Tree Pose (Vrksasana) is a staple standing balance that, through its many variations, can be made accessible for nearly any practitioner. Mastering the basics of Tree Pose requires trust in the stabilizing muscles of the legs and feet. When we start to wobble in the pose, our first instinct may be to “fight” the movement. This resistance can introduce rigidity into the pose and cause us to lose our sense of balance and “fall”. Instead, allow yourself to explore what the movement has to tell you about your alignment, your strength and your flexibility. What happens if you engage your core differently? Have you rooted firmly into the earth? Bringing a sense of curiosity and playfulness to Tree Pose may turn this accessible standing balance into a favorite.
The Pose
Come to standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with hands at heart’s center in Anjali Mudra. Allow your weight to shift into your right leg and begin to lighten the weight in the left foot as you slowly bend the left knee. Bring the bottom of your left foot toward the inside of the right leg as you turn the left knee outward. Use your left hand to bring the bottom of your left foot to the inside of your right thigh, heel under the center of the pelvis and toes pointing downward. Keep hands at heart center or raise them overhead. Breathe and experience the pose for 5-10 breaths. Bring your left foot back to the mat on an exhale and repeat on the other side.
Refinements
~ As you shift your weight into your standing leg, maintain the alignment of shoulder over hip over knee over ankle. There is a tendency to allow the hip of the standing leg to shift outward. To prevent this, engage the stabilizing muscles of the core by drawing the navel gently toward the spine and slightly up toward the bottom of the rib cage, press the foot firmly into the mat and reach the crown of the head skyward.
~ Stay aware of the position of the hip points as you move into this pose, keeping them as parallel to the floor and the front edge of your mat as possible. When the knee is bent and turned outward, there is a tendency to allow the hip point to sink toward to floor or to draw back (often with a slight swivel of the entire pelvis).
~ Gently press the inner thigh into the bottom of the foot with the same amount of pressure that the foot is pressing into the thigh. It will become much easier to keep the foot from sliding down the leg when you find the right balance in this action.
~ Keep the gaze relaxed but steady. Find a point on the floor a few feet in front of your mat or on the wall in front of you at or slightly above your natural eye height to set your drishti (gaze).
Variations
If balance is a challenge:
– Keep the foot of the bent leg closer to the ground.Begin with the toes touching as the bottom of the foot finds the inside of the standing leg. Explore how high up the leg you can comfortably bring the foot while maintaining your balance, avoiding applying pressure to the inside of the knee.
– Use the wall. Come to standing with the back of your body lightly touching the wall. You can also bring your hands to your sides and press the fingertips gently into the wall for additional stability. Move slowly toward the variation of Tree Pose that feels most stable for you.
-Use a chair. Come to standing with the back of a chair at your side, your hand resting lightly on the back of the chair for support. Bend the opposite knee and find the variation of Tree Pose that feels most stable for you. Try not to allow your weight to shift too heavily toward the chair.
If you are ready to add more of a challenge:
-Close your eyes. Once you have found a stable version of Tree Pose, allow your eyes to softly close and explore your relationship with balance without the aid of your sight.
-Use a block. Place a block on the mat on its lowest height. Place the foot of the standing leg on the block and find the variation of the pose that feels most stable for you with this added challenge.
–Add movement. Once you have a stable foundation for the pose, add movement in the arms. You can lift and lower the arms with your breath or add a gentle side bend to explore the balance of movement and stillness in the pose.
Whichever expression of Tree Pose you choose, trust it to hold just the experience you most need in that moment. All trees move with the wind and the passage of time, including our Tree Poses.
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