Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

7

Chapter

Selected āsanas for integrating the aims and principles

Selected asanas̄ Selected āsanas

Selected asanas̄ Selected āsanas

Selected āsanas

1. Tā āsana (Figures 7.1 and 7.2)

Meaning of the āsana and its name

Tāāsana is the mountain pose; it means being firm

like a mountain, standing upright, concentrated,

and still. You grow taller as a result of being firmly

grounded. Tāāsana is one of the simplest and at the

same time the most complex āsanas. It develops a

good habit of standing; activity and calmness merge

together.

Getting into the posture

Stand upright with your feet as close together as

possible, your arms at your sides, palms facing your

outer thighs.

Being in the posture: basic work

1. Stretch your toes; rest your toes straight on the
   floor.


2. Balance between lifting the inner and outer
   ankles, keeping the base of the big and little toes
   on the floor.


3. Straighten your knees; ease off a tiny bit; make
   your quadriceps muscles firm and pull your
   kneecaps up.


4. Move the front of your thighs towards
   the back of your thighs, the groins slightly
   backwards; shift the weight slightly more into
   the heels.


5. Adjust your pelvis to the neutral position; lift
   from your lower abdomen.


6. Maintain the neutral pelvic position while you
   lift your thorax.


7. Relax your shoulders.


8. Let your arms hang naturally.


9. Maintaining the position of your chin, parallel
   
   to the floor, slightly move the back of your
   head back wards parallel to the floor and away
   from the neck.


10. Relax your face.


11. Breathe naturally.

Being in the posture: refined work

1. Distribute the weight evenly between the left
   and right foot, and the front and hind feet,
   slightly more into the heels.


2. Balance lifting the inner and outer arches of
   your feet; feel how this influences the upward
   movement through the lower legs.


3. Balance this lifting action of the arches while
   stretching the soles of the feet through the toes
   Figure 7.1 Figure 7.2 and through the heels.