Vrksasana (Tree Pose)

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Ground evenly through the four corners of each foot.
• Now draw the inner legs upward strongly towards the groins while simultaneously lengthening down through the outer legs.
• Keep the shoulder blades firmly drawn into the back ribs.
• Keeping your hands by the hips, look down to see the line of the navel and pubic symphisis. It must be pointing straight at the mid point on the floor between the two feet.
• Now start to slowly shift weight on to the left foot, until you see the line of the pubic symphisis exactly over the middle of the left foot.
• Staying here, strongly draw in the left outer thigh.
• Keeping the left foot steady, now look forward, and keep the eyes steady on a point in front of you.
• Keeping the left inner foot firm and still, and eyes and head steady, bend your right knee. Reach slightly down and clasp your right ankle with your right hand.
• Draw the foot as high up as possible towards the left groin.
• Reaffirm the drawing upward and inward of the left outer thigh, keeping the inner foot firm. Remember, the left leg is now the main trunk of your tree.
• Listening to your hands by the hips, use your manas to feel the orientation of the pelvis. Let the left hand slightly pull back the left pelvis, even as you slightly push forward the right.
• Now actively draw the right outer thigh downward towards the floor, even as you strongly draw the left outer leg backward towards the wall behind. Stretch gently from the right groin towards the inner knee.
• You may now feel the tail bone naturally drawing inward towards the pubis.
• Extend upward through the heart, activating the upward current in your spine.
• Now maintaining all these, slowly take a namaste position at the heart.
• If you feel balanced here, then let your tree grow taller, by taking the arms upward, and merge the palms right over the head, in line with the crown.
• Now as a tree you can either keep the eyes steady on a point at eye level, or you may look upward to see the orientation of your higher branches- the inner arms, outer wrists, etc. Drawing the inner arms gently backward, joint the outer hands fully.
• Now steady your gaze at the back of the thumbs
• Stay from 30 sec to 1 minute, then repeat on the other side

Benefits

• Strengthens the ankle joint, calves and thighs.
• Stretches the groins and inner thighs.
• Improves focus and balance.