Equilibrium and rejuvenate your body

angie pic
Want to feel balance and stable on your journey in life? Yoga is one of the best ways to achieve those needs. Vrikshasana know as tree pose is a beautiful pose that leads to balance while toning the muscles. This pose is not as easy as it looks, it requires inner and outer strength and you need to firmly grounded, just like a tree. Besides that, to balance, concentration on keeping the centerline with body straight and stable is very important. The best way done with eyes open and gaze the object in front of you.
To get into the pose
Firstly, stand in tadasana, shift your weight slightly onto your left foot, keeping your inner foot firmly grounded. Bend your right knee and reach down with your right hand and grasp the right ankle. Slowly draw your foot up and place the sole against your inner thigh. Press the right heel onto your inner left groin, pointing your toes toward the floor. The center of your pelvis should be directly over your left foot. Rest your hands on the pelvic area and assure your pelvic is in a neutral position, with the top rim parallel to the floor. Lengthen your tailbone toward the floor. Firmly press the sole of your right foot against your inner thigh while resting your outer left leg. Raise both arms over your head, keeping your elbows straight. Press your hands together, and gaze at a fixed point in front of you. Hold for at least 30 seconds to 1 minute. Exhale and step back into samasthiti. Repeat the action with your opposite leg.
Movement and targeted muscles group
Standing leg:
Knee (extension): Tibialis anterior, peroneal longus and extensor halluces
Hip (neutral): Rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis and tensor fascia latae
Pelvic: gluteus maximus and gluteus medius
Moving leg:
Knee (flexion): gastrocnemius and soleus
Hip (abduction and external rotation): gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, illiacus, psoas major,rectus femoris,vastus medialis ,adductor magnus, adductor minimus and piriformis
Lumbar:
Lower trunk (neutral): erector spinae, quadratus lumborum and multifidus
Abdominal (neutral): rectus abdominus and transversus abdominus
Upper limb:
Shoulder (abduction): Rhomboids, lower trapezius, middle trapezius, levator scapulae,
supraspinatus, deltoid (middle fiber and posterior fiber), infraspinatus, teres minor
Elbow (extension): triceps brachii and anconeus
Angie Wong
200 hrs YTT (Sep 2015, weekend class)