Mountain

Mountain
TĀDĀSANA (ताडासन)
(tah-DAH-sah-nah)

 

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‘Tāda’= mountain, ‘āsana’= posture

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Alternate Names
Samasthiti
Equal Standing Pose
Prayer Pose
Palm Tree Pose

Difficulty Level: Beginner
Pose Type: Standing / Balance / Restorative

Drsti
• Straight ahead – Eye level

1. Stand up straight with your feet placed about hip distance apart. Sink into your feet, distributing your weight equally throughout your feet. Spread your toes and ground yourself to your mat.

2. Keep your shoulders down and back with your shoulder blades flat across your back. Open your chest and broaden your shoulders, keeping your neck soft, as you gaze straight ahead with your chin parallel to the mat.

3. Lengthen your spine so that you are in alignment from the crown of your head down through your heels. Square your hips forward and slightly tuck in your tailbone. Tighten your core by pulling your navel to your spine and engage your quadriceps for balance.

4. Your arms should be at your sides, palms open and facing forward, with your shoulders relaxed. Alternatively, your palms can be facing in toward your thighs.

5. Hold this pose for several breathes before releasing.

Common Adjustments
• Hips not facing forward or out of alignment
• Neck strained / Shoulders hunched or up by ears
• Spine not straight / Lower back compressed
• Feet too far apart or too close together
• Arms strained / not relaxed
• Chest collapsing / Core not engaged
• Elbows or knees locked

Modifications
• Students who have difficulty balancing, or are pregnant, can place their feet farther apart and/or practice with their back up against a wall.
• Students who have difficulty keeping their chest up and shoulders broad can practice next to a wall with a block between their Upper/Middle back and a wall.
• For students with kyphosis, have a tight chest, or have tight deltoids, they can practice up against a wall with a pillow or bolster between the wall and the bottom of their ribs, as you assist by gently pushing their shoulders back to the wall.
• Students who have difficulty keeping their hips squared forward, keeping their lower back straight and raised, or have lordosis, can practice next to a wall or next to a wall with a block placed between the lower back to hips and the wall. This will help tone the back and gradually help increase confidence.
• Students who feel discomfort in their feet can place a folded mat or blanket under their feet for support.
• Students who have difficulty standing for long periods of time, or are severely unbalanced, can either practice seated in a chair or practice with their hands on the back of a chair or on a wall.
• Students with Parkinson’s disease, or a spinal disc disorder, and need help in this pose, should practice facing a wall with their palms placed on it.
• Students with scoliosis might find it helpful to practice near the protruding edge of two adjoining walls.
• Students who would like to activate their inner thighs can practice while squeezing a block between their mid to upper thighs. This will also help stabilize and engage the legs.
• Students who would like to enhance this pose can practice with either: a) their eyes closed while focusing on grounding themselves into the posture for balance, b) raise their arms in the air above their heads and place them together in Prayer Mudra, or c) extending one leg forward and back and then repeating on the other side.

Counter Poses
• Corpse (Savasana)
• Forward Bend, Seated (Paschimottanasana)
• Forward Bend, Standing (Uttanasana)
• Downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Anatomy
• Neck	• Shoulders (Deltoids)
• Chest (Pectoralis Minor)	• Triceps
• Abdomen (Core) and Obliques	• Gluteus Maximus, Medius, and Minimus (Glutes) and Spine
• Hips	• Quadriceps and Hamstrings
• Calf muscles	• Ankles and Feet

Benefits
• This is a full body stretch that especially stretches and strengthens the abdomen, spine, inner thighs, quadriceps, knees, calf muscles, ankles, and feet.
• Stimulates and tones the lungs, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, bladder, heart, spleen, stomach, and intestines.
• Lengthens the spine and helps correct posture and alignment, which increases stability and confidence. Also, may help relieve pain from sciatica, plantar fasciitis, and heel spurs.
• Improves concentration by focusing on balance, which also helps to reduce stress and mild anxiety, while developing will power and confidence.
• Counters the degenerative effects of aging on the legs, spine, and feet.

Contraindications
1. Students with migraines, headaches, insomnia, weak leg muscles, have a severe shoulder or back injury, have severe balance difficulties, or have low blood pressure should practice with caution and guidance.
2. Students that find it difficult to stand for long periods of time should avoid this pose.

Bandha
• Mula Bandha

Chakras
	Chakra One:	Root or Muladhara (root support) Chakra. This is the survival and gravity chakra. Its goals are stability, grounding, prosperity, right livelihood, and physical health. Its location is the base of the spine, coccygeal plexus, legs, feet, and large intestines.
	Chakra Two:	Sacral or Svadhisthana (sweetness) Chakra. This is the chakra for emotion, sexuality, and attraction of opposites. Its goals are fluidity, pleasure, and relaxation. Its location is the abdomen, genitals, lower back, and hips.

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Additional information on this asana can be found in your textbooks

• In “THE ART OF VINYASA: Awakening Body and Mind through the Practice of Ashtanga Yoga” textbook by Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor textbook.
  • In PART TWO: Āsana: Movements and Poses Strung Together Like Jewels on the Thread of the Breath in Chapter 6 “Standing Poses”, a variation of the asana demonstrated above can be found as “SAMASTHITIH – Equal Standing“. This same variation can also be seen in Chapter 5 “Building Śurta Namaskāra.
• In “Yoga Anatomy – Second Edition” by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthew textbook.
  • CHAPTER 6 – STANDING POSES, this asana can be found as “Tadasana – Mountain Pose“. You can also see a variation called “Samasthiti – Equal Standing, Prayer Pose“.