Tree pose or Vrksasana (pronounced as ver-sha-sa-na) is one of the first few balancing poses we learn in yoga.
How to do the Vrksasana
Standing at Tadasana, place your weight on the left foot, inhale to bend your right knee, using your left hand to hold the right ankle and place the sole of the right foot to the inner left thigh, as close to the groin as you can, ideally there should have no gaps. The higher the right foot is placed, the less you will sway like a tree.
Keep your gaze or dristi at eye level. Hips are squared and facing the front of the room, the bended right knee should face the side of the room. Spine and neck neutral, engage your core to keep the balance. Palms at heart centre as you inhale and raise them up to the ceiling.
Muscles at play
Hip
The iliacus and gluteus medius stabilise the hip joint in the standing leg .Hip flexors are active to lift the knee, hip extensions externally rotates and abducts. The balance of the pelvis results from the interplay of various muscles that move the hip, the adductors, abductors, extensors flexors and rotators.
Maintain balance
The adductor magnus and adductor minimus contracts to press right foot into the standing left leg.
The gluteus medius and minimus, piriformis, obturator internus, superior and inferior gemellus and tensor fasciar latae are in eccentric contraction to allow lateral shift of pelvis over the standing left foot for balance.
Right leg
The quadratus lumborum, psoas, rectus femoris and sartorius contribute to flexing, abducting and externally rotating the right leg.
The hamstrings activates to bend the knee, the adductor group presses the sole of the foot into the inner thigh of the standing leg, and the hip adductors, gluteals and deep rotators contract to draw the knee back and externally rotate the femus. The hip joint adducts without flexion to keep the right knee at the side.
Upper body
Move up the body to the back and balance the activation of the erector spinae and quadrates lumborum with that of the abdominal muscles on the front body.
Draw shoulder blades toward the midline and down the back. Then activate the pectoralis minor and serratus anterior muscles to lift the chest. Let the head drop back and enjoy the pose.
Cui Ling
200hr YTT Vinyasa Flow Weekend
