Learn Tadasana for Better Posture, Balance, & Mindfulness

The Tadasana pose is the base pose from which most standing yoga poses originate. It may seem deceptively simple, but make no mistake, the Tadasana is amazing for improved body alignment and posture. Literally translating to Mountain Pose, the Tadasana is a beginner-level asana that is usually a part of most yoga routines. It is most commonly practised as the first asana in a typical yoga regimen.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of Tadasana and the steps to perform it.

Benefits of Tadasana

• Improves Body Flexibility

The Tadasana allows you to actively engage many body muscles while standing up. It requires you to be aware and mindful of your body. Your muscles and joints are in an active state, fighting stiffness due to prolonged inactivity and encouraging flexibility. 

• Improves Posture

If you’re prone to slouching or have a poor gait, then you’ll benefit greatly from the Tadasana yoga pose. When doing this pose, you’re not just standing up relaxed in your natural posture. You’re actively aligning your head, chest, back, arms and legs. Regular practice with the Tadasana is bound to show significant improvement in body posture. 

• Provides Stress Relief

Imagine performing the Tadasana in the open at the crack of dawn, as the sunlight gradually hits your face. Your mind will be clear of all worldly stresses as you take your surroundings in and focus on your body and breathing. Since this pose does not require too much exertion, your mind remains free and this can be a great stressbuster.

• Improves Various Health Conditions

The Tadasana may prove to be very helpful in some debilitating diseases like:

• Parkinson’s Disease: The asana has shown improvement in people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease by improving their lower body strength and overall posture.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): The Tadasana pose has been known to help relieve stress and anxiety in COPD patients.
• Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS): The Mountain Pose is a gentler alternative for people with AS who cannot perform more exertive yoga asanas. 

How To Do the Tadasana

Here's how you can perform the Tadasana steps:

We’ve found that experiencing the Tadasana is a lot better in the open. Find a garden, a balcony or an open terrace to perform the asana.

The Mountain pose requires no big movements, but small micro-adjustments. So, keep your body relaxed and make yourself aware of the tiniest of muscle movements.  

• Stand straight with your toes touching and heels apart. The outer edges of your feet must be parallel to each other.
• Distribute your weight equally on both feet. Once you do that, ensure that there is no excessive pressure on any part of the foot. Your weight should be evenly distributed to your big toes, small toes, heels and arches of your feet. 
• The knees can be slightly bent. Activate your quadriceps to lift the knees slightly.
• Align your pelvis according to the spine’s natural curve.
• Engage your abdominal muscles to strengthen the core. 
• Stretch the spine and extend your chest outwards as you breathe in.
• Keep your arms at your sides with palms facing forward.
• Spread the fingers of your hands.
• Hold the Tadasana pose for 1 minute. You can progress to other asanas and use this pose as the resting pose between more complex asanas. 

Find the best yoga classes near you to perfect the Tadasana. Sarva Yoga is one such popular yoga centre where you can learn master the Tadasana and plenty of other yoga asanas. 

For more tips on how to perform the Tadasana, sign up for FITCOACH, our brilliant AI-based fitness and yoga coach that can curate workout plans to suit your needs. With the added benefit of FITPASS-TV, you can train yourself to perform hundreds of asanas at home using real-time workout sessions by certified yoga experts. You can also use the app to find the best ladies' yoga classes near you.