Materials
- One yoga mat per student.
- Enough floor space that students can spread out.
Setup
- Arrange the yoga mats, ensuring that students have enough space to move without bumping into one another.
- If you have enough space, consider arranging the yoga mats in a circle so that you can see each student from your own mat.
Begin by standing comfortably with arms at your sides.
Check to see where your feet are. Are they underneath your hips? If not, move them so that they are hip-width apart.
Now look at your toes. Are they pointing forward? If not, move them so that they are.
Keep your arms engaged by your sides. If it feels comfortable, turn your palms to face front.
Take a deep breath in and stretch the top of your head toward the sky. Do you feel a little taller?
As you breathe out, press down through the floor with both feet.
Now imagine a mountain. Notice how still and quiet it is. See if you can be as still and quiet as a mountain.
You do not need to read the included script verbatim. Adapt the language so that it is appropriate for your students in particular.
It is perfectly appropriate to simplify the breathing cues, particularly when you first introduce the pose to your students. You might invite students to simply count several breaths in the pose, or you might opt to omit explicit reference to breath altogether.
It is not important for students to get the pose exactly right. Instead, focus on helping them build mind-body awareness each time you practice.
Offer students positive reinforcements throughout each practice. Focus on qualities and behaviors they can control, like their focus, effort, or persistence. Be specific whenever possible. This will help your students develop a growth mindset.
You can invite students to pause in this pose, scan their bodies and minds, and silently ask themselves, “What am I experiencing right now?” This can be helpful to do at the beginning of any practice to help students focus.
Mountain pose is often used as a transitional posture to help students flow between other poses. It’s also a great posture for when students are checking in with themselves. Alternatively, it can be embedded within a longer sequence of poses to help students notice the effects of the practice.
