Blog #17: The Posture Series/ Tree Pose

Tree Pose: Tadasana
"What Kind of Tree Would YOU Be?"

Dear Yogis:

This Month's Featured Yogi is Tammy Baggio

Benefits of This Posture:

• Improves balance and stability in the lower half of the body, including the legs, ankles and feet
• Helps to ground you to the unity and balance of the earth and universe
• Develops the ligaments and tendons of the feet
• Tones the buttocks
• Creates pelvic stability
• Opens the hips and knee joints
• Builds self-confidence and esteem

Tips For This Posture:

• Stand tall in Mountain pose with your toes and ankles touching, your pelvis perpendicular to the floor and relax your shoulders away from your ears.
• Open your chest.
• Begin by having your arms are by your side.
• Focus on one spot in the mirror, don't even blink you eyes. 
• Ground your weight through your left foot, especially focusing on the big toe joint, but also make sure your big toe is not scrunched and tensed up.
• Grab your right foot from underneath, with your left hand. 
• Right leg lifts up all the way until the heel is touching the costume, sole of the foot is foot of the ceiling. Be careful of the right knee. 
• Slowly, gently let your right knee come down.
• Make sure your hips are even.
• Then push your hips forward towards the mirror, and gently, push your right knee back.
• Try to get both knees in one line from the side to open your pelvis. 
• Avoid the temptation to sink into the hip of the standing leg. This can cause a potential injury and cause you to become structurally misaligned.
• Once you have established your balance, fold the hands in front of your chest in a prayer position.
• Gaze comfortably forward, keeping the chin neutral and neck comfortable.
• Remember to stretch your spine up to the ceiling and suck your stomach in. 
• Keep your balance and hold the posture until instructed to release. Remember to continue to breathe deeply through the nose, filling up the diaphragm on the inhalation and out through the nose on the exhalation. 
• Smile at your beautiful self in the mirror.
• Repeat with the left leg.

Something to think about while in Tree: For those visual learners out there ask yourself this question: "What Kind of Tree AM I?" and envision yourself as this tree, swaying, growing, blooming and  absorbing its natural environment. This visual technique may help you to gain further balance in this posture.

A link listed below for those who want to watch a how to video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rFF2h351vk

Growing On,

The little YogaGal