By Allison Ray Jeraci
Yoga International
While tadasana, or mountain pose, as it is commonly called, may appear simple, it can be one of the most profound and revealing postures in yoga. It can also be surprisingly intimidating to teach. Standing freely at the top of the mat can leave a student, as well as a teacher, feeling vulnerable. We fidget, and we want to hide. At times I’ve considered renaming tadasana “water break pose” or “fix my shirt pose.” I realized that I was afraid to teach mountain pose with what I thought were a million eyeballs looking at me (although they weren’t looking at me at all).
But the fear of students staring at them is not the only reason some teachers neglect tadasana. I admit that I would sometimes fly past tadasana instruction in class, wanting to fast-forward to the more “interesting” poses in my sequence. I took for granted the importance of showing students how to stand confidently and establish themselves with their feet firmly on the floor. As teachers, we should not assume that when we say the word “tadasana” the class will automatically perk up into an upright position with spot-on alignment.