Vinyala

Pose sheet

Seated Mountain Pose

Parvatāsanaपर्वतासन

Sit cross-legged and raise your arms, bringing your palms together overhead.

Open this pose in the 3D body

Steps

Support

Both sitting bones and the outer edges of the feet.

Enter

  1. Sit with your legs extended in front of you.
  2. Cross them, placing each foot beneath the opposite thigh.
  3. Distribute your weight between both sitting bones and lengthen your torso.
  4. Inhale and raise your arms out to the sides.
  5. Join your palms overhead, keeping your elbows straight.

Hold

  1. Keep both sitting bones grounded.
  2. Reach your arms up alongside your ears.
  3. Allow your shoulder blades to rotate upward.
  4. Keep your head and torso aligned without pushing your ribs forward.

Exit

  1. Exhale and slowly lower your arms out to the sides.
  2. Uncross your legs and extend them again.
  3. Switch the crossing of your legs before repeating.
Breathing
Inhale to lift; exhale to lower; breathe normally.
Gaze
A fixed point ahead.
Duration
Six seconds per lift.

Adapt

Adaptations

  • Raised seatSit on a folded blanket or a firm cushion.
  • Supported kneesSupport your knees with blocks or folded blankets.
  • Hands apartKeep your hands shoulder-width apart.
  • ChairSit upright in a chair with both feet supported.

Variations

  • Lotus variation: interlaced fingers, palms upward, chin toward breastbone.
  • Svastikāsana: feet tucked between thighs and calves.
  • Side bend, keeping both sitting bones grounded.

Signals of effort

  • Arms held overhead without support throughout the hold.
  • Deep knee flexion in the Lotus variation.