Tree Pose as a Barometer for Grounding

Y O G A: Tree Pose aka Vriksasana or Vrkasana

By Amy Adams

Grounding is something that I used to have difficulty with when going through bigger life changes. Those are the times that I wanted to be detached from the earth. The changes themselves could be ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ or simply ‘neutral’ (although usually, emotions are more intense when we experience change) the only requirement was that they were changes. When practising tree pose, for me, it acts as an indicator of how detached or grounded from the earth I am in that moment.

It can bring you back to earth as one of the grounding yoga poses we are taught.

Tree pose aka Vriksasana or Vrksasana, it is one of the poses where I can morph into the pose’s name. it is also a pose that can test you and ground you.

When I was a child there was a family who lived across the street, the Ziellas. Mr and Mrs Ziella’s daughter Wendy was one of the oldest ‘children’ on the block. Wendy was probably more than 15 years older than me, so she wasn’t really a child at all. She used to hug a tree in front of her house and upon seeing her do this, I wanted to know more. She taught me how to hug a tree. When I went away to summer camp as a young girl, spending time in the forest I continued to hug trees.

Now, as an older person living in a city, I don’t do it enough….in fact, I almost never hug a tree. I touch trees and bushes as I pass them but the last times I have really hugged a tree was in January 2018 when I visited the Redwood Forests in Northern California. Before that it was 2010 in Glastonbury. I [still] need to hug a tree or trees more regularly, in the meantime, I will continue to practice tree pose.

Tree Pose Challenges & Cautions

Now I don’t know about you but my feet are a bit rough around the edges, like leather but not leather that has a pull or grip, more like glove leather – smooth. So when practising tree pose, if my yoga pants are full length, it increases the level of difficulty keeping the sole of my foot on my upper inner thigh – even when pressing inward. Each year it gets easier. Give me shorts for access to skin and no problem. Then my only difficulty sometimes is falling over because I’m either detached from the earth that day or simply tired. Sometimes though, whether my foot is below or above my knee, I stand tall focused and I become the tree.

The main caution is to never directly place your foot in the ‘knee zone’ in order to avoid an accidental injury. Instead, when coming into the tree pose place your foot above or below the knee and then press the sole of your foot into your inner thigh, no gripping of your toes on either foot. Finding the drishti or focal point to focus on or to challenge our balance as we look towards the sky or ceiling.

Step by step I begin by standing with my feet firm on the ground, hands in front of my heart in Anjali mudra (prayer hands.) Breathing deeply I find a point of focus. Then placing and pressing my right whole foot into my upper thigh to find equilibrium. Staying there for a few breaths, it’s only then that I will raise my hands up and lookup.

When you are beginning, you can use the wall for support to help you overcome any fears of falling. Testing yourself by removing your hand from the wall.

If my energy is low, my foot will stay lower on my calf. There less pressure is needed and it’s easier to stay for a few breaths. Then it's time to do exactly what you did on the first side, on the other side. So even if one side is easier than the other balance is the key. We are working towards equilibrium and strengthening the weaker side so it will someday meet the level of the stronger side.

Tree Pose: Mythology and the Queen

Beyond the obvious physical benefits of tree pose ranging from increased balance, poise and better posture & concentration, there is a mythology around it that includes Queen Sita (shown in the image with Rama and Lakshmana) and her trials and tribulations.

Queen Sita shown with Rama and Lakshmana

Sita was exiled to the forest twice during her life, once abducted by Ravana and rescued and the second time abandoned by her husband Sri Ramachandra. She, as the daughter of the Bhumi Devi— the Earth itself felt rooted and one with it. In trying to overcome torment she stood beneath the trees breathing and focusing on a dhristi point.

This story tells us of Sita as the symbol of patience, standing firm in times of change, and growing from within, the trees stood with her until finally one day Rama sent Hanuman to find her. With many of the mythological stories, there are varying accounts of who killed who, who rescued who and what actually happened. Whatever happened does not impact the key point which is that the trees sheltered and stood with Sita as she stayed beneath them chanting and breathing as she endured hardships.

Benefits of Tree Pose

The tree pose creates knee and hip mobility, helps alleviate inflammation of the lower back, and releases any tension in the abdominal. It also improves your balance, posture, and concentration. It strengthens the ankles, tones the muscles of the legs, back and chest.

Yoga: Tree Pose Demo from The Mindful Soul Center

visit https://vimeo.com/400607333 to learn how to practice tree pose

Yoga How-to: Tree Pose

You can visit this link for a demo: https://vimeo.com/400607333Time: 05:41

Emphasises alignment of the head, spine and hips.

Improves:

balance, poise, posture, concentration increases, knee & hip mobility deepens, the chest cavity strengthens, the ankles tones the muscles of the legs, back and chest.

Join Amy for a free weekly yoga class every Wednesday visit the resources center at https://mindfulsoulcenter.vipmembervault.com or follow and like our Facebook page to get details every week: https://facebook.com/themindfulsoulcenter

Namaste!