[tah-DAHS-anna]
mountain pose
- grounding
- foundation for all standing postures
- creates stability
- tests awareness & focus
- improves posture & spinal alignment
- facilitates breathing
MODIFICATIONS:
- Low-back pain? Wide pelvis? Widen your stance to distribute weight & promote stability & balance.
- Having trouble maintaining a neutral spine? Bring your hands to the side of your waist, your transverse abdominis. Use your hands a reminder to engage your deep core muscles (your body’s built-in corset that supports your spine).
- Feel unstable? Squeeze a block between the upper inner thighs to activate the abductor muscles, engage the pelvic floor & core stabilizing muscles.
VARIATIONS:

- urdhva hastasana (upward salute)
- samasthiti (equal standing prayer pose)
PROCEED WITH CAUTION:
- Be mindful of body alignment. Areas to watch are the feet & pelvis.
- Build pose from the feet with the joints stacked above to maintain proper alignment. Evenly distribute weight by finding your tadasana tripod & use this to create stability in all standing poses.
- “Tuck your tailbone” is a common cue heard in the yoga studio but this can cause the practitioner to push the hips forward & loose the natural curvature of the lumbar spine & alignment of the joints.
PRACTICE CHILLASANA VIDEO LINK: Stay tuned..coming soon to YouTube.
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RESOURCES
- Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual ~David Swenson
- Yoga Anatomy ~Leslie Kaminoff & Amy Matthews
- Yoga for Depression ~Amy Weintraub
- Yoga Sequencing ~Mark Stephens