Mountain Pose (Sanskrit: Tāḍāsana / ताड़ासन)
The foundational pose for almost all standing yoga asanas, Tadasana (Tāḍāsana), or the Mountain Pose can be used as a starting asana, resting asana, or a tool to enhance our body posture while we stand. It is also known as Samasthiti. The word ‘Sama’ means unmoved or upright and ‘Sthiti’ means steadiness. So, Samasthiti means an asana where we stand firmly erect, unmoving, and in a stable and steady manner.
Instructions for Doing the Mountain Pose
- Join your feet together and stand straight. Your heels and big toes should gently touch each other. The heads of your metatarsals should be rested on the floor.
- Stretch your toes flat on the floor.
- Pull up your knee caps to create a little tension in your knees. Contract your hips and pull up the muscles of your hamstrings as well.
- Keep your chest forward and keep your stomach in. The spine should be comfortably erect. Keep your neck straight.
- Make sure the weight of your body is evenly distributed on both your legs and also on the entire length of your feet (not just on the toes or on the heels).
- You can stretch your arms above your head or you can keep them by the sides of your thighs.
Benefits of Doing the Tadasana
- We don’t pay much attention to how we are standing. Some people stand with all their body weight thrown on one leg while some others tend to put their body weight mainly on their heels or soles of the feet. All these methods of standing incorrectly lead to restricted body movements, impeded flexibility, and tiredness of both – the body and the mind. Practicing Tadasana regularly helps you correct your standing posture, allowing you to stand comfortably without any extra pressure on your spine, knees, or ankles.
- Tadasana also helps you become more alert. It keeps your mind active, enhancing your awareness of the breath, which in turn improves your concentration levels and mental alertness.
- You can correct your body language, simply by learning how to stand correctly. Tadasana helps you achieve that.
- This asana also helps you relieve the symptoms of sciatica and flat feet.
Precautions
- Anyone can practice this asana since it’s one of the most basic yoga asanas you can learn, but if you have low BP, insomnia, or a headache, practice with a little precaution.
- Pregnant women can keep a 10-14 inch distance between their feet to get into a more comfortable stance.