Mountain Pose Mechanics

Mountain Pose Mechanics

tadasana

MOUNTAIN POSE MECHANICS

How often do we go back to refine the “basics”?  Revisiting a posture like Mountain Pose (Tadasana) is like pruning a tree. We may have already developed a foundation, but it’s important to continue to clip away what no longer serves us in order to make room for greater development. We flourish when we stay open to the possibility of something new. There’s always the option to choose what we  know, but what if we explore in a different direction?  

In today’s video, Matt demonstrates both the dogmatic and the functional approach to Mountain Pose. The terms don’t mean that one or the other is right or wrong, but when we’re equipped with more education, we can choose what’s right for our individual practice. We learn where to strengthen and how to align so that the roots that are planted burgeon into postures that require more complex techniques.

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THE DOGMATIC APPROACH

The dogmatic approach is usually thought of as “the right way” to approach a posture, but Matt suggests that we consider it to be “a way” to do so. The specific cues of the dogmatic Mountain Pose method provide a road map that includes

  • Feet together, toes spread
  • “Tuck your tail” = Flatten the low back
  • Belly in and up
  • “Lengthen the spine” = Flatten the spinal curves
  • Shoulders pulled down
  • “Lengthen the neck” = Flatten the neck

Not that this approach isn’t valuable, but it provokes us to consider whether or not certain cues are working for us, particularly when we have a specific intent or if we’re experiencing pain, discomfort, or injury. It’s up to us to find the confidence to discern what is right for our own bodies.

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MOUNTAIN POSE MECHANICS : FORMULATE THE FOUNDATION FOR A SOLID PRACTICE

THE FUNCTIONAL APPROACH

In the functional approach to Mountain Pose, tapping into our individual makeup serves as a lens for greater understanding. It creates opportunities to build on our current strengths and highlight where we require transformation.

Matt offers these cues to explore:

  • Big and little toe down, middle toes lifted
  • Inner thighs back (knees relaxed)
  • Tailbone drawn downward
  • Belly in and up/Back ribs up
  • Shoulders back and relaxed down
  • Back of the skull lifted

We might argue that the cue to “draw the tailbone down,” for example, is the same as to “lengthen the spine” in the dogmatic approach; the difference to the functional approach is that we maintain the natural curve of the lumbar. This will help strengthen our back muscles, offsetting the flat spine we might carry throughout our day.

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PAY ATTENTION TO THIS

We may not associate Tadasana with cultivating back strength, but the pose provides an opportunity to zero in on it if we pay attention to the details.

In today’s video, Matt demonstrates the shift of the pelvis: moving it back to sit above the heels while the inner thighs internally rotate. When we adopt this setup, we can feel the activation of the back muscles.

In Urdhva Hastasana, a Mountain Pose variation, Matt notes the common tendency to sway the hips forward due to the lift of the arms up overhead. The details to pay attention to here: sending the pelvis back, lifting the shoulders up to the ears, and lifting the back of the heart up to avoid overextending in the spine.

It’s the finer articulations that propel us forward.

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WHERE TO FIND THE PATTERNS OF MOUNTAIN POSE

What does a solid foundation actually create in our yoga practice? It etches the patterns we’ve practiced into the brain. These patterns reveal themselves in other postures. Our body can more easily recognize them and uses what we know for more elaborate postures to bloom.

Let’s look at how Mountain Pose shows up in Warrior 3 preparation. Remember the internal rotation of the thighs? We embrace this action in Warrior 3, which helps to level off the pelvis for increased stability.  

When repeated in our practice, cues like this become more automatic. Our bodies learn to respond, activate, and stabilize when this is the intent.  

We can better understand and teach the crossover of postures like Mountain Pose in Matt’s upcoming Chromatic Global Training

Register here to access transformation in your practice and in your teaching.

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Article by Trish Curling

Videos Extracted From: Alignment Immersion and 300 Hour Teacher Training

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10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets

10 Sun Salutation Skill Sets

Polish Your Technique for Masterful Action

POWER YOGA

SUN SALUTATION SKILL SETS

The feeling you get from flowing on your mat to the rhythm of your breath can feel like paradise. There’s a freedom involved in seamlessly flowing from one yoga posture to the next. In a Vinyasa or Power Yoga class, you become intimately acquainted with Sun Salutation sequences. What may get lost, however, is the value of technique within your flow. Maintaining an underpinning of technique within your movements on the mat can drastically enhance the actions you take in your asana practice as a whole. If you’ve practiced with Matt before, then you’re more than aware that the techniques and philosophical guidance he offers within his classes can transform your yoga practice. Polishing your technique in Sun Salutation sequences will establish a solid foundation for your body to move with increased assuredness and ease in your Vinyasa or Power Yoga flows.

