The Mountain Pose for Beginning Yoga Students
Catherine Mirabilio began her culinary arts teaching career as an instructor and progressed to department head in the Connecticut Technical High School System. Catherine Mirabilio stays physically fit by practicing yoga. There are a number of basic yoga poses that beginning practitioners can learn as fundamental “asanas,” or postures, before taking on ones that are more complex. One of the essential starting yoga poses is the mountain pose. To assume the mountain pose, an individual should begin by standing fully erect with the feet planted shoulder-width apart. A person’s weight should be as evenly distributed as possible, with the arms resting on either side. From this position, a person should then raise both arms overhead while breathing deeply. As the arms become fully extended, the palms of the hands should face one another without touching. As the body begins to take the shape of a perfect line, the mountain pose can be completed by reaching skyward with one’s fingers while continuing to breathe deeply.