Tadasana

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Tadasana, a position in Yoga, is also called Mountain Pose. It is a very basic standing posture with feet together and hands at the sides of the body. Yoga practitioners consider it a pose that promotes confidence and happiness as well as improving posture and creating space within the body. This creating space within the body may allow internal organs to work more efficiently thus improving respiration, digestion and elimination. The pose strengthens the abdomen and the legs. It may help relive sciatica and reduce flat feet. Poses that help prepare for Tadasana include Adho Mukha Svanasana and Uttanasana. Although Tadasana is a very basic pose it is the basis for many standing poses. Urdhva Hastasana is a very similar pose with the hands raised above the head.

Also: Tree Pose,Tadasana: standing straight palm tree, starting on the right side by standing on the left foot lift the right leg grabbing the right foot from underneath with the left hand, sole of the food facing the ceiling, lift the foot as high as possible and rest on the thigh/hip. Standing leg stays straight/locked position, hips forward, upper body leaning back so body is perfectly straight, stretch your spine up, make sure your hips and shoulders are level with the floor. Bring your right hand to the center of your chest-half prayer position-if you can balance comfortably then bring your left hand up to namaskar-full prayer position. Benefits:improves posture, balance, increases the flexibility of ankles, knees, as well as the hip joints. Strengthens the oblique muscles preventing hernia.

[edit] References

Dollar, Cindy; Susanna MacKenzyie Euston (2004). Yoga your way: customizing your home practice. Lark Books. ISBN 1-58563-571-0.

Bikram Yoga, Bikram, Choudhury (2007). Bikram Yoga. HarperCollinsPublishers. ISBN-10:0-06-056808-9

I have always been concerned that Bikram's book contains an error that went unedited before the book went to press. In other traditional lineages Tadasana is Mountain Pose and Vriksha-asana is Tree Pose. The following reference is from www.santosha.com

The Sanskrit word tada means mountain. This posture is also known by the name samasthiti-asana. Sama means unmoved, equilibrium, and sthiti means standing upright or firmly, abiding, remaining, thus samasthiti means standing firmly without moving.