Tadasana

Tadasana is a good stretching and loosing exercise for the entire body. Tadasana stretches the arms, the chest, the abdominal muscles, the spine and the leg muscles along with giving a sense of balance.

This is an easy asana and can be done by all age groups.

How to do Tadasana (The Palm Tree Pose)?

• Stand erect with legs slightly apart with the hands on the sides.
• Raise the hand above the head and look straight.
• Interlock the fingers and turn it upwards. The palms should be facing the sky.
• The gaze can be adjusted to look slightly above the horizontal level.
• Take a deep breath and stretch the arms, shoulders and chest upwards.
• Raise the heels so that the weight of the body is borne by the toes.
• Stretch the whole body from the feet to the head.
• Remain in this position for few seconds.
• Bring down the heels while breathing out.
• This is one round. One can practice up to 10 rounds.
• During the whole practice the eyes should remain steadily fixed in front little above the head level.

Benefits of Tadasana (The Palm Tree Pose)

• Tadasana gives a good stretch to the arms, chest, abdomen, spine and the legs.
• It creates a sense of physical and mental balance. This sense of balance can be enhanced if one practices the same with closed eyes.
• Tadasana can help to increase height.
• Women during early stages of pregnancy can be benefited due to the gentle stretch of the abdomen.
• Tadasana can also be performed before and after inverted poses like Sirsasana to redistribute the blood in the body. During Sirsasana the blood accumulates in the head. Beginners especially can see their eyes getting red as it gets filled with excess blood. Tadasana when performed rapidly helps to bring down the accumulated blood from the head and redistributes it in the body.
• Tadasana is one of the poses used during the practice of Shankaprakshalana or the cleaning of the stomach and intestine. This quickly moves the saline water which one drinks during the process to the lower intestine and rectum, thereby quickening the cleansing process.