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KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Today’s video is extracted from Matt’s first class in his current immersion, Power Of Bliss. He begins the class by providing a broad overview of the 5 Powers of Consciousness from the Tantrik yoga lineage.  

“Knowledge,” or Jñāna–Śakti, being 1 of the 5 powers, is the acquisition of skill, technique, and understanding. This can be applied to any aspect of your life. On the yoga mat, it may refer to learning more about your body via the vehicle of yoga postures. It may mean learning about how to execute the postures themselves to maximize strength and flexibility. Matt stresses, however, that when you understand that all 5 powers are connected, then you realize that no amount of knowledge will manifest itself without action or without the will to learn in the first place, but knowledge is essential and helps you be more intentional with your actions. 

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10 SUN SALUTATION SKILL SETS: POLISH YOUR TECHNIQUE FOR MASTERFUL ACTION

POSTURE SKILLS PART I

There is a plethora of techniques to be explored within Sun Salutation sequences. Fortunately, Matt creates an easily digestible process through which to attain these skills in today’s video.

Standing Chaturanga and Chaturanga

Standing Chaturanga removes the element of strength so you can first align your body for safe and efficient positioning. You’ll learn the placement of the hands and how that connects to the orientation of your shoulders. Practicing on a wall is the next stop before taking it to the mat.

Urdhva Hastasana

Matt teaches that when raising your arms up overhead, elevating your scapulae will help to minimize the risk of shoulder impingement. It will also train your body to utilize muscles like the serratus anterior and trapezius.

Ardha Uttanasana and Uttanasana

One of the most common tendencies in these poses is to misalign your pelvis and ankles. For increased strength, you can also isometrically contract your outer hips and buttocks in both postures.

200 Hour Online Teacher Training Certification

200 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

  • Deepen your yoga practice
  • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
  • Learn foundational class structures and templates
  • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
  • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

POSTURE SKILLS PART II

Plank

Planks are inevitable in Sun Salutation A. They may feel challenging, but layering in the techniques Matt teaches will significantly change your experience.

3-Part Cobra and Upward-Facing Dog

3-Part Cobra is unique to Chromatic Yoga. It’s a great way to prepare for spinal extension and what’s required in Upward-Facing Dog. Each step is precise and reveals a true record of your spinal extension.

Downward-Facing Dog

After practicing the elevation of the scapulae in Urdhva Hastasana, your body is more primed for the same elevation here. The muscle activations create more intensity and more support around the shoulder girdle.

The Jumps

Both forward and back jumps allow for more seamless transitions. There are specific articulations of the ankles and knees that create more fluency when practiced.

300 hour teacher training online

300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

  • Get 500 hour certified
  • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
  • Expand your teaching skills
  • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
  • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
  • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION

Learning these techniques brings you closer to what’s required in your own body. Seen through the lens of the 5 Powers of Consciousness, knowledge will create transformation through the awareness that action must take place with consistency. Acquiring more in-depth knowledge of the postures in Sun Salutation A can cultivate deeper understanding and more transformative experiences in other postures. Knowledge is imperative, but it’s the application of that knowledge that helps you reach your fullest potential. The connection of philosophy to your physical practice can also promote deeper self-study, or Svadhyaya.  

Learn how to make these deeper connections and polish your technique in The Power Of Bliss Immersion

See you on the mat!

The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

Article by Trish Curling

Videos Extracted From: Power Of Bliss Immersion

lotus pose online yoga classes

ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

  • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
  • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
  • Appropriate for both teachers and students
  • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
  • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
  • Release aches and pains
  • Learn how to avoid common injuries
  • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
  • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
  • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
  • Lifetime access

Continue Learning

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  • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
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  • exclusive blogs and videos
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BLACK FRIDAY: 30% OFF ALL ONLINE IMMERSIONS & WORKSHOPS !
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BLACK FRIDAY SALE! Congratulations, your 30% discount code has been applied and will be reflected at the very bottom of the checkout page. All Immersions & Immersion Bundles are included in this sale. To get more info on each immersion click on the photo. On Demand and Lifetime Access To all
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BLACK FRIDAY SALE! Congratulations, your 30% discount code has been applied and will be reflected at the very bottom of the checkout page. All Immersions & Immersion Bundles are included in this sale. To get more info on each immersion click on the photo. On Demand and Lifetime Access To all

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