Tadasana (Mountain Pose): Re-Establishing the Blueprint for Standing Well
Tadasana, often called Mountain Pose, looks deceptively simple. You’re “just standing,” after all. Yet in Yoga tradition, Tadasana is anything but passive. It’s a precise, intelligent pose that teaches us how to stand — not only on the mat, but in daily life.
This January, my classes return to Tadasana as a way of re-establishing the blueprint of the body after the distractions, fatigue, and imbalance that often follow the Christmas break.
What is Tadasana in yoga?
Tadasana is the foundational standing posture from which all other standing poses grow. It trains alignment, balance, and awareness. When practiced with intention, it becomes a living reference point — a pose you return to again and again to check how you’re standing, breathing, and organising effort.
Rather than “doing nothing,” Tadasana asks us to do less, more skilfully. Be still, yet awake.
How to do Tadasana.
1. Ground the feet (Week 1 focus)
Stand with feet together or hip-width apart. Spread the toes, then place them down one by one. Distribute weight evenly through the inner and outer heels and the balls of both big and little toes. Let the arches respond naturally rather than gripping.
2. Organise the legs and pelvis (Week 2 focus)
Lift the kneecaps gently without locking the knees. Allow the thighs to subtly roll in and back. The pelvis rests in neutral — no clenching the glutes, no pushing the hips forward.
3. Grow upward through the spine (Week 3 focus)
From the inner ankles, lift through the inner legs, side ribs, and crown of the head. The back ribs draw in as the front ribs soften down. Length comes from clarity, not strain.
4. Settle into quiet alertness (Week 4 focus)
Roll the shoulders back, down, and wide. Arms hang long with receptive fingers. The breath is even, the jaw relaxed, the mind steady. Still — but awake.
What are the benefits of Tadasana?
When practiced consistently, Tadasana can:
Improve posture and weight distribution
Reduce unnecessary muscular tension
Increase awareness of habitual standing patterns
Support balance, spinal health, and breath regulation
Create steadiness in both body and nervous system
Many students notice they stand more comfortably at work, walk with greater ease, and use less effort in other yoga poses.
Is Tadasana suitable for beginners?
Absolutely. Tadasana is one of the most accessible yoga poses — and one of the most transformative. Beginners benefit from learning how to stand with intelligence before adding complexity.
Key takeaway
Tadasana reminds us that good posture begins with awareness, not force. Over time, it teaches us to stand evenly, breathe freely, and lift without tension.
If you’re practising with me this month, know that each repetition is building something subtle but lasting. The blueprint you refine in Tadasana quietly supports every pose — and every step — that follows.
Join me in January as we explore Tadasana week by week, layering stability, lift, and quiet alertness. You can also listen to deeper reflections on this practice over on Spotify.
