{"id":3663,"date":"2021-09-28T07:00:58","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T11:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theyogasanctuary.biz\/staging\/?p=3663"},"modified":"2023-07-31T12:02:12","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T16:02:12","slug":"tadasana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theyogasanctuary.biz\/tadasana\/","title":{"rendered":"Tadasana: The Mountain Pose\u2014The First Pose You\u2019ll Ever Learn"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We once had a guest here at The Yoga Sanctuary named Tea Roman. Tea is a musician and yoga teacher who leads participants through an amazing sound journey that also includes a bit of yoga asana (posture). Just as he was beginning to guide us into some simple posture work, he proclaimed that we were about to learn the hardest pose of them all, one that takes most people nine months or so to learn. We got to our feet and stood tall and erect in the Mountain Pose. This <\/em>was the pose he was referring to. And he was right! From the day we are born until the day we stand on our own two feet, it takes us roughly nine months to learn\u2026<\/p>\n

Let us dive into this \u201chardest pose of all\u201d poses by starting at the beginning and looking at the name,\u00a0tadasana…<\/em><\/p>\n

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Rich in symbolism, tadasana<\/em> comes from the Sanskrit words\u00a0tada<\/em>\u00a0(mountain) and\u00a0asana<\/em>\u00a0(posture, or seat). Mountain Pose is the essence of stability and foundation, and as such, contains the building blocks for every other posture in yoga.<\/p>\n

The posture itself \u201cpromotes the stillness, strength, relaxed power, and stability we associate with mountains,\u201d says Alanna Kaivalya, author of\u00a0Myths of the Asanas<\/em>. She explains the inseparable relationship between mountains and rivers, both represented by the Indian god Himavat, who represents the Himalayas and is also considered the father of Ganga Devi, the goddess of the Ganges, India\u2019s most sacred river.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we stand in tadasana<\/em>, the head, being nearest to heaven, is where we receive the blessings that flow through the rest of our body like a river,\u201d she says. The even stance of Mountain Pose\u2014the lengthened spine and steady base\u2014sets the tone for practice.<\/p>\n

In India, there is a mountain called Mount Kailas with two lakes\u2014one shaped like the sun and the other like a crescent moon, which represents hatha (ha<\/em>\u00a0= sun,\u00a0tha<\/em>\u00a0= moon) yoga. Mount Kailas is considered the seventh chakra\u2014sahasrara<\/em>. The two lakes have been likened to the two streams of energy (ida<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0pingala<\/em>\u00a0nadis<\/em>) that rise up one central channel (sushumna<\/em>\u00a0nadi) moving toward the highest level of consciousness. Mount Kailas is considered a sacred mountain.<\/p>\n

When we stand in tadasana<\/em>, we are equally grounded and arising. Our base is firm, yet we reach upward toward the heavens. Our spine is situated as it would be during meditation, ideal for the free flow of\u00a0prana<\/em>\u00a0(life force) throughout the body. Take the time to connect to this energy in tadasana<\/em>. Doing so can help you to maintain it throughout your practice.<\/p>\n

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Try this: <\/strong><\/h6>\n
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  1. Stand with your hands on your hips and begin to shift your weight from right foot to left foot. Allow yourself to move from heel to toes, inner and outer foot. Shift your feet a bit further apart and then closer together. Try to find a sense of balance between each foot. Let your feet land a comfortable distance apart so that you feel that you have a strong and solid base beneath you.<\/li>\n
  2. Let your arms then release alongside your body, relaxed and comfortable.<\/li>\n
  3. Become aware of where your feet contact the ground beneath you. Try to sense the three points of each foot: the very center of your heel, the mound of your big toe, and the mound of your little toe. Press into these three points. See image.\u00a0<\/li>\n
  4. As you continue to press down into your feet, begin to feel a strength come to your legs by energetically lifting upward.<\/li>\n
  5. Let that lift carry all the way up your spine and to the crown of your head.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    The Three Points of the Foot<\/em><\/p>\n

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    Tips:<\/strong><\/h6>\n

    Do you feel a little off balance or unstable?<\/p>\n