Tree Pose!!!!!

Vrkasana - Tree Pose

www.raleighyogastudio.com

This month fill your tree pose with the ease and playfulness of a child.

Tree pose is right up there with downward facing dog as the prototypical postures of yoga and is a wonderful and sometimes challenging balancing posture. Vrkasana strengthens the ankle, calves, and thighs, stretches the groins, can alleviate sciatica discomfort and helps to develop awareness, focus and balance.

Starting in tadasana, feel grounded through your feet. Shift your weight to the right, lifting and spreading the toes of the right foot, snuggling the sole of the foot into the ground (planting the roots.) Bending the left knee and pressing the left foot against the right leg. Depending on your balance and flexibility, the heel may be as high as the groin or resting against the right ankle left toes on the floor. It’s is best not to push the foot directly into the knee. Strengthening the standing leg by rotating the inner right thigh back and drawing the tailbone down, allowing the hips to feel balanced and level.

Bringing hands together in namaste position and finding a non moving focal point (drishti,) about 4 feet in front – more experienced practitioners may find allowing the gaze to move out towards the periphery improves focus. The arms straightening up towards the ceiling, shoulder blades sliding down the back, allowing the collar bones to broaden as your tree grow branches. Activating the hands by spreading the fingers may provide additional stability in the pose (think of finger branches.)

Allowing your tree to grow from the ground up, bringing awareness to the breath. Slowly, releasing the foot and arms back to tadasana.Pausing in tadasana for several full breaths before repeating the posture on the other side. When performing the pose standing on the left leg, the right foot need not come to the same height as on the other side, taking note of the differences and challenges on each side.

To make the practice of this posture more fun and light hearted, invite a friend to join you – either facing one another – palm to palm as you come into “palm tree,” or side by side – wrapping the arm nearest each other around your partner’s waist – bringing up the opposite (outside) foot. A group of yogis (of all ages and sizes) can expand the fun, by forming a circle to create a forest of trees.

If your tree wobbles or doesn’t look like the classic tree pose – remember trees waiver in the wind, and come in all shapes and sizes – just work on a planting a strong foundation, grounding from the earth and blossoming, reaching those branches to something bigger than yourself. Imagine the possibilities in our forest of trees!