Learn how to work the feet, legs and pelvis in Tadasana

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Mountain Pose, besides promoting balance and stability, also helps us to understand how to work the feet, legs, pelvis, torso, spine, chest and arms, being for this reason an asana that every beginner learn and we always come back to it in order to find focus, concentration and equilibrium in a clear and precise way, no matter what our level in yoga is.
It's easy to see this relationship between balance and stability if we stand up with legs and feet joined together and when we close our eyes we observe that the weight of our body tends to float from one foot to another or from one heel to the top of the feet. This happens because our vision and balance are intrinsically connected.
In every yoga asanas, it's essential a good and solid foundation so I will begin to explain some of the techniques that I have learned through my Iyengar yoga practice, with a special emphasis in the feet and legs, and in a second approach, about the chest and the arms.
Keep in mind that Tadasana is an introductory posture very important that helps us to prepare the body to other asanas.













  1. Stand up straight with the feet apart, and equally distribute the weight of the body through both feet. Put a block between the feet in order to touch their inner sides.
  2. Start to lift all the toes of the right foot, maintaining the rest of the foot, well grounded on the mat. Press the big toe on the ground, elongating and separating the rest of the toes. Next, lay all the toes on the mat, maintaining them separate and elongated, if you need, bend and help the toes with your hands.
  3. Feel and ground the mounds and arches of the right foot on the mat by lifting the inner part of the heels.
  4. Now, standing up straight observe and feel the difference between the right foot and leg and your left side.
  5. Do the same steps on your left side.


  • Increases the sensation and action of the feet, working out the balance and stability.
  • The feet and ankles are activated by the resistance of the block, improving the work of the entire leg.




















  1. Stand up straight with the feet apart and place a block between the knees.
  2. Lift the kneecaps up by engaging the thighs/quadriceps muscles.
  3. Pull the knees back (without straining them) and opening their back part, press the inner part of the knees against the block.
  4. If you have rounded tibias/shins, you may feel useful to place a strap around them in a half height (from the ankles and knees). If you wish you may also place a second strap surrounding the thighs in order to achieve compactness in your legs.


  • The resistance of the block helps to activate and engage the knees.
  • It also helps to understand the internal rotation of the thighs.
  • The pressure against the block creates an impression of compact legs without compromising the alignment or losing the elongation sense on the legs.
















  1. Stand up straight with the legs apart and place a block lengthwise between the thighs, pressing the block against them.
  2. Shorten the stance of the feet in order to feel the pressure in the thighs through all the block side surface.
  3. Move the upper thighs internally as if you are trying to pull the block back.
  4. Simultaneously, tuck the tailbone under and pull the front of the thighs backwards.
  5. You may find interesting to place a strap around the thighs in order to help with their placement.


  • Helps to perceive the internal rotation of the thighs.
  • The pressure against the block creates a compactness sensation on the legs without compromising the alignment or even losing the elongating sensation.














  1. Stand up straight with the big toes touching and the heels slightly apart and place a strap around the middle of your pelvis.
  2. Tighten the strap in a way that you feel the pressure in the greater trochanter (the two bulging bones that you have in the front of your pelvis), touching the middle of the pubic bone. Bend slightly the knees and tighten the strap.
  3. Straight up the legs and observe the tension felt in the pelvis.
  4. Press the buttock and move the coccyx/tailbone under (as if you want to move the pubic bone toward the navel). 




  • The strap will make pressure in the femur head and stabilizes the joints in their sockets.
  • This is a wonderful exercise for the hip joints.





  1. Support the toe mounds on the lateral of a block, keeping the heels completely supported on the mat.
  2. Move the tailbone down and the quadriceps (frontal part of the thighs) backwards.







  • For yoga beginners, it's really hard to understand the action of lifting the kneecaps up and positioning them in a correct way.
  • With this exercise, the quadriceps muscles get instantly engaged and the kneecaps go up and get pulled backwards.
  • The calf muscles and Achilles tendons are elongated.  






So know you just have to try it and practice this exercises and see if it helps you in your practice. See you soon and until the next post.😏

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