Mountain Yoga Pose the Basic Standing Position

Some people consider there to be three types of basic yoga poses: standing, seated and inverted. In truth there are a few more styles than that, but for the purposes of this article let’s concentrate on standing positions. We’ll examine the moutain yoga pose or tadasana. So what’s the big deal about these poses? Why should anyone do them at all? Well, all basic yoga poses are designed to help increase the flexibility of not only your muscles but your joints as well. Standing positions also do this, with the added advantage of aiding in the development of your balance.

Part of honing your balancing skills is concentration. Many of the standing postures call for you to get into the position and hold it for as long as you can. You should be warned that you may, if your concentration is not good and if you’ve never done yoga before to expect some flailing arms and the occasional overbalancing, but it goes with the territory and you’re not alone. Before long you’ll get the hang of it and be able to wow yourself.

You may be wondering how exactly you’re supposed to concentrate while trying to not fall down. Most certified instructors will tell you to focus on a particular spot and this is common to many basic yoga poses. By directing your mind’s attention to one point, you allow your body to maneuver itself without any distractions. You’d be surprised at how much balance you actually have when you’re not actively thinking about balancing.

There are three or four main standing positions that you’ll have to master before you move on to more complex ones. One of the most basic though is the mountain yoga pose also called tadasana. This is one of the foundations on which all other standing poses are built on. It shows you the correct posture that you must have in order to gain the maximum benefits of the yoga exercise. Here’s how you do it.

- Stand with your feet in as close proximity to each other as possible. If having your big toes and your inner heels touching is uncomfortable then you’re allowed a little leeway, but this is the ideal. Try to work towards it gradually and you’ll get there eventually.

- Tense the muscles in your thighs and your lower abdomen. This will result in your kneecaps tightening as well and, strangely enough, a feeling of being grounded to your environment (almost like a mountain, get it?)

- Let you arms hang at your sides and draw your body up to your full height. If you’ve done abdominal breathing techniques before then this would be a great time to practice them. If not then just breathe normally, but you really should get into the habit of practicing deep breathing.

- Keep looking directly ahead and relax the muscles in your shoulders, neck and face. All this relaxing is starting to sound good, isn’t it? Well that’s the point of the basic yoga poses.

- Hold this yoga mountain position for a few minutes and then release.

As with all exercises, if you start feeling any discomfort while in one of the basic yoga poses you should stop immediately. We’re not talking about a slight pull in your muscles since that is to be expected. If that slight pull exacerbates to pain then you’re damaging yourself. Don’t push too hard. While the aim of this exercise is to get you ready for harder ones, it’s also supposed to help you relax.

Regular practice of the standing positions, particularly the mountain yoga pose will ultimately leave you feeling much more calm and balanced. Once this happens, you’ll realize how much easier it is for you to focus and concentrate in other parts of your life as well.