
- Category
- Standing
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 3–5 breaths
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Full, even breaths into an open chest.
Star Pose
Utthita Tadasana — "extended mountain posture"
Also known as: Five-Pointed Star
Feet wide, arms wide, everything reaching outward — a five-pointed star. A simple, expansive pose that resets posture between stronger standing work.
Step by step
- 1Step your feet wide apart, toes pointing forward, outer edges parallel.
- 2Reach your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing forward.
- 3Press evenly through all four corners of both feet and lift the kneecaps gently.
- 4Lengthen your tailbone down and draw the lower ribs softly in.
- 5Reach out through all five points at once — feet, hands, and crown of the head.
- 6Breathe wide into the chest and hold, quietly active.
Benefits
- ✓ Stretches the arms, chest, and inner thighs
- ✓ Improves posture and full-body awareness
- ✓ Creates a neutral transition between wide-stance poses
- ✓ Encourages full, open breathing
Make it yours
- · Narrow the stance for easier grounding.
- · Practice with your back against a wall to feel the whole body in one plane.
Take care
- Lower the arms, or rest the hands on the hips, if you have a shoulder injury.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Props that help here
- Manduka PRO — The buy-it-once option — dense, stable, famously durable. Heavy, so it lives at home, which is where practice happens anyway. find one
- Liforme Original — The grippiest mat we've used, with alignment markers that genuinely help beginners place hands and feet. Priciest of the three. find one
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