Tadasana
Mountain Pose
Tadasana is the foundation pose for all the standing postures and inversions such as handstand, shoulder-stand and headstand.
Benefits:
Contradictions:
Emotional:
Method:
Variation:
Variations:
Benefits:
- Trains the body to stand with correct posture
- Improves balance
- strengthens the thighs, knees, ankles, abdomen, and buttocks.
- Helps raise flat arches of the feet
Contradictions:
- Low blood pressure
- dizziness
Emotional:
- Brings calm to the mind
- Improves concentration
- steadies the mind and body
Method:
- Stand straight and tall with arms beside the body, feet together
- Press big toes together
- Raise then plant the toes one at a time
- Pull in the core
- Lift the sternum
- Roll shoulders back
- Stretch through the crown of the head
- Chin slightly towards the chest
- Relax the face and close the eyes
- Focus on the breath
Variation:
- Stand straight with the feet together, extending the spine and lifting the chest with shoulders back
- Rock forward onto the balls of the feet
- Rock back onto the heals
- Return to center
- Rock to one side of the feet then other side of the feet while keeping the body straight like a rod
- Return to the center
- Tilt the pelvis forward
- Tilt the pelvis backward
- come to center with natural posture
- Stand and breath
Variations:
- Urdhva Hastasana - reach the arms up, may be stand on the toes
- palm tree pose
- Standing side bends - Tiryaka Tadasana
Urdhva HastasanaUpward hands
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Tiryaka TadasanaPalm tree pose/ standing side bends
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Symbolism of Mountain Pose
Symbolism of Mountain Pose
Tadasana is about standing still, to be firm like a mountain.
It is about grounding and reaching for the sky.
It is about letting go of ego, standing like an I, connecting with the true self.
Ascending a mountain requires strength and stamina.
In Indian mythology, Mount Kailas, (the symbolic Mount Muru, home of the gods,) has two lakes - one is shaped like the sun and the other is shaped like a crescent moon. They symbolize the two forces of Ha (sun)and Tha (moon). Hatha Yoga aims to join, or yoke these two opposing energies. Shiva, the yogic God of creation and destruction sits atop Mount Kailas, facing south.
In Hatha Yoga, two streams of psychic energy rise up like streams from the two lakes to merge and rise in one central channel until the stream of energy reaches the highest level of consciousness or enlightenment.
In this way, Kailas symbolizes the axis of the spiritual universe where the two streams of psychic energy (the lakes) merge and reach nirvana.
In this pose connect the energy of sky and earth, sun and moon to reach beyond self and connect with the universe.
Siva, the yogic God of creation and destruction sits atop Mount Kailas, facing south.
Tadasana is about standing still, to be firm like a mountain.
It is about grounding and reaching for the sky.
It is about letting go of ego, standing like an I, connecting with the true self.
Ascending a mountain requires strength and stamina.
In Indian mythology, Mount Kailas, (the symbolic Mount Muru, home of the gods,) has two lakes - one is shaped like the sun and the other is shaped like a crescent moon. They symbolize the two forces of Ha (sun)and Tha (moon). Hatha Yoga aims to join, or yoke these two opposing energies. Shiva, the yogic God of creation and destruction sits atop Mount Kailas, facing south.
In Hatha Yoga, two streams of psychic energy rise up like streams from the two lakes to merge and rise in one central channel until the stream of energy reaches the highest level of consciousness or enlightenment.
In this way, Kailas symbolizes the axis of the spiritual universe where the two streams of psychic energy (the lakes) merge and reach nirvana.
In this pose connect the energy of sky and earth, sun and moon to reach beyond self and connect with the universe.
Siva, the yogic God of creation and destruction sits atop Mount Kailas, facing south.