Asana
Mountain Pose - Tadasana - Samasthiti
Standing Poses - Balancing Poses
Mountain pose is simple, however reveals layers of subtly when practiced with discreet observation. While there are some slightly different "versions" of it... let's look at it's essence. Mountain pose is a condensed anatomical position with the limbs together or close to the center of the body while standing.
The closer together the feet the more refined the balance becomes. What is often noticed in mountain pose is asymmetry of weight and structure, or balance. This is often the result of curvature of the spine(scoliosis) and asymmetrical(not even) tilt of the pelvis rather than the often quoted "one of my legs is longer". Fixing this in the pose is not practical or advised, but there are many exercises which are very good to begin bringing balance to the body. Among these, side plank poses are especially good for scoliosis, and Standing Lifting one Leg for working on the pelvis and lumbar symmetry. When lifting one leg stay close to your original balance without leaning to the side very much. If you have two friends to brace you even better!
We could also call this "human" pose. When we compare ourselves to other animals in terms of body structure, it is our ability to stand up right with a spine that reaches upwards that most distinguishes us. Biologically then, we are already formed to have a subtle sense of balance which brings awareness close to our core and the axis on which feel the effect of gravity. This ability to stand up right, it's theorised, came about when our hominid ancestors began adapting to life in more open environments like grasslands. In the open, one can see farther with less obstructions the taller they stand. I think it may also be about carrying things. Carrying things is always easier when you pick them up to your middle and stand upright.
The muscles which are responsible for erecting and stabilising the spine while standing are many and their actions complex and vary greatly depending on exactly how one stands. The basics are your back muscles lift the spine up and your core muscles assist to keep it erect. I will revisit this section again later in greater detail.
Another common "mistake" in mountain pose, being out of balance, is leaning forward. A good exercise to remedy this and to also awaken the feet and strengthen the arch of the foot is to do toe lifts, heel lifts, and toe grips. After a few sets of these exercises lift and spread all the toes, draw up the knee caps and inner thighs, draw up the abdomen, relax the shoulders, and look straight ahead with a level head. On exhalation very slowly relax the toes down while maintaining close to the original balance. In other words, don't lean forward into your toes. Toes can grip slightly however for a more solid and grounded feeling.
Alignment
Once good alignment is established it is easier to feel another kind of balance. The opposing actions of grounding downwards and floating upwards. Mula and Uddiyana Bandha can be used to increase this feeling balancing. To feel mula bandha more the heels can also be drawn together and inner legs squeezing together. Mountain Pose creates the most balanced position for the body with the least effort distributed evenly, so that we use more of our structure(bones) to maintain the position. We should imagine that this is the root of all other Asana. The alignment of each there Asana should maintain as much of the integrity and alignment of mountain pose as possible. My favourite example for how easy it is to see is chatarunga. What is the best alignment for Chaturanga? Stand in mountain pose, arms down and palms open. Now bend your elbows 90* and turn your palms forward. Take this shape and rotate your body 90* to have your hands and feet on the ground. This is your Chaturanga. If approximating this position, we are not able to maintain the integrity of mountain pose, then we are not structurally ready to attempt chaturanga in such a position. Instead we should stay closer to Plank Pose with the arms less bent, or perform the pose with the knees down. The same logic follows for all other asana with a little bit of other details depending on the complexity of the pose and the differences in human anatomy from person to person.
Everyone knows it's good to hold a long time in Asana but have you ever tried it in Mountain Pose? More than a minute? Two minutes? Five minutes? It's a unique experience! Give it a try.
The closer together the feet the more refined the balance becomes. What is often noticed in mountain pose is asymmetry of weight and structure, or balance. This is often the result of curvature of the spine(scoliosis) and asymmetrical(not even) tilt of the pelvis rather than the often quoted "one of my legs is longer". Fixing this in the pose is not practical or advised, but there are many exercises which are very good to begin bringing balance to the body. Among these, side plank poses are especially good for scoliosis, and Standing Lifting one Leg for working on the pelvis and lumbar symmetry. When lifting one leg stay close to your original balance without leaning to the side very much. If you have two friends to brace you even better!
We could also call this "human" pose. When we compare ourselves to other animals in terms of body structure, it is our ability to stand up right with a spine that reaches upwards that most distinguishes us. Biologically then, we are already formed to have a subtle sense of balance which brings awareness close to our core and the axis on which feel the effect of gravity. This ability to stand up right, it's theorised, came about when our hominid ancestors began adapting to life in more open environments like grasslands. In the open, one can see farther with less obstructions the taller they stand. I think it may also be about carrying things. Carrying things is always easier when you pick them up to your middle and stand upright.
The muscles which are responsible for erecting and stabilising the spine while standing are many and their actions complex and vary greatly depending on exactly how one stands. The basics are your back muscles lift the spine up and your core muscles assist to keep it erect. I will revisit this section again later in greater detail.
Another common "mistake" in mountain pose, being out of balance, is leaning forward. A good exercise to remedy this and to also awaken the feet and strengthen the arch of the foot is to do toe lifts, heel lifts, and toe grips. After a few sets of these exercises lift and spread all the toes, draw up the knee caps and inner thighs, draw up the abdomen, relax the shoulders, and look straight ahead with a level head. On exhalation very slowly relax the toes down while maintaining close to the original balance. In other words, don't lean forward into your toes. Toes can grip slightly however for a more solid and grounded feeling.
Alignment
Once good alignment is established it is easier to feel another kind of balance. The opposing actions of grounding downwards and floating upwards. Mula and Uddiyana Bandha can be used to increase this feeling balancing. To feel mula bandha more the heels can also be drawn together and inner legs squeezing together. Mountain Pose creates the most balanced position for the body with the least effort distributed evenly, so that we use more of our structure(bones) to maintain the position. We should imagine that this is the root of all other Asana. The alignment of each there Asana should maintain as much of the integrity and alignment of mountain pose as possible. My favourite example for how easy it is to see is chatarunga. What is the best alignment for Chaturanga? Stand in mountain pose, arms down and palms open. Now bend your elbows 90* and turn your palms forward. Take this shape and rotate your body 90* to have your hands and feet on the ground. This is your Chaturanga. If approximating this position, we are not able to maintain the integrity of mountain pose, then we are not structurally ready to attempt chaturanga in such a position. Instead we should stay closer to Plank Pose with the arms less bent, or perform the pose with the knees down. The same logic follows for all other asana with a little bit of other details depending on the complexity of the pose and the differences in human anatomy from person to person.
Everyone knows it's good to hold a long time in Asana but have you ever tried it in Mountain Pose? More than a minute? Two minutes? Five minutes? It's a unique experience! Give it a try.
