Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga

Yogasanas, Bandha and Kriya^61

A SAN AS

I. Tacfasana (also called Samasthiti) One* (Plate 1)

Ta9a means a mountain. Sarna means upright, straight, unmoved. Sthiti

is standing still, steadiness. Ta9asana therefore implies a pose where one

stands firm and erect as a mountain. This is the basic standing pose.

I
Technique
I. Stand erect with the fe et 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.

2. 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 thighs.