Yoga for beginners: new series
Tadasana (mountain pose)

‘Tada’ = ‘mountain’ in Sanskrit
‘Asana’ = posture
   “The characteristic of Tadasana or Mountain Pose is that of stability, balance and groundedness. Tadasana is the starting point of all standing poses. Apparently very simple, appearances can be deceptive. Tadasana requires a great deal of concentration and attention to detail and can be a challenging pose. As someone aptly remarked, ‘Yoga is not so much about learning how to stand on our head as learning how to stand on our own two feet’.
   The potential benefits of Tadasana are many. If we look closely, most of us do not balance evenly on both feet. This can lead to all kinds of imbalances and corresponding problems in other parts of the body such as the hips and knees. Tadasana teaches us how to stand correctly and helps to bring a feeling of steadiness and strength, while at the same time a lightness and poise. Learning how to ‘tread lightly’ on this earth is an art indeed...”

This is the first in a new series of articles explaining Yoga postures (or asanas) for beginners. It explains Tadasana and includes a series of simple warm up exercises, followed by step by step simple breathing exercises (Ujjayi Pranayama).