Are you looking for more information on Parvatasana (Mountain Pose)? In this blog, we summarize the most important key features of this posture and what you need to know in order to practice safely, guide your students, or just for your personal interest, if you just want to learn more about asana.
Parvatasana comes from the Sanskrit term parvat, which means mountain, and the word asana means posture, so it’s called mountain posture. Parvatasana (Mountain Pose) resembles the shape of a mountain, so the legs are very long and straight, so is the back, and Mountain Pose resembles physical balance, stability, grounding, and steadiness.
How to Practice Parvatasana (Mountain Pose)
Start off in Balasana (Child Pose), and stretch your arms forward. Separate your fingers, press your palms and your fingers into the ground, and then tuck your toes in. Feet are approximately hip-width apart or closely together—whichever is more convenient for you.
Then, lift up your knees and push your hips towards the ceiling, making your back nice and tall, nice and long, elongating your spine, stretching your spine and your legs. If it’s difficult to bring the heels all the way to the ground, you can walk on the spot, bend your knees, straighten them again, and eventually come into the final position. Bring the heels as closely to the ground as possible, keep your legs straight, and also your back straight, and focus on your breath.
The head should be relaxed and in a natural position—you don’t need to draw your head towards the ground, just keep it in between your arms. Make sure your shoulders are not attached to your ears, and hold it for as long as is comfortable.When you want to come out of the posture, just drop your knees, place your forehead on the ground, and relax in Balasana, Child Pose.
The Benefits of Parvatasana
Physical Benefits of Mountain Pose
- Strengthens arms, shoulders, wrists, and legs.
- Stretches hamstrings, calves, spine, and shoulders.
- Improves posture and spinal alignment.
- Enhances flexibility in the back and legs.
- Stimulates blood circulation throughout the body.
- Helps improve digestion by gently massaging abdominal organs.
- Relieves stiffness in the back and shoulders.
Mental Benefits of Mountain Pose (Parvatasana)
- Calms the mind and helps reduce stress.
- Improves concentration and focus.
- Promotes emotional stability by balancing energy flow.
- Helps release mental fatigue and anxiety.
- Encourages mindfulness and body awareness.
Traditional Benefits of Mountain Pose (Parvatasana)
The traditional benefit is very symbolic. You can imagine a mountain—like when you go trekking and you’re right in front of a big mountain. You feel this overwhelming presence: the mountain is very strong, stable, and if you come back 10 or 20 years later, it will still be in the exact same spot.
So, in the traditional context, it represents stability and grounding. It’s also not very affected by the weather around it—whether storm, hail, or snow. For example, in winter it snows, and the mountaintop is covered with snow. In summer it melts, flushing down water, mud, or any waste along the way. This also represents, in the traditional context, emotional unaffectedness.
If you take this example to your personal life, whenever you feel like people are throwing their garbage or emotions on you, you feel less affected. Parvatasana (Mountain Pose) represents this unaffected, strong, stable nature—just like the mountain—enabling you to reconnect to yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, and making sure you’re staying in your own energy, no matter what other people tell you or say to you.
Contraindications of Parvatasana (Mountain Pose)
Contraindications would include:
- High blood pressure — it’s not recommended to hold the position for long periods, and it may not feel comfortable anyway.
- Arthritis — especially in the wrists, it’s not recommended.
- Pregnancy — it’s not ideal, especially in the second and third trimesters, as it’s a slight inversion of the pelvic floor, which can be confusing for the fetus.
Clarifying a Common Misconception of Parvatasana (Mountain Pose)
We also hope you learned something about Parvatasana (Mountain Pose). If you are confused about the name resembling another posture called Tadasana, please note that Tadasana is actually translated as Palm Tree Pose. There is a big misconception on the internet, so please be aware and look up traditional books like Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha, for example. There you can find good references about the posture, how it looks, and what it means. Just to clarify once more: Parvat means mountain, and Tada means palm tree.
The Importance of Practicing with an Experienced Teacher
Finally, while it’s wonderful to practice Parvatasana (Mountain Pose) on your own, it is always best to learn under the guidance of an experienced teacher. At Gyan Yoga Breath, one of the oldest and most traditional yoga schools in India. all yoga teacher training programs aim to elevate your yoga practice. You get the opportunity to practice with real teachers who can guide you individually. They can also provide more variations for you in terms of props and hands-on adjustments. This might be something to consider for your practice journey. And if you can’t make it to India, you can also check out their online courses.
