Liability Waiver:
By choosing to participate in this position, any variation of the position or any other physical positions, breathing techniques, or meditations posted on turningtidesyoga.com or its affiliated social media sites, I, the reader, attest that I am in good health and physically able to participate in this instruction as directed by a doctor. I, the reader, irrevocably waive any and all claims that I have now or may have hereafter against Natalie Schuster, Turning Tides Yoga, and its instructors.

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