Standing Poses

Standing Poses provide enough knowledge on the universal principles of alignment which is very essential in performing all poses. One good example of Standing Pose is the Mountain Pose (Tadasana). It is considered as the origin of all other Yoga Poses. In general, Standing Poses are the foundation of many poses.

Standing Poses are very beneficial. They increase strength and flexibility, help you become more aware of your posture, invigorate your whole body.
Take a look at the different Standing Poses and learn how they are practiced:

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

1. Stand up straight with both feet at hip-width.
2. Turn your heels a little outward and let your weight rest on your toes.
3. Your arms hang downwards along your body and the palm of your hands point towards your body.
4. Now make the back of your pelvis move away from your lower back. You can do this by drawing in your ribs a little in the direction of your belly.
5. Breathe in and out a few times with full concentration. Through your breathing place your neck straight over the upper back. It would then feel as if you stretch your body upwards from the neck.
6. The shoulders feel broad and are relaxed.
7. Your breathing is free and relaxed.
8. Look straight ahead of you at a spot within your vision and try to stand motionless with as little effort as possible.
9. Whenever you do this exercise, do it with care and always try to increase your focus and your relaxation.

Many people do this asana as a moment of rest during the Yoga Exercises which results in a decrease of focus and concentration. Try to prevent this and do your best to maintain and to deepen the stilling, the alertness and the meditative character of Yoga in Tadasana. The paradox is that in Tadasana, people can increase or regain the meditative feeling of relaxation and alertness, which sometimes disappears during difficult Yoga Asanas because they cause feelings of discomfort, difficulty or pain.

If you focus on the stilling effect achieved by Tadasana, you will discover that you begin to do other Yoga Exercises with greater relaxation and attention, which results in greater effectiveness.

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

This exercise provides you a complete stretch of the upper back and lower back, as well as the leg and calf muscles. In this exercise, you literally stretch stress, tiredness, and stiffness from your body. At the same time, you learn how to rest and relax in case of discomfort and effort. Uttanasana also increases the flow of blood to the brain.
1. Start with the Mountain Pose.
2. Bend your knees, support your upper body with a straight lower back, and slowly bend forward so that your belly touches your upper legs. Maintain the position of your lower back or else your chest will sink. Move your pelvis, taking the back as the starting point, relax your groins, and keep your weight on the front parts of your heels.
3. Keep breathing correctly through your belly and slowly stretch your chest to the knees without losing the support of your lower back. Stretch your legs everytime you exhale. Your pelvis moves upward from the back until your legs are eventually stretched. Touch the ground or grab your ankles. Stretch downward from your crown and when you have grabbed your ankles, use a slight stretching force to lengthen the body.

Important! If you lose the supportive power of the lower back during the exercise, you lose a major part of its effect. As a result, your chest will sink, making your breathing irregular. Also, stretching will not be effective.
Now, stand up straight again and jump back to Tadasana.

Bear in mind that you perform this forward bend through relaxation and not through force by pulling your feet with physical strength. When you pull too hard, the body stiffens, your thinking and breathing will be affected and worst of all, you run a risk of injuring yourself.

Citations

Yoga Exercises - Standing Poses, ABC-of-Yoga,


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