Sanskrit Tadasana, English mountainpose, this pose looks like you’re just standing on your mat.
But this pose is far from so simple.
Today, let’s learn about this pose in a practical and easy to understand way.
Mountain style embodies the stability, strength, balance and stillness of the mountain.
The feet are grounded like the bottom of the mountain, and the body extends upward.
In Ashtanga, it is called samasthiti.
This position is usually our start position and also the return position in our standing sequence.
It provides space for our practice, let us breathe again, let our cushions and our thoughts calm and clear.
We can choose to activate or relax in this position.
Although it seems basic, mountain pose is the basis of all postures.
So it’s not as simple as we think.
What matters is: the weight distribution between the feet, the position of the hips and pelvis, the alignment of the spine, and how to guide us to breathe.
These are important because they can both provide information and affect the rest of our practice.
How to master mountain pose: first describe the active change.
Feet: first, your feet are the same width as your hips (many teachers will prompt you to put your feet together to find the best way for you), ensure that the weight is evenly distributed on the inner and outer edges of your feet, front and rear sides, and press the bottom of your big toe into the floor.
Notice how this action activates the inner thighs, ensuring that the ankles do not roll inward or outward, try to remain neutral, activate the legs, but keep the knees relaxed to ensure that they do not lock to prevent overstretching, retract the tailbone, and keep the pelvis neutral.
Make sure the hips are relaxed.
When you open and lift the chest, lengthen the spine and pull the shoulder blades back, gently retract the lower ribs to extend the spine.
The chest should not bend back or protrude excessively.
Activate uddiyanabandha and mulabandha, start the core, pull the arm down and gently along the body.
Activate the top of the fingers and the palm to align the pelvis, ribs and shoulders with each other, retract the chin to lengthen the back of the neck, relax the chin, absorb energy from the ground, absorb energy from the ground and guide it through the body towards the head, deeply breathe to the ribs, front, side and back, and stay here for 5-8 breaths.
Next, let’s see how to adjust mountain pose: lift all 10 toes and stretch them to create as much space from big toe to little toe as possible.
Put them down again and lift your toes as you inhale.
When you put the heel back on the ground, continue to press the foot ball into the floor, press the big toe pier into the floor, and expand the foot from the big toe to the little toe.
Gently move the weight from the front to the rear of the foot and left and right to establish a sense of grounding.
Find the space where you feel most stable.
How to prepare for mountain pose.
If you have difficulties, try to balance and focus.
Try the following techniques: try lying on your back to activate energy, lie down and press your heels when inhaling, and relax when exhaling.
Repeat 3-5 times.
Inhale and bend your ankles, stretching your toes.
Relax your feet as you exhale.
Repeat 3-5 times.
Remember to do it on both sides.
Benefits of mountain style: it can concentrate, relieve anxiety, exercise lower abdominal and arm muscles, increase foot flexibility, strengthen the strength of thighs, knees and ankles, and also improve your overall posture and posture.
The key anatomy: the psoas in the front of the pelvis and the glutes in the hips move together gently, which has the balance effect of keeping the pelvis upright and aligned.
Exercise your quadriceps to lift and strengthen the front of your thighs.
Rotate the thighs inward and tighten them together to maintain strong energy through the midline of the body.
The erector spinalis extends from the skull to the bottom of the spine.
The abdominal muscles work with the back muscles to support the torso and keep you upright.
The lower part of the trapezius pulls the shoulders down away from the ears to help lift the chest.
Energy and emotion: Mountain style can refresh the whole system.
Make you feel energetic and alert.
Last sentence: if practiced correctly, it will understand the principles of sthira sukham (comfort and stability), as discussed in pantajali’s Yoga Sutra…
