Teaching The Mountain Pose Correctly

The mountain pose, which is known as the tadasana to practised yogis, is an essential yoga posture and you will come across it in almost all types of yoga practices. At first it may seem simple, but keep in mind that it will show you principles that you can use for every yoga position – that of balance, focus and muscle extension. At our institute of yoga teacher training UK I will explain a bit more about the mountain pose below. When you are centered in Santana you can take your awareness to a whole chain of muscles that “fire” to hold you in this strong and stable posture. Four main muscles can be easily observed as you are standing there. The main superficial muscle at your back – Simulations Doris works in line with the 3 layers of Glut ii and they all work in line with your hamstrings. There is also activation of muscles in the core of the body, we call them obliques. When you stand in Santana and take your awareness at these four areas, you will “feel” them working to hold you in a stable position. You may notice a slight swaying, but that is normal. To begin as per the yoga teacher course, you must stand straight and tall, with your big toes touching, lifting the arches of the feet, tighten the thigh muscles, lift the knee caps, roll the shoulders up and back, and open the palms to face forward. Balance and concentration is vital for the mountain pose, so I ask that you feel as your feet make contact with the floor. Pay attention to how your weight is distributed and spread your toes out to get a better platform. Now go through the routine of checking all the back muscles and to also become aware that the obliques are also engaged. After you have sufficiently gained your balance and got a feel for your surroundings, you can then lift your upper body, and then lengthen your backbone from your shoulders up, remembering to keep your stomach tightened and tucked. This is usually referred to as udyana bandaha. Feel as your ribcage and collarbone move upward. The more you focus on the posture and how it feels, the more you will start to relax. Keep working the shoulders (allowing the shoulder blades to float down towards the back hips) shoulders move away from your ears and relaxed and let your arms hang towards your sides with your palms facing forward. Pretend that you have a string coming up through your head, and feel as if the crown is reaching towards the ceiling. Hold this position for a few seconds, and stay relaxed. It helps to breathe through your nose as steady and evenly as you can. There is wonderful sense of physical balance which then translates in to balance in the mind with an overall feeling of strength and flexibility. Develop the habit of standing in tadasana at least 3 to 4 times per day. You do not need to be in a yoga class to achieve the same feeling. You can do tadasana even in your full suit and work gear. It is all about centring and finding moments of peace in your mind. The mind quietens down especially when it is focused in to the body.