The Mountain pose has physical and spiritual aspects. My inspiration for this pose came from my first yoga teacher, a person that I really look up to, an amazing woman, Dawn Keen @centerforhealthandhealing.
As you hold the pose you close your eyes. You ground down through your legs and your feet. You feel strong stability.
You become a strong mountain, nothing can move you from your place.
This is your place in the world.
And you are at peace.
That peace that only comes from within.
The outside World can’t affect you. Only you can.
In the Mountain pose we recognize our strengths, our responsibilities, and our purpose. And we recognize and embrace Dharma. In my teaching sequence this pose comes after child pose. And in this pose we are assuming that we healed and comforted our inner child and are ready to go forward strongly with honor and magnificence. You will hear different teachers calling this pose Tadasana or Samasthiti which could be confusing. Different lineages of yoga use different names. In some it means to find the center of your body or to recognize equal sides. And in translation it means equal standing pose. In other lineages it means to find the center of you, and to use your breath to center.
I adopted from my practice with both. And you will hear me say in my classes Tadasana and then Samasthiti.
To stand our ground even though it seems like it’s an easy pose you engage every part of your body While lengthening your spine through the crown of your head. External rotation of the shoulders to open your heart and to have courage.
Tadasana is a foundation for subsequent poses; stability and grounding in any standing pose and engagement of the core while activating your power chakra.
Standing in your magnificence and greatness. You own your greatness.