Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Mountain pose is the foundation pose for all standing postures. Mountain (tada in sanskrit), pose or posture (asana in sanskrit). It is a great starting position, resting pose, and tool to improve posture.

Pose Benefits:

• calms and clears the mind and nervous system
• improves posture
• aligns the spine

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy:  They are the charming gardeners who make our souls bloom”

—Marcel Proust

AFFIRMATIONS:

I am strong!  I am majestic!

MUSIC:

• “Here Comes the Sun” by James Taylor and Yo Yo Ma, from the CD
  Songs of Joy and Peace
• “Dance for the Sun” by Kira Willey, from the CD Dance for the Sun:
  Yoga Songs for Kids
• “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson, from the CD Jack Johnson and
  Friends: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the Film Curious
  George

Becoming a Mountain

• “I rise from the earth”
  Stand tall and strong with feet about hip width apart, chest lifted, arms at your sides. Take a deep breath and bring your shoulders up to your ears. Exhale and round your shoulders back and down.
• “I Am Strong and Stable”
  As you exhale,feel the weight of your feet and imagine they are the base of the mountain pushing into the earth.
• “I Am Majestic”
  Feel your spine, neck and the crown of your head lift toward the sky like the peak of a mountain. Breathe in and out and feel the clouds moving around you.

Options

• Challenge:
  Now close your eyes!
• Imagine you are a mountain
  What would your mountain pose look like in the rain?
  In a thunderstorm?
  In an earthquake?
  What’s it like on your mountain?
  Is it sunny?
  Are you covered with snow?
  What do you see way down below?
• From Mountain pose, become a moon, waterfall, or tin soldier?
  from Yoga 4 Classrooms card deck, by Lisa Flynn
  • Standing Crescent Moon
    Begin in mountain pose.
    Inhale your arms up and bring your hands together over your head. Relax your shoulders away from your ears.
    Exhale as you gently bend your upper body to one side.
    Feel the stretch in your outer arm and waist?
    Inhale and come back to center.
    Exhale as you bend gently to the other side.
    Repeat using inhale and exhale to guide the flow of your movement.
  • Waterfall
    Begin in mountain pose.
    Inhale as you bring your arms up to your front and over your head.
    Exhale and slowly come into a forward bend, swinging your arms all the way down and then up and behind you. Repeat, using the flow of your breath. Inhale up, exhale down.
  • Stable Mountain or Tin Soldier
    Have a friend gently nudge your shoulder.
    What happened?
    Mountains will remain grounded and steady.
    Tin soldiers will fall off balance as they are usually stiff and holding their breath.
    Take a deep breath in and exhale to relax your shoulders.
    Imagine you have anchors in your feet.
    Have your friend test you again.
    Are you a mountain?