Mountain pose is the basis for all the others standing postures in yoga and is quite beneficial if you are looking to improve your posture on the whole. Moreover, it makes for a great resting pose, during and after many standing postures.
How to do it?
This pose is quite simple and easy to follow.
- Stand straight with the big toes on your feet touching each other. Keep the heels apart to allow the second toes to be in parallel to each other.
- Spread out your toes and then lift the balls of your heels. Repeat the posture so that you are moving from side to side only to balance yourself in a position that would restrict the body movement.
- Strengthen the leg muscles and imagine energy flowing within you. Do not harden the belly muscles and stand straight to feel the energy from your legs up to the core and rest of your body.
- Keep your arms hanging beside you and balance your head in the center of the body.
Stay in this pose for a good couple of minutes, breathing deeply and strongly to benefit from the position.
The Benefits
This prime standing posture in yoga is popular not because it is easy to follow but because of its countless benefits too. It helps:
- Strengthen the legs especially the knees, ankles and thighs
- Bring firmness to the abdomen and back region
- Provide relief from sciatica
- Regulates the hormones in the body and releases stress and tension
- Brings strength and flexibility to the spinal muscles
- Improve circulation of blood
- Fight depression and anxiety
These are just some of the many benefits of the mountain pose. To help you gain more benefit from the posture, you can bring a little variation to the posture and position of the arms.