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Branch Out Baby! Finding Strength And Balance Through Tree Pose

Yoga | Yoga Poses

The tree is grounded, confident and natural and you can be too! Yoga gives us simple, practical tools that can help us grow and transform. Through practicing Vrksasana; Tree Pose, we can begin to take on the qualities of our beautiful counterpart of nature.

  • The tree breathes, and knows that this breath supports the lives of people and animals around it.
  • It takes nourishment from the earth and instinctively only ingests that which supports its wellbeing.
  • It opens itself up to the sunshine, laughs with the rain and it dances in the wind. It enjoys all of the elements as they come and go, grateful for the gifts each one brings.
  • Realizing it is a unique being of creation, it stands confident and proud with roots firmly entrenched in the earth.
  • It seeks balance, but it knows that perfect stillness doesn’t exist so it enjoys the feeling of moving and swaying with the breeze.

How to Practice Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

  • Shift your weight to your left leg and press into all four corners of your foot. Feel the support of the earth beneath you, and feel as though your roots are firmly entrenched there.
  • Focus your gaze to a non-moving point.
  • Turn your right foot out to the right and raise the foot to the inside of the standing leg; resting on either the ankle, calf or thigh (avoiding the knee). The aim of the pose is not to take your foot as high as possible. Notice if your ego is pushing you to extend beyond your capabilities and take your foot only as far as you can comfortably balance*
  • Allow the breath to flow freely and smoothly. Know that perfect stillness doesn’t exist, and enjoy the feeling of your body moving as it adjusts to standing on one leg.
  • Tuck your tailbone under slightly to lengthen the spine.
  • Place your hands together in prayer at the heart centre. As you raise your hands (either together or separated) above your head imagine they are branches reaching out and connecting you with the ether.
  • As you stand strong, feel as though your whole body is breathing in and out, expanding and relaxing, supporting life within and around you which each inhale and exhale.

* If you find it difficult to balance on one leg, use the wall or a chair for extra support while you work towards creating more stability and balance.

Enjoy feeling strong, grounded, confident, natural and free!

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