Mountain Pose

Mountain Pose is the foundation of every standing pose in yoga — the quiet starting point of most Sun Salutations and a place to return to between stronger postures. You simply stand tall and evenly, grounding through your feet and lengthening through the spine. It looks like doing nothing, but finding real stillness and balance here is a practice in itself.

Tadasana comes from the Sanskrit "tada" (mountain) and "asana" (pose) — "mountain pose," for the steady, grounded stillness of standing tall like a mountain.

1 · How to enter safely

Stand in the middle of your mat with your feet together, spreading your weight evenly across all four corners of each foot.
Spread your toes without gripping them, and lift your kneecaps by gently engaging your thighs.
Open your chest and draw your shoulders down, keeping your back neutral rather than arched — imagine a wall lightly behind you.
Let your arms rest by your sides, palms facing your legs, lengthen the back of your neck, and look straight ahead.

2 · How to hold the pose

The real challenge is to stand evenly on both feet — you'll often notice one foot feels lighter than the other, so aim to balance the weight between them. Keep grounding down through all four corners of your feet, gently firm your thighs and lower belly, and lengthen your spine as if a string were lifting you from the crown of your head. Breathe steadily and stay for a few breaths, settling into the stillness.

3 · How to exit safely

Soften your effort and release any gripping in the feet and legs.
Move straight into your next pose, or step your feet a little apart and let your arms relax to rest.

Mountain Pose improves posture and balance, strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles, and helps you stand and move with more awareness. Beyond the body, it's a chance to steady the mind — a moment of stillness and focus you can carry into the rest of your practice, and into standing and walking off the mat.

Mountain Pose is suitable for everyone and is usually the very first pose you'll learn — no strength or flexibility required. Its difficulty is deceptive, though: teachers often joke it's easier to hold a Headstand than to find true stillness in Tadasana. If standing for long feels tiring at first, that's completely normal — your stamina and focus will build with practice.

You'll find Mountain Pose in virtually every style of yoga. It opens most Sun Salutations, anchors standing sequences in Hatha, Vinyasa, and Iyengar, and serves as a neutral pose to return to between stronger standing postures — much as Staff Pose (Dandasana) does for seated work.

The most common variation is Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana) — the same pose with the arms reaching straight overhead, sometimes called Raised Hands or Palm Tree Pose (Talasana). Reclined Mountain Pose (Supta Tadasana) is the same alignment practised lying down on the mat, which can make the actions easier to feel.

Mountain Pose needs no props, though a wall is a helpful teacher — stand with your back lightly against it to feel a tall, neutral spine and check you're not arching. A block held between the thighs can help you sense the legs engaging evenly. Any mat works, since there's little weight or friction involved; you can even practise it barefoot on the floor.

• One of the safest poses there is — suitable for almost everyone.
• Low blood pressure or dizziness — if standing still makes you light-headed, take a slightly wider stance or come out slowly.
• Balance difficulties — stand near a wall for reassurance.
• Pregnancy — a slightly wider stance is more comfortable and stable.

Because Mountain Pose is so gentle, most people can practise it as is, but a few adjustments help. A slightly wider stance (feet hip-width apart) adds stability if standing with the feet together feels wobbly. Reclined Mountain Pose (Supta Tadasana) offers the same alignment lying down, ideal if standing is tiring or you have balance concerns. And Staff Pose (Dandasana) is the seated equivalent — the same tall, grounded length, practised sitting.