I love Vrksasana because it always seemed so straight forward until you realise how many little things can either hinder or help your balance. It’s a bit like a duck swimming, all smooth sailing up top and going crazy under the water where we can’t see.
Tree pose isn't just a balancing pose, it is also a hip opener. What any yoga teacher will tell you is that our emotions are stored in the hips. This asana asks you to both trust yourself to find balance, and to embrace the emotions that may be released.
The key functional things about Vrksasana to remember are to:
Find your dristi (focus point to help you keep your balance)
Start with your foot low on the leg and slowly bring it up higher, but never leave it resting on the knee of your standing leg
Push your thigh into your foot, and your foot into your thigh
Keep your core tight and active!
Remember to keep your shoulders away from your ears
When finding your way into the asana ground your feet as though roots are shooting out of them and connecting to the earth's energy. Take power from this and keep that power throughout your legs, finding a moment at your hips. Use your breath to draw the energy up your core, and out through your hands, expelling anything negative through your hands.
With this in mind if you are feeling in a really positive place consider keeping your hands in prayer pose at your hearts centre, creating a field of energy between your hands, gently releasing it out to the universe as you rise your hands up to the sky.
Let the wind blow you whichever way it feels. If you stay rigid and resist your branches will break, if you dance with the breeze though they will always continue to grow.
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