Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
According to Zen training, humans are the mountains that walk. Yoga and Buddhism share ancient roots and many ideas. Just as mountains are the foundation of the forest, Tadasana is the foundation of physical yoga practice. Tadasana, also known as Mountain Pose, is widely considered to be the first yoga asana (pose). Its simple alignment prepares the body for practice of every other yoga asana. Adopting Tadasana as your normal everyday posture will help prevent aches, pains and skeletal malformation later in life. Tadasana is a great way to get grounded at the beginning of practice.
What to do:
Stand with your feet no wider apart than your hips and gently press down into floor.
Knees, hips, shoulders and ears stack like blocks on top of the feet.
Arms and fingers reach gently towards the floor.
Neck is long, but soft.
Eyes are closed.
Awareness rests on physical sensations, the breath and the ground below.
Notice the interplay of your feet and the ground.
Come back to Tadasana to for an active rest, find your breath, and get grounded.
Benefits:
Encourages proper skeletal alignment
Builds balance and attention
Grounding
Modifications:
Widen the stance or open the eyes to make balancing easier.
