Tadasana is said to be the fountain from where other yoga asanas have emerged. It is Sankrit word where ‘Tada’ means mountain and ‘asana’ means pose. In most of the standing yoga poses your body or joints emerge and other body parts remain in a neutral position. It’s is not mandatory to be on empty stomach and you can perform this asana at any time of the day. But if you’re looking forward to do other poses make sure you have eaten 4 to 5 hours before and your bowel system must be clean. This is a basic level pose which belongs to Hatha yoga style. When we do this asana, it helps us develop concentration on a particular drishti or focal point. Tadasana engages the uddiyana bandha, jalandhara bandha and mula bandha. Keep reading to know how to do this asana and what their benefits are.

How to do Mountain Pose:

• Stand straight with your hands alongside your body and your feet slightly apart.
• Make sure your thigh muscles are firm. Ensure that you do not harden your lower part of the belly; lift your kneecaps.
• Make sure to strengthen your inner arch in the inner side of your ankle as you lift them.
• Stretch yourself upward and imagine a white light passing through your feet to thighs and all the way up to your neck. Elongate yourself in such a way that you’ll feel your pubis to your naval.
• Slightly look upward.
• Take a deep breath and stretch your arms, shoulders and chest upward. Ensure that your body weight must be on your toes.
• Feel the stretch in your body from toes to your head. Hold this pose for a few seconds and release the pose with exhale.

Precautions:

• It is best to avoid doing this pose if you have insomnia, headache, migraine, joint pain, and low blood pressure.
• Don’t do this pose for too long as it may cause strain in your legs muscles because hyperextension compresses the knee joints.
• If you will put too much pressure on your knees it can cause severe pain.
• Pregnant women should avoid practicing mountain pose.
• Correct position of feet is crucial. Any alteration on your feet may affect your body parts.

Benefits of Tadasana (Mountain Pose):

• Foundation for other Yoga Poses: Alignment is the main factor during standing yoga postures. It is important to understand the mechanism of the standing pose which makes it easy for us to perform other yoga poses. It helps in developing a clear picture of the other asanas. One must not misunderstand this pose for a simple asana. The more you practice this pose the more you can amend your own posture and understand it better.
• Improved Body Posture: Our body is constantly affected by the way we sit or stand. The misalignment can cause discomfort in our body that can affect our mind and diminish our ability to think clearly. A steady and right posture helps to maintain the correct posture of the spine that leads to serenity in mind.
• Helps with Depression and Laziness: The energy flow of our body depends on the space we create with our physical body. A study shows that people with a round back, drooping chest and shoulders which are rolling forward are more prone to depression. These are clear indications that the energy flow is interrupted and it is closing the heart area and your diaphragm. That leads to depression and laziness.
• Assists in Alleviating Sciatica: Sciatica is a nerve which found in the spine and runs deep into each leg. This is known as the longest nerve of the body. if the blood circulation of this area is reduced or the nerve is pressed it causes severe pain which makes sitting and standing very difficult. Defects in sciatica causes disorders like spinal stenosis, spondylitis and ruptured disc. Practicing of Taadasana regularly helps in avoiding problems related to this nerve.
• Improves Overall Well-Being: This is an excellent asana for those who want to increase their height in their developing years. It also helps in improving balance, and reduces flat feet. The asana makes your spine more agile and tones your abdomen and the buttocks. The regular practice of tadasana helps your respiratory, nervous and digestive system. Taadasana also helps you get rid of a hunchback. Women suffering from menstrual issues can get a lot of relief from the daily practice of tadasana which regulates the menstruation cycle.

Tadasana is simple and easy. Daily 5 minutes of practice can bring a lot of change for the good. Try it to believe it.

Namaste!!!