Tada means a mountain. Sarna means upright, straight, unmoved. Sthiti
is standing still, steadiness. Tadasana therefore implies a pose where one
stands firm and erect as a mountain. This is the basic standing pose.
Technique
I. Stand erect with the feet together, the heels and big toes touching
each other. Rest the heads of metatarsals on the floor and stretch all the
toes flat on the floor.
Tighten the knees and pull the knee-caps up, contract the hips and
pull up the muscles at the back of the thighs.
3· Keep the stomach in, chest forward, spine stretched up and the neck
straight.
4· Do not bear the weight of the body either on the heels or the toes,
but distribute it evenly on them both.
5· Ideally in Tadasana the arms are stretched out over the head, but for
the sake of convenience, one can place them by the side of the thigh
.Effects
People do not pay attention to the correct method of standing. Some
stand with the body weight thrown only on one leg, or with one leg
turned completely sideways. Others bear all the weight on the heels, or
on the inner or outer edges of the feet. This can be noticed by watching
where the soles and heels of the shoes wear out. Owing to our faulty
method of standing and not distributing the body weight evenly on the
feet, we acquire specific deformities which hamper spinal elasticity.
Even if the feet are kept apart, it is better to keep the heel and toe in a
line parallel to the median plane and not at an angle. By this method,
the hips are contracted, the abdomen is pulled in and the chest is brought
forward. One feels light in body and the mind acquires agility. If we
stand with the body weight thrown only on the heels, we feel the gravity
changing; the hips become loose, the abdomen protrudes, the body
hangs back and the spine feels the strain and consequently we soon feel
fatigued and the mind becomes dull. It is therefore essential to master
the art of standing correctly.