The mother of asanas, Tadasana is the foundational standing yoga asana from which all the other yoga posture emerge. The Sanskrit word Tada means ‘mountain’ and Asana means ‘pose,’ hence the Mountain Pose that, fosters grounding feeling, stability, and connectedness to Mother Nature.
Well-known as one of the simple yoga poses, Tadasana is perfect for ameliorating the body posture and transforming the physical and mental health patterns. In the Sun Salutation sequence A, Mountain pose serves as the base for 12 traditional yoga poses because of its rewards for the body, mind, and spirit.
- Improves Body Posture and Health: As you are bound to sit all day long, tight muscles and back pain are unavoidable. The practice of Mountain Pose works to align the spinal skeletal system and brings it in a natural ‘S’ shape. The use of body muscles to get into the pose strengthens the weak muscles and the core resulting in health.
- Efficient Organ Working: The Tadasana encourages a free flow of prana to the spine and creates space within the body that allows internal organs to work with more efficiency. When the internal system is healthy, you feel an improvement in digestion, respiration, and circulation. Savor healthy organ benefits of mountain pose with its correct practices.
- Calms the Mind: As you stand in the mountain pose in a steady stance with your concentration on a fixed point and breath, you develop sharp focus and serene mind. Also, the pose energizes the body by activating the flow of prana that helps in expelling the depression and dreariness. With a peaceful mindset, developing a mind-body connection and inner awareness is easy.
- Strengthens the Lower Body: The health benefits of parvatasana for the legs are myriad and potent. As you strongly engage your legs and firmly ground your feet into the floor, the knees, thighs, ankles get strengthened. Strong lower body is vital for healthy mobility and warding off injuries.
- Develops Balance and Coordination: As you stand still in the pose, you gain the improved balance and posture health benefits of parvatasana. The deep and controlled breathing cultivates prana– the life force that makes the spine agile and helps you maintain your balance in the posture.
Instructions for the Parvatasana (Mountain Pose):
● Stand tall on a yoga mat personifying a mystical mountain.
● Equally, distribute the weight in both the feet and toes in alignment with each other.
● Lengthen the spine, soften the stomach, widen the collarbones, and lift the heart towards the sky.
● Raise the arms up alongside the ears parallel to the floor, palms facing in the front direction.
Different Hand Movements in the Tadasana:
● Fold the hands together in Anjali Mudra in front of the heart chakra to open the Anahata energy center.
● Rest the arms alongside the body, palms down.
● Hoist the arms up and fold the hands together or make the palms face each other.
Tips and Modifications:
● If you feel off balance in the pose with feet together, separate your feet hip-distance apart. Align the knees with the second and third finger of the feet.
● Align the back of your heels, sacrum, and shoulder blades against the wall for support and care.
● To advance into the pose, close the eyes and observe the force of prana with each inhalation.
Alignment Tips for the Pose:
● Lengthen the spine from the crown of the head and strongly engage your core muscles.
● Open the chest towards the ceiling and draw the shoulder blades back and down.
● Your ears should be over your shoulders.
● Align the head directly over the pelvis and pelvis on top the ankles.
● Keep the chin parallel to a yoga mat.
Contraindications:
● Shoulder Injury
● Insomnia
● Headache
● Low Blood Pressure
Every time you practice the Mountain Pose, focus on the pose, alignment, and benefits you stand to gain from performing the pose mindfully.
