Why we need good balance and trust in our ability to hold it.

The tree pose is deceptively simple, standing on one leg can’t be that hard, can it? As you start exploring your tree pose you, will find staying focused and centred is challenging depending on how you feel on the day you are practicing. Give your mind the space it needs by taking a tree pose during a break away from your desk or house work. By fixing the eyes on one point and becoming very still physically, the mind becomes still too. Once you are able to stand strong in your tree rooted and with ease, you can start widening the view of the eyes to include the peripheral vision – notice how that helps broaden your thinking and awareness. If you have been practicing the tree pose for a while now and find it less challenging, you can always start closing your eyes once you are settled and notice how this affects your stability and your feelings.

Explore different arm positions, the options are endless once you have grown aquatinted to the classic options. If you know your balance system is not well trained, stand very close the a wall with your back to give you support if you need it. you can also do the tree lying on your back, it will help you feel the positioning of the body but take out the balancing aspect which you will want to get in there as soon as you are ready.

Give yourself time to grow your tree from a low foot position and a short hold with arms by your side to a large tree with a high leg and fancy arms, there is always something new to experience you just have to let it happen.

Working on your balance on a regular basis can help prevent falls as you get older. If you haven’t tested your balance in a while, this pose is a good way to find out where you are at. You’ll notice if you used to be able to balance well and do fancy things when you were younger and then just had life get in the way, it’ll take a little time to trust yourself to be able to balance again. I love teaching balancing exercises in my core classes as, it helps switch on all the core stabilisers, especially when I start adding movement to standing on one leg.

As you are practicing your tree pose you will also improve your neuromuscular coordination which is basically the communication between your brain the muscles. Many studies have shown balancing exercises can reduce not only the odds of falling, but the chance of sustaining fall related injuries. Many people are not aware that balance is a key component of fitness, alongside strength, speed, endurance, mobility and flexibility. Single leg exercises or poses can help you to develop better body awareness. The sense of how your arms and legs are oriented in space is known as proprioception. Alongside proprioception, you also train coordination. To be able to balance well, the body needs to coordinate all the muscles to play together to get full joint stability which then equals balance as you maintain your centre of gravity over the standing leg.

 

 

Tree pose/ Vrkshasana

Benefits of this exercise:
– strengthens feet, ankles, knees, front of thighs, glutes, hip flexors (iliopsoas), abdomen, back, chest, shoulders if arms are up
– stretches hip, inner thigh
–  teaches the body to establishing pelvic stability
– emotional grounding, stability and security
– stimulates proprioception and balance
– Improves focus/ concentration

Outcome:
– improves posture and alignment
– increases strength and stability through out the legs, back and core
– helps to achieve balance in other aspects of life
– builds self-confidence and esteem
– can help with flat arches
– balance, compassion & self-acceptance
– may help with some cases of sciatica
– helps relieve symptoms of stress mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue
– it also helps with melancholia, fears concerning loneliness, commitment and/ or betrayal

 

Contradictions/ Precautions:
– people suffering from acute head ache, ankle, knee or groin/ hip injuries, high or low blood pressure. Anyone who had a hip replacement needs to consult with their surgeon. Any medical conditions that affect balance. Insomnia.

Counter pose:

Tadasana/ Mountain pose

 

Affirmations or Mantras to go with this movement:

1) “I am grounded, stable, and standing on my own feet.”

2) “I am open to possibilities.”

3) “I am appreciate all the challenges that helped me to grow and transform.”

4) “I trust myself.”

 

Once you have finished your Tree practice, spend a short time in Mountain pose – maybe with Pranamasana – prayer hands appreciating the body supporting you in your balance challenge.

See if you can improve your balance by taking a tree pose several times a week observing how it becomes easier and how your confidence grows as your body gets to know the pose better each time.

As you practice the Tree pose, you want to focus on letting the hip of the leg that is up open whilst keeping just a little engagement in the abdominals to support the back.  Take note on which part of the pose feels challenging? Is it the getting into the pose or the holding?  Pay attention to your breath, let it be slow and deep as you explore your tree pose.
As you know, yoga practice should  never be painful, if you feel pain, stop. Continuing will not get you any progress because the muscles in the area will tighten to protect you from injury or aggravation.

It’s ok if this pose is not right for you today, try it again another time when you feel more ready.

Above all make paying attention to your body the primary focus when practicing yoga. Honour your body, it communicates with you constantly – to be well or get well you need to listen and adapt how you treat your body – value and respect your body it’s the only one you have.

Don’t forget, you can pick one of the Affirmations above that resonates with you to repeat whilst you practice; to help you stay focused and work on the mind at a deeper level as you work on your root chakra.

 

A couple of questions you can ask yourself:

Is there an area in your life where you do you not feel safe and secure? What makes you feel secure?

Do you trust that life supports you? How could you open eyes to the possibilities of life?

How do you connect with your physical body? How can you support your physical body?

 

I hope you love the balancing challenge for the tree pose and the benefits it can have. (Did you spot the cat/s?)

Take a moment to think if there is anything you would like to know more about or would like to address, drop me an email and let me know.

I love hearing how you get on with these weekly poses.

Namaste

Marie