Om Yoga Magazine — January 2018

om body

This month’s asana improves your balance,

proprioception and spatial awareness.

An overview of...

Tree Pose (Vriksasana)

Detailed alignment

cues for Tree Pose

360

̊

yoga

Doctor

yogi

with

presents...

B

alance poses in yoga do not need to be about finding a rigid, perfectly still

position but can invite us to find an element of softness in our body and

mind that allows us to cope with the wobbles that will naturally arise. This

is also a very useful skill that we can take with us off the mat too.

Tree Pose is a combination of a balance and an external hip rotator and

is a great asana for building strength in our feet, ankles, inner thighs and core while

developing our focus and concentration.

Balance poses improve our balance, proprioception and spatial awareness.

ACTIVATE YOUR STANDING LEG

l Keep the mid-point of your ankle in line

with the base of your second toe

l Engage the inner arch of your foot by

lifting your toes off the mat, spreading

them and gently lowering them

l Draw your knee cap up to engage your

quadriceps but keep a micro-bend in your

knee to prevent it from locking

FOCUS YOUR GAZE

l Your focal point (drishti) is

at a fixed point in front of you

l You always have the option

to look wherever feels most

comfortable

ALIGN YOUR LIFTED LEG AND SQUARE YOUR PELVIS

l Bend the knee of your lifted leg in front of you and

move it out to the side

l Place the sole of your foot either above or below

the knee joint of your standing leg but not against the

joint itself

l Gently press the sole of your foot into your leg as

your leg presses back

l Allow your knee to move to a position in front of

you that allows both of your hip points to face forward

PLACE YOUR HANDS IN PRAYER

l Press your thumbs gently

against your breastbone

l Press the pads of your

finger tips together and notice

your chest broaden