ASANA
Mountain Pose - Tadasana - Samasthiti
Standing Pose - Anatomical Position

Mountain Pose is a meditative standing posture which brings all the joints of the body towards their neutral position. It requires very little effort to assume this position but to come to our stable optimal balance requires mindfulness, stability, and practice. Physically in Mountain Pose we are refining our subtle awareness of balance. The upright standing position is one of the traits that makes us unique among animals. In the evolutionary journey standing upright increased the range of our vision, hearing, and freed the forelimbs from walking to be able to manipulate or carry objects. The ideal position of our body is where the most possible weight is transferred close to our axis and to the ground through the bones and spreading out through the supportive structures. When we are standing these structures are our feet, and when sitting our sit bones. This way of aligning the body reduces stress on the joints, and allows for optimum circulation of blood, nerve energy and stable mind for exploring inner experience. 

Good alignment of the posture starts from the supporting structures and moves up. It is important in Mt. Pose to look at the foot position and structure. It is a very common imbalance to have too much weight to the inside edge of the feet, causing flat feet, collapsed ankles, internal rotation of the knees (knock knees) and continuing upwards through the joints, moving away from the axis of our balance which can lead to loss of function or pain. Standing this way may be in part due to inactivity and could also be emotionally related reasons that cause us to "sink" or not want to be noticed. Some also stand with the weigh too much to the outside edge. Fortunately, if we become unconsciously stuck in this pattern, using yoga as a medium to change our posture can also start to transform our emotions and learning to sit & stand upright properly can elevate your whole mood, perspective, and life!

Exercises in Mountain Pose to Correct the Alignment of the Feet for proper posture

Heel Lifts, Toe Lifts, Spreading the Toes, Gripping the Arch, Videos and pictures coming soon.