Learn how to work the arms and chest in Tadasana

In the previous post, I explained several exercises to work and learn to engage the feet, legs, and pelvis, now I’m going to show how we can work our chest and arms in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).

ACTIVATE THE ARMS

1st we will need...

to place one STRAP

around our arms.

STEP BY STEP

1. Firstly, we need to find the correct shoulder-width measure of the strap. So keep the arms in front of you, and wrap a belt around the forearms, in order to find the correct measure of the strap. If you feel the pressure of the belt against the ribcage with the forearms touching the side ribs, you have the shoulder-width measure.

2. After removing the strap from your forearms, send the arms back and wrap the strap around the bones of the outer elbows behind you, as you can see in the image below.

3. Lift the side chest up and stretch the arms down, by moving them sideways, and stretching the strap.

4. Extend the palms and fingers down in line with the arms, pressing the thumb against the sideways of the hand, to engage the arms.

If you don’t feel comfortable with the strap, or you don’t have one, you can also just interlace the fingers behind you, and when you breathe in, lift the ribcage up, and on breathing out, stretch the arms back moving the hands towards the ground.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE...

• When you activate and press the arms against the strap this helps to move the shoulder blades in, opening the chest.

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PERFECTING THE CONSCIENCE OF OUR RIB CAGE

1st we will need...

to place one STRAP

to place one STRAP around our chest.

STEP BY STEP

1. Loop a belt around the chest and fasten it. Then stand in Tadasana.

2. To understand the placement of the rib cage, inhale and tuck the tailbone in. On exhale, do the opposite movement with the tailbone.

You can also lift your arms up into Urdhva Hastasana.

THE EFFECT OF THIS EXERCISE...

• The belt brings awareness toward the top of the chest, the ribcage, and also the shoulder blades. This helps to keep them in place and also a better engagement and alignment of the spine, activating the entire torso and top chest.

Hello Tadasana or Samasthiti or AKA Mountain Pose

Source: “Yoga anatomy” written by Leslie Kaminoff

Tadasana, also called Samasthiti, is an asana that seems so easy but is full of nuances and subtleties, working all the body, balance, and concentration, being this the reason why all the newbies in yoga, should practice this pose. This pose creates balance, height, and extension, which is a set, It tones, concentrates the following foundation for all standing poses, and is an important tool that allows us to progress into our practice.

NOW LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN WORK THIS POSE

FEET	​Stand up with the feet parallel (draw an imaginary line from the center of the ankle through the second toe of each foot making those lines parallel with each other). Big toes joining together and heel slightly apart (center of inner ankles touching). Lift the soles of the feet and stretch them forward, then put them down. Raise the heels, extend them back from the center of the arches, and put them down. Lift all toes (little toes included), stretch them forward, and let them rest on the mat.
LEGS	​Lift the shinbones. Lift the kneecaps, engaging the quadriceps/thigh muscles and drawing the inner and outer knees back. Open and stretch the back of the knees (without straining them).
LOWER AND UPPER TRUNK	​Lift the hips and compress them. Tuck the tailbone/coccyx under (like you want to move the pubic bone towards the navel), lengthening the spine and the trunk. Engage the lower abdomen by pressing the navel against the spine. Lift the diaphragm and rib cage up, but don’t let the rib cage and torso come out. Raise the collarbones and open the chest (this action is achieved if you lift the shoulders and let them drop, keeping the shoulder blades together). Relax the shoulders and keep them away from the ears.
ARMS	​Turn the upper arms out and stretch the arms down, palms facing forward or facing thighs.
HEAD	​Keep the neck in a neutral position (in line with the spine), and the chin parallel to the ground. Head straight in line with the spine. Relax the face and look ahead keeping the eyes soft. Stay in this pose for 20 to 40 seconds, breathing evenly.

Source: DoYou - @doyoudotcom