Vrksasana is usually among the first balance poses we all learned in yoga. For that reason alone it’s a pose that we tend to hold dear to our hearts.
But there are other good reasons too, such as the beautiful calming effect it has on the mind and the way it tends to bring sweet joyful memories of nature and the majesty of trees.
There are plenty of ways to vary the arms and the bent leg’s position to add variety and challenge and to discover new sensations. Allow yourself to be playful and try different varieties that lift your spirits.
Shifting the gaze can also be an interesting challenge. If you usually keep the gaze below eye level, try looking above the horizon or even raising the gaze towards the ceiling. It will definitely give you new edges to work with, creating surprising shifts in your balance.
Enter this pose thru tadasana (mountain pose), focusing on growing taller as you lift one foot off of the ground. It’s common to collapse into the standing leg and hip when moving into balance poses.
I find it beneficial to focus on my arches lifting while in tadasana and feeling that lift draw up to mula and uddiyana bandhas. Then when lifting one foot off of the ground remain focused on that “drawing upward” sensation that is created by the lift in the foot bandha, root lock and abdominal lock.
Below are some additional details about this asana…as usual, download the pdf of this tip sheet at the bottom of this post.
asana name = vrksasana
- vrksa = tree
- asana = seat
benefits
- Strengthens legs, ankles, feet and spine.
- Balance poses quiet the mind, inducing pratyahara (sense withdrawal).
- Great for strengthening arches.
- Stretches groin and shoulders.
contraindications
- High blood pressure (keep hands in anjali mudra)
- Low blood pressure
- Headache
- Late-term pregnancy
modifications
- Foot can rest on lower leg. Touch toes to floor is balance assist is needed.
- To build balance, use a wall/tree/partner/etc. as assist.
attitude
- Buoyant lightness
Conclusion
Tree is a classic pose that often reminds many of us of our first yoga experiences—it also deserves respect for the considerable benefits it brings to body, mind and spirit.
Once you’ve mastered a basic vrksasana, keep it fresh by shifting the gaze, changing the arm position or leg position and even trying it with eyes closed.
Playing with new edges builds your focus while also calming your mind.
What you can do next
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This is my favorite pose! But it sometimes causes my shins to cramp. Any ideas on how to prevent this? Thanks!
Aloha Morgan. Great question! I’m thinking that cramping shins in this pose may indicate that you’re working your toes/feet muscles to vigorously.
Before raising one foot off of the ground lift your toes (which activates the arch) then relax them onto the floor. Focus on grounding through the four corners of the feet (ball of the foot, base of pinky toe, two corners of the heel) and rising up through the inner thigh into mula and uddiyana bandhas.
Hopefully you’ll notice a lightness in the body which encourages you to not overwork the standing foot.
Also, build up to longer holds. It takes some time to build up the strength in the balance muscles of the foot and lower leg.
Hope this helps. Have fun playing with vrksasana and thanks for stopping by!
:o) tania
Great response, TJ!
I wanted to add that I’ve had MANY students mention cramping when they first started doing tree pose…but that it went away over time.
Lots of runners complain about it too…maybe a little calf/achilles stretch right before doing it would help.
❤️