Hatha YogaMountain Pose
Tāḍāsana
Mountain Pose, or Tadasana (Sanskrit "tada" means mountain), is the starting stance of hatha yoga: you stand tall, feet together or hip-width apart, your body stacked along one vertical line. On the outside nothing much happens, but this is where you learn the weight distribution and posture that all the other standing poses rest on.
Tadasana appears in 6 sequences and opens three of them, including 10-Minute Morning.
How to do it
- EnterStand with your feet together or hip-width apart. Spread your weight evenly across the whole of each foot.
- HoldLift your kneecaps, draw your belly in slightly, and open your chest. The crown of your head reaches up, shoulders relaxed. Feel how steady you are, your body gathered into one vertical line.
- ExitKeeping this length, gently relax.
More detail
Build the pose from the ground up. Weight sits evenly on the balls of your feet and your heels, toes relaxed. Knees straight but not pushed back. Pelvis neutral: don't stick your buttocks out or tuck your tailbone hard. Your lower ribs don't jut forward, your arms hang loosely at your sides, and your chin stays parallel to the floor.
To find your center, sway gently forward and back and stop where standing feels easiest.
Benefits
Builds good posture; the foundation of all standing poses.
Tadasana teaches you to stand steadily and to catch your habitual imbalances: leaning on one leg, sinking into your heels, hunching your shoulders. The awareness of your feet that it builds is needed later in every standing pose and balance. That's why Mountain opens the Balance & Focus and First Balances sequences.
Cautions
The app lists no specific cautions for this pose. General safety: never push into pain, keep breathing, and check with a professional if you have an injury or a chronic condition.
This site is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, a chronic condition, or are pregnant, check with a qualified professional before practicing.
Common mistakes
- Locking your knees. Leave a slight softness in them.
- Flaring your ribs and arching your lower back.
- Standing on your heels or on your toes. Spread the weight across the whole foot.
- Forcing your shoulder blades together and lifting your shoulders.
- Holding your breath while trying to stand straight.
Modifications & variations
Where it appears
- First Practice 15 min · Beginner
- 10-Minute Morning 10 min · Beginner
- Healthy Back 15 min · Beginner
- Balance & Focus 20 min · Intermediate
- Classic Full Practice 50 min · Intermediate
- First Balances 15 min · Intermediate · voice-guided in the app subscription
Similar poses
Questions
Why practice Mountain Pose if it's just standing? It's your reference point: you step into standing poses from it and come back to it afterward. Tadasana is the easiest place to notice how you usually stand and to bring your body back into line.
Feet together or hip-width apart? Either works, and the app lists both. Hip-width is more stable, while feet together call for more balance.
How long should I stand in Tadasana? Sequences give it 35 to 75 seconds, and the pose card says 30 is enough. The app lists no contraindications for this pose.
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