Strengthen Your Roots with Tree Pose

Tree Pose or Vrksasana in Sanskrit (vrksa: tree, asana: pose), is a foundational yoga pose that accentuates our connection to the Earth. The name itself gives us a clue of what we should strive for when we’re in the pose: to root from our feet and grow from our spine and arms.

Vrksasana gives us a full-body stretch and strengthens our legs and arms. As a grounding and balancing pose, it improves our concentration. It’s one of the best and easiest poses to create stability in the body and mind.

1. Start in Tadasana. Bend your leg, flamingo-like, and place your foot on the side of your shins or your thigh. Never put it on your knee as this misaligns and puts pressure on the knee joint.
2. Open your knee but ensure your hips are aligned.
3. Raise your arms above your head and stretch upward while tucking the abs and tailbone.
4. If you’re struggling with balance, keep the tips of your bent foot on the floor and rest your heel above your ankle.

If today you want to find grounding through asanas, make sure your sequence has Tree Pose!