Mountain pose meaning
Mountain pose is also known as Palm Tree Pose or Tadasana (ताडासन) in Sanskrit as in the final stage, the Yoga pose looks like as palm tree so the name is. This is also known as the heavenly stretch pose as one stretches oneself towards heaven. The counter pose of Tadasana is Sirsasana. Sarvangasana can also be practiced as a complementary pose of Mountain yoga.
How to do mountain pose
How to perform a palm tree pose is a very simple procedure. Tadasana is the fundamental asana for all the standing yoga poses. The alignment as well as muscle movement in the case of this Yoga pose is very helpful in performing all the standing yoga poses. The different steps and techniques of Tadasana are being enumerated here.
- Stand erect on the ground with 15 cm apart
- With inhale, raise your arms upward by interlocking your fingers.
- Try to come on the toes by raising your heels and feel the stretching from toes to fingers.
- Maintain the pose as long as you can with slow and deep breathing.
- Come to the original position with a deep exhale.
- One can perform the number of rounds as per one’s convenience after having relaxed for a while.
- In Iyengar Yoga, the Palm tree pose is performed by raising the hands over the head or keeping them at the sides of the legs
- In Vinyasa Yoga, Tadasana is performed while coming on toes.
- In Ashtanga Yoga, Tadasana is the beginning and ending Asana of Surya Namaskar.
Mountain pose benefits
The various therapeutic applications of mountain poses are given below:
- Increase height: The palm tree pose is one of the best yoga poses to increase the height of the growing children. Since it gives maximum stretch to the body from toes to fingers thus helpful for those who desire to increase his/her height.
- Good for nerves: Since it gives optimum stretching to the nerves and muscles thus helpful in the functioning of various systems of the body.
- Treat sciatica: It is good for sciatic patients if perform under the guidance of an expert.
- Enhance concentration: It is good to improve balance and concentration as well as increase alertness.
- Strengthen lower legs: The Asana strengthens the toes, ankles, knees, abdomen, buttocks, and the lower part of the legs.
- Weight Loss: It is helpful in shedding extra fat from the different parts of the body.
- Relieve back pain: It is effective in treating backache.
- Hips mobility: It provides strength and mobility to the feet, legs, and hips.
- Art of standing: By practicing the yoga poses regularly, one will learn the correct way of standing.
- Reduce flat feet: It helps you to reduce flat feet.
- It also strengthens legs, knees, ankles, buttocks, lower abdomen, shoulders, and neck. It is also good for improving your posture.
Mountain pose precautions
Some of the few contradictions of palm tree pose are:
- Women during pregnancy should skip this Asana.
- The patient of the varicose vein should avoid it.
- In the case of dizziness, it is better to perform this.
- This Asana shouldn’t be held for a longer period who have headaches, insomnia, and low blood pressure.
- An excess extension may cause knee problems.
Beginner’s Tip
Initially, it will be difficult to maintain the pose on toes by raising the heels. It is better to perform the Yoga pose without coming into toes i.e. one should experiencing the stretching from feet to fingers. It is not easy to stand erect with feet together therefore, start with the distance apart between your feet and gradually minimize the distance. Beginners should practice the pose standing against the wall. The beginners shouldn’t maintain the pose for a longer period of time. It will come after certain practices and in achieving some sort of balance.
