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Vrksasana “Tree Pose”
Some benefits:
- Increases physical and mental balance
- Stretches the fascia on the soles of the feet
- Strengthens the ankles, calves, thighs, and spine
- Stretches the groins, inner thighs and chest
Contraindications:
- Avoid placing the foot on the knee joint
- Modify arms for tight shoulders
- Practice near a wall in cases of vertigo
- Headache, insomnia
Oil to enhance the pose:
- Valor on the soles of the feet
Entering the pose:
Begin in Tadasana, hands in Namaste at the heart. Root down firmly through the left foot. Bend the right knee and open it out to the right side. Begin with the right toes resting on the floor and the sole of the right foot against the inside of the left ankle. Slide the foot first up to the calf and, if you are steady here, use the right hand to move the right foot to the inner thigh of the left leg.
Lengthen both sides of the torso, draw the side ribs back. Either keep the hands at the heart. Or, sweep the arms up and overhead, working the shoulder blades in towards the heart and down towards the waist. If the shoulders are tight, keep the arms wide. If the shoulders can continue to be pressed down and away from the ears, reach the arms straight up. Turn the pinkies in towards each other to broaden the chest.
Breathe.
Within the pose:
Reach the right knee out and away from the right hip. Feel how this opens the front of the pelvis. Continue to rotate the right hip open. Root down through all four corners of the left foot and soften just a bit, through the left knee, pressing the left calf muscle into the left low leg bones.
Continue to work the side ribs back, keeping the rib cage suspended over the pelvis. Inhale all the way down to the left foot, exhale as you reach skyward with leg muscles, torso, and crown of the head. Soften the face. Breathe.
Exiting the pose:
Bring the hands back to the heart at Namaste. Exhale and release the right foot down next to the left. Rest in Tadasana for one full breath and then enter Vrksasana on the left side.