One of the poses that I have come to LOVE is Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Now, when I first started doing yoga, I didn’t think much about it. You stand. That’s pretty much what I thought, until doing a foundational yoga class (taught me SO much information) by Candace Moore and finishing up my 200 YTT (and also my Ayurveda Specialist course). There is so much MORE to Tadasana. In Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar, he states, “Tadasana therefore implies a pose where one stands firm and erect as a mountain.” It’s a very grounding pose, which suits me, since my Dosha is Vata (information on Doshas in my last post). When doing a lot of asanas, I definitely make sure to incorporate this one several times and I’m also mindful when doing it. So what did I learn about this wonderful pose?
Once you stand, you first need to make sure that you have your feet hip distance apart parallel to each other (in Vinyasas, you put your feet together, however, in my Intro to beginner’s class, I wanted to start the sequence with a grounding pose, so I decided to start with Tadasana having our feet hip distance apart). To feel grounded, you first have to make sure that your feet are firmly on the mat. To do this, you plant your heel down, and then spread your toes and plant them on the mat. This helps to make sure that you are putting weight into all corners of your feet. Your weight should be evenly distributed. You want every part of your foot on the mat, and the toes are super important because they help to provide stability. Once that’s done, you have to activate your legs. So, how do you activate them? Sounds kinda funny!! LOL However, THIS is what helps you to feel totally grounded. You actively push out of the sides and balls of your feet, and your heels. When you do this, it slightly lifts your arches. Since you are pushing out of the corners of your feet, your leg muscles immediately come alive and they feel activated! While standing and grounding your feet, you firm your glutes and core slightly. One of the things that I constantly have to keep in check, is to make sure that my spine is straight, and that there is no dumping of weight on the back. Also, bring your attention to your shoulders and make sure that your scapula (or shoulder blades) are locked into place. You can do this by rolling your shoulders back and keeping them at neutral position. This means that your shoulders should not be close to your ears. Your arms should lay by your sides (I’ve seen several variations of Tadasana, some with the palms facing forward and others with palms by your side).
Now lastly, your head. A lot of times, when I take a picture of myself, I notice that everything else is aligned, except my head!! To do this, push your head back a little, so that it’s stacked with the rest of your spine so that it’s one long line. You could do Tadasana in front of a mirror, or have someone take a picture. A lot of times, it will feel weird standing like this because we are not used to it!
To feel more grounded once I’m in the pose, I like to shift my weight from foot to foot and feel the sensations on the bottom of my feet. I am very mindful as to how my feet respond when I do this. You can also do circles with your body. Bring your attention inward, and mentally observe everything that your body is doing. After coming to stillness, I then put my hands into Anjali Mudra and do some diaphragmatic breathing (or another type of pranayama). I know it’s not as comfortable as sitting, but it’s another good way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system when feeling a little anxious or stressed, and when sitting down is not an option. Since I teach, I’m always standing, so quickly doing a little pranayama while standing helps me when I start to feel a little stressed. I’ve never tried to meditate this way, but maybe some do? I still prefer sitting, so that when I go inward, I don’t accidentally fall! LOL
I hope these tips were helpful! I am truly enjoying learning more and more about yoga and love sharing information with everyone. Have a beautiful week! Paz y Luz. Namaste.
Grounding Fitness, LLC 