Post By: Vishwanath Iyer Published on: December 7, 2016 Reading time: 3 minutes

Tadasana – Mountain pose

School of Yoga explains tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Tadasana technique:

Sthithi (Starting) position: Stand with your feet together, touching each other.
Distribute weight equally across feet. Breathe in.
Interlace fingers and raise it to the top of head, facing outwards.
Raise hands, palms facing outwards above head.
Breathing out, stretch hands while maintaining alignment of the body along the line of the spine.
Let tongue press the upper palate. Tighten throat.
Tighten abdomen, tuck the anus inward. This will cause knee muscles to tighten.
Hold for 10 counts. Maintain shallow breathing.
Bring hands back to the top of the head, and then to the side. Relax.
Samasthithi Asana
Slowly increase the duration.
The drishti (gaze) recommended is oordhva drishti (gaze into space).

Some of the variations which can be used in this asana are;

Variation 1– Stand with legs slightly apart. Spread weight equally. Hold. Breathe normally. This is called samashthithi-asana (Equal position pose).
Variation 2 – tiryaka-tadasana – breathing out, slowly bend the body to one side at the hip, stretching as far as possible. Slowly come back to straight position. Then bend to the other side. Ensure that the pressure exerted by the feet on the ground are equal, the knees don’t bend or flex and hips stay as a unit..
Variation 3– Stand with legs together, hands to the side. Slowly raise the hands in front above. When hands pass the shoulder, follow thumbs with the eyes. Maintain shallow breathing. Hold for 10 counts. This is called “oordhva-hastasana (upright hand pose)”

Trikaya Tadasana – three variation mountain pose

The stretching of the hands upwards results in the stretching of the pectoral, infraspinatus, serratus and intercostals muscles. It also stretches the abdominal oblique muscles. This tones up the entire sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system due to the direction of blood to the region.
Very good asana for bringing suppleness and strength to the spine, hence useful in all back related illnesses.
The breathing out and tucking in of the abdomen results in strengthening of the abdominal muscles and assists in reduction of adipose tissue around the abdomen.

People with back problems and circulatory disorders should not attempt this asana without first consulting a physician.

Oordhva Hastasana – stretched hand pose