Mountain Pose may appear to be simple but behind this strong standing posture is a whole body of activation. Every Muscle group is engaged, the mind is focused and the breath is steady. Mountain Pose is the foundation of our Standing Postures and Standing Balances. Just like a Mountain, we can build strength and power within our body as well as our mind and emotions.
Name: Mountain Pose
Sanskrit Name: Tadasana
Type of Pose: Standing Posture
Contraindications
· Knee, Hip and Spinal issues: keep feet hip distance apart.
Benefits
· Encourages good alignment and posture.
· Strengthens and tones the core muscles.
· A grounding posture.
· A foundation posture, preparing us for all other standing postures.
· Improves focus and concentration.
Pose Breakdown
1. Begin in a standing position, with the feet parallel, a few inches apart or hip width apart.
2. Lift and spread your toes and the balls of your feet, then lay them softly back down on the floor. Sway slowly back and forth and side to side to discover your centre line. Come to a place where your feet are grounding through the floor. Feel the lift through the arches of your feet and the strong energy moving up through your legs and your core.
3. Engage your inner thighs, squeeze your belly button to your spine, open your chest and allow your shoulders to draw back and down your spine, rolling them away from your ears.
4. Let your arms relax beside your torso, palms spread wide, facing forward.
5. Pull up through the crown of your head and keep your gaze soft and focussed. Breathe.
Common Misalignments
Misalignment: Back bending
Correction: engage the core to close and lengthen the spine.
Misalignment: Feet too far apart
Correction: Check in that your feet are together or hip width apart.
Misalignment: Shoulders hunched up to the ears
Correction: Remember to draw the shoulders back and down.
Misalignment: Hyper-extension in the knees
Correction: Soften the knees
Props
Use a chair for increased support and comfort
Prep Poses
Focus on breath, grounding and alignment. You may come into this pose from a Downward Dog and through a Deep Forward Fold, rolling up slowly to standing in Mountain Pose.
Follow Up Poses
Any standing posture.
Counter Poses
· Chair Pose
· Deep Forward Fold
· Savasana
Top Tip
The feet: must be parallel to each other with toes facing forward.
The core: needs to be drawn in to create a strong stance for the rest of the body.
Breakdown individual postures with our Yoga Blog to ensure you guide your personal Yoga practice with good alignment, strength and safety.
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