Tadasana: Mountain Pose
ADJUSTMENTS | BENEFITS | SEQUENCING | SANSKRIT | STEPS
While the tadasana (tah-DAHS-anna), or mountain pose, appears to be one of the most basic yoga poses, it is far more profound than it seems. Learning how to truly stand in mountain pose, with awareness from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet, brings benefits in practicing nearly every other yoga pose — especially standing poses. Understanding the ins and outs of tadasana gives the knowledge needed to move confidently and safely into your practice for years to come. Regularly practicing mountain pose is also great for improving posture.
Philosophy + Origin
Mountain pose can look like a “non-pose” to some, but there is much to discover. In an age where we move quickly from one thing to the next, learning how to be strong, steady, and unwavering like a mountain is beneficial for our mental, physical, and spiritual health. As you stand in mountain pose, notice the subtleties of the posture. What can be discovered by being still? The more you practice tadasana, the more you’ll experience its meditative qualities, each breath inviting another step up the proverbial mountain until you quietly take in the incredible vista from the top.
ADJUSTMENTS/MODIFICATIONS:
- Stand with your heels, hips, and shoulder blades against a wall as a guide for proper alignment.
- To learn to engage the leg muscles correctly, practice with a block between your thighs. Use your inner thigh muscles to squeeze the block and imagine you can push it behind you (internal rotation). This action is fundamental to many standing poses.
STEP-BY-STEP:
- Stand at the top of your mat with your ankles directly under your inner hip bones.
- Root down: Lift and spread your toes wide, then gently place them back down. Balance your weight between the four corners of your feet – the base of the big toe, the base of the pinky toe, the inner heel, and the outer heel.
- Internal rotation: Feel your inner thighs squeeze toward each other and back behind you.
- Neutral pelvis: Draw your tailbone down as you lift your pubic bone toward your belly.
- Broad shoulders: Widen your shoulder blades as you simultaneously draw them down. Lift your sternum to allow more space between your collarbones. Let your arms rest at your sides with palms facing forward.
- Feel the midline: Feel the crown of your head align with the center of your pelvis; align your chin so that it’s parallel to the mat.
PREPARATORY POSES:
- Standing forward bend | Uttanasana
- Plank pose | Phalakasana
- Upward salute | Urdhva hastasana
SEQUENTIAL POSES:
- Chair pose | Utkatasana
- Tree pose | Vrksasana
- Crescent lunge | Anjanayasana
COUNTER POSES:
- Standing forward fold | Uttanasana
- Half standing forward fold | Ardha uttanasana
- Downward facing dog | Adho mukha svanasana
SANSKRIT:
- Tada = mountain
- Asana = pose
PHYSICAL BENEFITS:
- Improves posture.
- Strengthens thighs, ankles, feet.
- Tones the muscles of the abdomen.
ENERGETIC BENEFITS:
- Calms the mind.
- Relaxes the central nervous system.
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Uttana Shishosana: Extended Puppy Pose
ADJUSTMENTS | BENEFITS | SEQUENCING | SANSKRIT | STEPS
An intelligent pose to help lengthen the spine and relieve mental stress, uttana shishosana (OO-ta-NAH she-SHO-sahna), is a hybrid pose — a cross between balasana (child’s pose) and adho mukha svanasana (downward facing dog). Uttana shishosana is a great way to energize the physical and subtle bodies for when you’re feeling fatigued, or when you’ve been stuck behind a desk or in a chair all day. Energetically, the posture has the benefits of increasing both self-confidence and self-love.
Philosophy + Origin
Uttana shishosana is a great reminder of why we practice yoga: to feel better and to find tools to help us live our best lives. Named because of the way dogs and puppies stretch, this posture, while far from fancy, is effective in its simplicity. As humans, it’s easy to want to complicate life, always looking to the past or future in order to find meaning.
Dogs, on the other hand, are great at being present. Loyal and playful, our canine companions have a lot to teach us about relaxing and taking care of ourselves and those we love. As you practice extended puppy pose, allow yourself to settle into your senses. Allow yourself to linger (and lengthen) in the feel-good sensations.
