Tadasana/Mountain Pose

Ground yourself in a pose dedicated to slowing down, finding new energy and connecting to the breath.

This pose has no contraindications.

Tadasana, translated as mountain pose is the place at which we begin our sun salutations or our practice in general. it is intended to help clear the mind, as well as draw energy up from the earth allowing the elongation of the body and the stacking of the vertebrae breaking any habits or misalignment and making the more neutral or natural in its position.

Getting There

1. The posture begins with the feet. Standing either hip distance apart (the length of two fists side-by-side) or with your big toes touching and the heels slightly apart. Practitioners with tight hips or a tight low back will want to choose the former. From the feet, press into the earth and feel the four edges of the sole press into the earth. Notice the arch of the foot, pulling it up, or perhaps noticing if you are more flat footed. Find here a sense of balance on your own two feet, close your eyes and notice any swaying, either from side to side or in circular motion.

2. Start to draw all your attention to the breath and notice as it cascades in and out of the nose, feeling the air brush past the top lip. Use the breath and your focus on it to draw yourself out of your mind. Leaving the stories and the wanting behind you will notice as you focus more on the breath, and the sensation of grounding down through the feet, you will begin to notice the swaying stops.

3. Begin to draw your awareness up the body, from the feet, feeling yourself engage the kneecaps, lifting them by powering up the quads. Tuck your tailbone under, and try to commit to stopping yourself from sticking your bum out behind you. As you tuck the tailbone forward and down think about pulling the belly button up and in. This is a fantastic tip for those of you who stand all day, the activation of the core, and the tucking of the tailbone protect the low back from sciatica like symptoms as well as strengthens the core muscles creating a more supported environment for the low back. Use this core engagement to slightly hold up or lift the ribs and pull the collar bones back and down. Then actively roll the shoulders back and down, stacking the ears directly above the shoulders, and allowing the shoulder blades to rest in their sockets. Hands can be either at heart center, pressing firmly into each other, with the thumbs against the sternum or beside the hips with the palms forward and open, and the fingers engaged.

4. Feel your neck grow. Start to stack each vertebrae on top of the other and notice how the length created allows for the breathe to run more smoothly through pathways. Notice is the lengthening of the neck increased your awareness or lifted a foggy type feeling from the brain. Notice how strong the body feels from the crown of the head to the tip of the toes and breath into this strength and length slowly, and in a meditative fashion for five to seven breathes before beginning your practice.

Tadasana has many benefits besides clearing the mind and energizing the body. It is also a great balancing posture to begin prepping the body for more advanced variations like Vrksasana, Tree pose. This pose helps to tone and strengthen the knees, back, arms and thighs. I works the core stomach  muscles and also helps you develop strong breath work. Standing this way in stillness allows one to study the proper breathing technique and apply it throughout their practice. As you use your feet, arms and legs to balance the body you also stretch the body, adding mobility and agility. The activation of the arches in the feet can help to reverse flat feet and can also bring relief to tired feet. Finally, this posture helps the blood flow to the body and of course in doing this, increased circulation adds to an increase in digestion.

A simple posture, using gravity and the natural shape of the body, to bring on so many positive benefits both mind and body. Try starting your practice with a simple Tadasana today. Ground down and enjoy.