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Tree Pose/Vrksasana

4/24/2023

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Vrksasana, or Tree Pose, is one of the most popular and well known yoga postures. It is primarily a balance pose. Like a tree, we must root down through the standing leg as we grow tall. Any time you are balancing on one foot, it is important to keep the standing leg strong with the thigh muscle engaged and to find a “drishti” or non-moving focal point. Both will help stabilize the pose.

Sanskrit:
Vrksasana (vrik-SHAH-sah-nah)
Vrksa = the trunk of a tree; asana = pose 


Benefits:
Tree pose strengthens, stretches and stabilizes the body from the feet up through the shoulders.  It helps develop and improve concentration, balance, and posture.

How to Practice:
  1. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) with your feet parallel and hip-width apart. Place your hands on your waist.
  2. Shift your weight onto your left foot. Lengthen your left leg. Focus your gaze at a spot on the floor in front of you or on the wall across the room.
  3. Bring your right foot to the inside of your lower left leg, below the knee, or use your hands to bring it up to the inside of your left thigh, above the knee. Press your right knee back toward the wall behind you and down. Press your right foot into the left leg. Avoid placing the foot on the knee joint. 
  4. Level your hips. Tilt your pelvis to neutral, engaging your abdominals and lengthening your low back.
  5. If you are feeling stable, reach out through your fingertips as you raise your arms into a V position overhead, like a tree's branches reaching up toward the sun. Keep your arms extended just outside the ears. Lengthen through the waist, and keep drawing your shoulders back and down.
  6. Press down through the supporting leg, and reach up through the crown of the head to lengthen the spine.
  7. Draw your bent knee back and down. Square your hips to the front and adjust them so they are the same height.
  8. Inhale a little taller, and then to release, reach out through your fingertips, and exhale as you lower your arms to your sides. Guide your lifted leg to the ground and balance on both feet. Rest, and repeat on the other side.
Variations:
  • Keep the hands on the waist.
  • Place your heel on the inner leg with toes on the ground “like a kickstand.”
  • Place your foot on a block.
  • Practice with your hands on a chair back or near a wall to steady yourself.
Precautions:
Check with your healthcare provider before beginning any physical practice. If you have heart disease or high blood pressure or if you are struggling to balance, keep your hands on your waist or in anjali mudra (prayer position) at the chest throughout the posture. As always, if a posture causes pain, come out of it immediately. Ask a qualified yoga teacher for assistance.
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Muladhara - The First Chakra

4/10/2023

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We live in a culture where we pay more attention to our gross anatomy (those parts visible to the naked eye) than we do to our subtle body. In this context, I am speaking of the physical parts of us—muscle and bone, organs, blood, skin, etc. If you’ve been a student of yoga for a minute, though, you know that yoga is concerned with more than just the physical body.

In yogic philosophy, we are composed of three bodies; the physical, the subtle, and the causal. The subtle body, also known as the astral body, includes energy, mind, and intellect.

Nadis are channels for energy in the subtle body, much like veins and arteries are channels for blood to move through the physical body. Chakras are “wheels” of energy created where the energy channels intersect. We have seven major chakras (pronounced with the “ch” sound, not the “sh” sound) in our subtle body. Each chakra is associated with a different element, sense, sound, color, gland, and part of the body as well as having a core psychological focus.

This post is an introduction to muladhara, the first chakra. Muladhara means root support. It is located at the base of the spine, and includes the legs, feet, and eliminatory system. The element associated with muladhara is earth, and it is associated with a sense of being grounded or rooted and feeling secure and stable. When our life seems out of control and our basic needs are threatened, we will be out of balance in this energy center. For instance, if we have financial difficulties, are going through career or relationship instability, or lose our connection to our close friends or family. To help balance muladhara, spend time outdoors, literally on the earth, walking, hiking, or gardening. Consider a grounding massage, drumming, or resting under a weighted blanket.

In our yoga practice, we can focus on strong standing postures, such as tadasana (mountain) and utkatasana (chair pose).

When you experience physical issues in the feet, legs, or with digestion, consider that it may be more than just your physical body. It could be your energy body sending you a message that you need to stand up for yourself and find more stability and security in your life.
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    Dena D. Beratta

    Honored to teach, but always a student.

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