Yoga Pose of the Month
Tree Pose
Sanskrit: Vrksasana
First Image courtesy of YogaJournal.com
Photo of Maggie Anderson taken by Morayo Sayles
Tree pose
is one of the most common poses folks have already seen whether they've
practiced yoga or not. It's a perfect pose for working with
concentration, balance and going inward. Keep challenging yourself with
this pose. This pose is great to come into after you've done a few good
hip opener warm-ups, like Warrior II.
I love this pose for the meditation I receive. It's great to close your
eyes to mess with your balance. You know it's all in the mind. Tree
pose's physical benefits are that it's great for strengthening the
thighs, calves, ankles, and spine. It's also great for stretching the
groins and inner thighs, as well as the chest and shoulders. Not only
that this pose relieves sciatica and reduces flat feet.
Then
take your hands to your heart for Namaste or Anjali Mudra. Or you can
raise your hands up to the sky in Temple Mudra (hands clasped with index
fingers pointing pressed together) or lastly you can take your arms up
straight and out to the sky for branches.
Bliss, Maggie CYT, RMT, CSC, CPLC
Empowering you through Yoga, Healing & Workshops
........................
www.SpiritualCompassConnection.com
www.facebook.com/maggiesbliss
"Follow Your Bliss. It's Your Spiritual Compass."
Tree Pose
Sanskrit: Vrksasana
First Image courtesy of YogaJournal.com
Photo of Maggie Anderson taken by Morayo Sayles
Tree pose
is one of the most common poses folks have already seen whether they've
practiced yoga or not. It's a perfect pose for working with
concentration, balance and going inward. Keep challenging yourself with
this pose. This pose is great to come into after you've done a few good
hip opener warm-ups, like Warrior II.
I love this pose for the meditation I receive. It's great to close your
eyes to mess with your balance. You know it's all in the mind. Tree
pose's physical benefits are that it's great for strengthening the
thighs, calves, ankles, and spine. It's also great for stretching the
groins and inner thighs, as well as the chest and shoulders. Not only
that this pose relieves sciatica and reduces flat feet.
Directions on how to come into the pose:
From Tadasana, while getting very grounded, begin by shifting your weight to your balancing leg, we'll start with your left leg. So balancing on your left foot and leg, keeping all four corners of your feet firmly into the Earth, than come onto your right toes and balance your right heel on your left ankle, splaying out the right bent knee. This is a beginning pose for tree. If that is not challenging enough for you, you can then raise your right foot and place the bottom of your right foot on the left inner calf. Never balance on the knee directly, this could cause injury. To take this up a notch, grab your right ankle and bring the sole of your right foot to press firmly into the left inner thigh (as shown in the image). If possibly, try to get the right heel close up to the groin and toes will point towards the floor. Think good posture here.
From Tadasana, while getting very grounded, begin by shifting your weight to your balancing leg, we'll start with your left leg. So balancing on your left foot and leg, keeping all four corners of your feet firmly into the Earth, than come onto your right toes and balance your right heel on your left ankle, splaying out the right bent knee. This is a beginning pose for tree. If that is not challenging enough for you, you can then raise your right foot and place the bottom of your right foot on the left inner calf. Never balance on the knee directly, this could cause injury. To take this up a notch, grab your right ankle and bring the sole of your right foot to press firmly into the left inner thigh (as shown in the image). If possibly, try to get the right heel close up to the groin and toes will point towards the floor. Think good posture here.
Then
take your hands to your heart for Namaste or Anjali Mudra. Or you can
raise your hands up to the sky in Temple Mudra (hands clasped with index
fingers pointing pressed together) or lastly you can take your arms up
straight and out to the sky for branches.
It's helpful to focus or
gaze on a point that is not moving slightly in front of you. Hold this
pose for 30 seconds to a minute. Slowly come out. Shake it out and come
back to Tadasana, center and lengthen. Take this to the other side.
To challenge yourself more
in this pose, close your eyes and find your balance and center again.
Another way to challenge yourself in this pose is to take your balancing
foot onto a block. If you entire foot is too big for the block, have
your toes hang off the block so that you can keep the ball of the foot
and the heel balancing on the block.
When not to do this pose or to modify / Contraindications:
Headache, Insomnia, Low blood pressure and for High blood pressure just don't raise your arms overhead.
Headache, Insomnia, Low blood pressure and for High blood pressure just don't raise your arms overhead.
Bliss, Maggie CYT, RMT, CSC, CPLC
Empowering you through Yoga, Healing & Workshops
........................
www.SpiritualCompassConnection.com
www.facebook.com/maggiesbliss
"Follow Your Bliss. It's Your Spiritual Compass."
Finally, it's no more excuses time. A good resolution to have this year. This year there's no more
excuses. And I find it quite coincidental that this is also the theme for this year's brand new season of The Biggest Loser. No excuses. There comes a time when you've heard it all and the pattern
is still continuing. If there is no change, you can either change your perspective in a situation or you
can change the situation. In this case, the perspective was sought but an actual physical action was to
be taken. I had to take back my power that was being taken from me. A part of me must have allowed it
and for far too long. So I had to put my foot down in an ever so graceful kind of way. Yes, we all go
through struggles and what needs to be understood is we are NOT THE VICTIM. We are the creator! So
we must take responsibility and move from the powerful neutral state of a centered being.
Dear Lorna, 
Cowface with a Twist 
From
a seated position, take your right knee to the center line of your mat
being. Then take your left bent knee and stack it over the right knee.
Be mindful to keep feet on either side of your hips. A great way to get
those knees to stack over each other is to push into them with your
hands, taking one hand to one knee and another to other knee and
pressing them inward so that they stack better. This may also help you
in being sure your sits bones are on the mat. If getting your sits bones
on to stay on the mat is challenging you can take a folded blanket
under your sits bones so that you can get them pressing down equally.
From here inhale and elongate the spine, good posture. Place arms at
your sides and begin to hinge forward at the hips while maintaining a
straight back. Give yourself an extra stretch here. Elongate the back of
the neck, in alignment with the spine. 
