Benefits
• Strengthens feet, ankles and thighs
• Strengthens and tones abdominal muscles
• Develops correct posture
Contra-indications
Headache
Insomnia
Medical conditions that affect balance
Low blood pressure
Step by Step
Tadasana (tah-DHAS-anna)
tada = mountain
5. Stand with inner edge of the big toes touching. Align your feet parallel to each other by placing the heels slightly apart and the second and middle toes are pointing forward. Encourage the toes and bones of the feet to spread and increase in surface area. Allow toes to remain soft as you find balance over the four corners of the feet
6. Feel a gentle grounding of the feet into the earth and allow the thigh muscles to be active without locking the knees. Imagine the sit bones slightly reaching down towards the inside of the heels as the pubic bone slightly lifts towards the navel. Feel a line of energy lifting and lightening the spine through the core, all the way up to the top of the head. Keep your chin parallel to the floor, maintaining length through the neck. Feel a line of balance from the top the head down through the pelvis
7. As your gaze remains forward, imagine your chest and shoulder blades equally broad and open. Release shoulders giving space for the neck as the top of the chest bone lightly lifts. Avoid sending chest and ribs out and forward. Let your arms drape beside the body naturally. Relax eyes, tongue and facial muscles. Breath slow and with fluidity as you hold Mountain Pose for 30 seconds
Modifications
If finding your balance is difficult widen your feet a few inches, keeping second and middle toes pointing forward
Stand with your back directly against a wall to find the alignment in this pose. Heels, sacrum (middle of pelvis), and shoulder blades gently touch the wall. When the body is in proper alignment, the lower back and back of the head should not touch the wall
