Tadasana Taught Me About My Feet — and My Fears

At first glance, Tadasana — Mountain Pose — looks like you’re doing nothing. You stand still, feet planted, arms at your sides. It seems like the simplest pose in yoga.

But the longer I’ve practiced, the more I’ve come to see it as one of the most honest, informative, and foundational poses in yoga.

Tadasana is where I first met my feet — and faced my fear of standing still.

The Foundation We Overlook in Yoga
In my early yoga practice, I focused on the “big” poses — inversions, deep backbends, anything that felt impressive. But when I slowed down and paid attention to Tadasana, I realized something:

👉 It is the blueprint pose — the foundation that informs every other yoga pose.

And I had been rushing past the most essential part of that foundation: my feet.

“If your feet don’t know where they are, the rest of your body won’t either.”

That landed with me. How we root, lift, spread, and connect through the feet sets off the entire chain of alignment in the body. You can’t build strength or stability if the foundation isn’t solid.

Discovering Pada Bandha — The Yoga of the Feet
Pada Bandha, the subtle engagement of the foot’s three points of contact (big toe mound, pinky toe mound, center of the heel), changed my practice.

Suddenly, I could feel energy rising from the earth, moving up through my legs and into my spine.

Tadasana became alive — no longer a passive shape, but an energetic experience.

How we stand in the world shapes how we move through it.

Stillness Can Be Uncomfortable — And Transformative
As I practiced Tadasana in San Antonio yoga classes, I began to notice something unexpected:

Restlessness
Resistance
A little fear of stillness

Tadasana asked me to be still — and in that stillness, I noticed everything I usually ignored:

✅ Thoughts I didn’t want to hear
✅ Body sensations I rushed past
✅ Subtle ways I shifted out of discomfort

It turns out, standing still is hard when you’re used to performing, achieving, or escaping.

But over time, Tadasana became a mirror — a way to practice presence, without the need to prove or perform.

Just standing. Just breathing. Just being.

Mountain Pose as Medicine for Body and Mind
Today, Tadasana reminds me:

✅ My feet are my foundation
✅ My breath is my anchor
✅ My stillness is strength, not weakness

Now, Tadasana is less about perfect posture and more about embodied presence.

It’s where I practice rooting myself — in my body, in my breath, and in the present moment — before moving forward.

Your Turn: Try Tadasana With Awareness
Next time you step onto your mat in your San Antonio yoga practice:

👉 Pause in Tadasana. Don’t rush.
👉 Feel your feet.
👉 Notice where you are.
👉 Let the mountain teach you something, too.

Want to Deepen Your Practice?
👉 Join us for yoga classes and workshops in San Antonio at Method Wellness and Physical Therapy!

Our offerings include:

✅ Foundations of functional yoga
✅ Embodied movement workshops
✅ Breath-centered yoga for beginners and experienced students
✅ Yoga for posture, balance, and alignment

👉 Ready to explore? View Our Yoga Schedule

By: Nicole McClendon, E-RYT 500, YACEP, Instructor at Method Wellness and Physical Therapy, San Antonio