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Mountain
Tadasana
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Highlights
Grounding and stability: The pose encourages a sense of stillness and strength, immovable like a mountain. It can help you feel grounded and connected to the present moment, promoting a sense of stability and confidence.
Posture and alignment: Mountain Pose helps improve posture and alignment by elongating the spine and promoting an upright stance. It encourages a neutral position for the head, shoulders, and hips, reducing strain on the body and promoting better balance.
Strengthens postural muscles: This pose engages the muscles of the legs, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, as well as the core muscles. Standing tall and upright brings a feeling of confidence and increased personal power.
Increases body awareness: Mountain Pose promotes body awareness by focusing on proper alignment and balance. It helps you become more conscious of your body's positioning and sensations, which can be carried over to other yoga poses and everyday activities. It is the foundation pose for all other standing asana.
Relieves tension and improves relaxation: While Mountain Pose builds strength, it also helps release tension in the body. As you stand tall and breathe deeply, it can help calm the nervous system, reduce stress, and create a sense of relaxation.
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Cautions
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Preparation
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Cue In
1 - Begin by standing tall at the top of your mat with your feet around hip-width apart. Distributing your weight evenly on both feet, grounding them firmly into the mat.
2 - Align ankles, knees, and hips over each other. Encourage a slight engagement of the abdominal muscles to support the lower back and promote a neutral pelvis.
3 Roll your shoulders back and down, opening the chest. Relax your arms by your sides with the palms facing forward.
3 - Lift the crown of your head towards the ceiling, lengthening the back of the neck. Encourage a natural alignment of the head, neither tilting forward nor backward. Suggest a soft gaze forward or a gentle closing of the eyes for a more meditative experience.
“Stand with feet parallel to each other.”
“Press evenly through the four corners of the feet, engaging the arches and grounding the feet into the floor.”
“Align the knees over the ankles, maintain a slight micro-bend in the knees to engage the leg muscles to provide stability.”
“Stack the hips over the ankles, maintaining a neutral pelvis.”
“Engage the lower abdominal muscles slightly to support the lower back and maintain the natural curve of the spine.”
“Lengthen the spine from the tailbone to the crown of the head.”
“Depress and retract the scapulae to create stability in the shoulder girdle. Avoid hunching or rounding the shoulders forward.”
“Maintain a relaxed and natural position for the arms and hands.”
“Align the head directly over the spine”
“Find a position for the head that feels balanced and comfortable.”
“Bring your attention to the present moment, noticing any sensations in the body and cultivating a sense of groundedness and stability.”
“Stand with the back against a wall for additional support or using a block between the thighs to activate the inner thighs.”
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Adjustments
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Counter Poses
Variations
"See the variations,
simple to complex"
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