When I cue students to get into Mountain Pose, or Tadasana, I often say it’s such a simple pose, but one that’s so powerful and beneficial when you practice it mindfully. Mountain Pose is a standing resting posture, but it also requires focus in order to practice it effectively and gain benefits like improved posture.
I also enjoy reminding students that Mountain Pose is a yoga pose you can practice just about anywhere in your everyday life where you’re standing. It’s a great one to do while waiting in line, at an event like a concert or while you’re at a networking event or party. You can integrate the basics of Mountain Pose into your everyday life to achieve better posture and enjoy a more engaged, yet relaxed, way of being as you go about your day.
What Is Mountain Pose?
Mountain Pose is a foundational yoga pose that’s often integrated into most practices that involve standing postures and vinyasa flows. A good way to envision what you want to achieve in Mountain Pose is to picture strength and stability from the soles of your feet all the way through the crown of your head – just like a mountain.
Simply practicing Mountain Pose for several breaths can be challenging in itself. As the National Library of Medicine reports more than 80% of people experience postural issues in at least one part of their bodies at some point, Mountain Pose is a yoga posture that’s highly valuable.
How to Do Mountain Pose
To enter Mountain pose, stand with your feet parallel and hip-width distance apart. Relax your arms down by your sides. I like to encourage students to shine their palms forward, as that also helps to relax the shoulders back and down.
Engage the core by bringing the belly button toward your spine. Imagine a string is pulling the crown of the head up toward the sky. Move the chin slightly back to align the neck with the spine.
You can breathe in and out for several deep breaths here. You can also modify by bringing the palms together in a prayer-like position at your sternum. Another variation is to lift the arms overhead.
Mountain Pose Tips
When I’m guiding students through Mountain Pose, the following are some reminders I like to share to feel the full benefits of the pose.
- Root evenly into all four corners of both your feet. Notice if you’re leaning over to one side more than the other. Try to even out your stability.
- Roll your shoulders up, around and down, to broaden the chest and open the heart center.
- Be mindful of arching the spine too far backward, or of rounding too far forward. Imagine a straight line of energy from the soles of your feet up through the spine, neck and crown of the head.
Sometimes, I also cue Mountain Pose by saying, “Ta-da!-sana”. It’s a special pose, serving as the foundation for strength and stability in a yoga practice, as well as good posture in everyday life.
How Do You Practice Yoga in Everyday Life?
Incorporating Mountain Pose throughout your day is one way to make yoga part of your everyday life. Do you integrate yoga in your daily activities? Share what you do in the comments, to inspire others and share your experience.
Have a yoga topic you’d like me to write about? Send me a message.
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