ONE LEG STANDING BALANCE: KNEE BENT TO THE SIDE

Tree Pose

Vrikshasana

(vrik-SHAHS-uh-nuh)
Also Known As: Upward Hands Tree Pose (Urdhva Hasta Vrikshasana) or Pose Dedicated to Royal Sage Bhagiratha
(Bhagirathasana)
Pose Type: standing one-legged balance, mild backbend
Drishti Point: Angusthamadhye or Angustha Ma Dyai (thumbs)

How to Perform the Pose:

1. Begin by standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana). Engage your mula bandha, uddhiyana bandha,
   and ujjayi breathing. Find a still point on the floor to keep your gaze on. This will help you find
   and keep your balance.


2. Inhale and bring your weight onto the right foot. Exhale as you bend your left knee, and bring it out

to the left side, opening the inside of your left hip. Keep your hips leveled and parallel to the floor

(don’t let your left hip go higher than your right). Keep the lower abdomen engaged to take out the

compression (the arch) in the lower back.

3. Exhale as you place the sole of your left foot to the left calf muscle. Make sure the toes of your left

foot are pointing to the floor.

4. On the next exhale, grab onto the left ankle with your left hand and slide the left foot up to the

inside of your left thigh, keeping the toes of the left foot pointing to the floor. Avoid putting

pressure on your right knee. Make sure to keep the left knee out to the side as you open the inside

of your left hip.

5. Inhale as you reach both arms up over your head, fingertips pointing up to the sky. Keep them

straight and shoulder-width apart. Make sure to lengthen your neck and keep your shoulder blades

down your back.

6. Exhale and bring your gaze to your thumbs (Pose #1). You can experiment with rolling your head
   all the way back, feeling the stretch in the front of your neck (Pose #2).


7. If your shoulders are open, the neck is long, and your breathing is not constricted, you can bring
   your palms together on the exhale and look at your thumbs (Pose #3). With your palms pressed
   together, you can also experiment with rolling your head all the way back, feeling the stretch in the
   front of your neck (Pose #4).


8. Hold the pose for at least 30, and up to 90, seconds in order to receive the full benefits of the
   stretch. Exhale as you release the pose, come back to Mountain Pose (Tadasana), and repeat on
   the other side.