Name: Tree Pose
Sanskrit: Vrksasana
Pronunciation: Vrik-SHAHS-anna
Pose Level: Intermediate
Step-by-Step:
·
Start standing
with your hands resting on your hips. Lift the toes of your right foot off the
ground and try to create space between one toe and the other. Then, bring them
back to the floor. At this point, bend your left leg and grab the ankle with
the corresponding hand. Bring the sole of the foot towards the inside of the
right thigh, with the heel close to the pubis and the toes facing downwards.
·
Push your left
knee back but be careful to keep your hips on the same line. Also press the
foot against the thigh and the thigh against the foot.
·
Now bring your
hands in prayer in front of your chest or extend your arms upwards with your
palms facing each other.
·
Hold the
position for 5 breaths and repeat on the other side. If you have difficulty
finding balance, you can do this asana by approaching a wall and keeping your
eyes on a fixed point on the wall.
Anatomy
·
Legs, Core
Pose Modifications
Although the classic position of
the tree requires the palms of the hands to be joined above the head, you can
change their position as you like, depending on how comfortable you are:
Stretch your hands above your head and
parallel to each other, shaft position variation the palms are not joined but
are at the same distance as the shoulders.
Extend your hands above your head,
intertwine your fingers and turning your wrists outward brings your palms
towards the ceiling
Stretch your arms along your body either
with your palms facing it or facing forward. This way of positioning the arms allows
a greater sense of balance.
Extend your arms behind your torso and
interlace your fingers.
You could also keep your palms together in
front of your heart.
A variation to simplify this position is to
slightly lower the raised foot which should be kept as close as possible to the
groin but, especially for beginners, it is not easy. So you can lower the
support point to where you feel comfortable, the important thing is that you
don't rest it on your stretched knee otherwise you could get hurt. You can also
get to place it on your calf or even on the ground, while always keeping the
weight on the other leg.
Another variation that I recommend
practicing as it is a good preparation for another asana is to perform the half
lotus with the leg raised, just as shown in the figure.
Contraindications:
This, like all positions in yoga, is very good but in some cases it is better to avoid its execution. Here's when: If you have a headache; If you have very low blood pressure; If, on the other hand, you have high blood pressure, avoid raising your arms above your head;Severe knee problems
Poses Commonly Transitioned too:
Mountain Pose
Poses Commonly Used Before Hand:
Mountain Pose