Vrikshasana Benefits and Steps to do Tree Pose

Vrikshasana Benefits and Steps to do Tree Pose

It is an old saying that health is wealth, and once it is gone, it stands a very small chance of coming back. One of such kinds of health is mental health, which often gets neglected since we are all busy fulfilling our obligations. If the mind is neglected for too long, there is a good chance that one will develop severe mental health consequences in the long run. However, there is a particular Yoga asana that can help you keep such things from getting to you. It is known as the Vrikshasana, or the tree pose. This article will tell you all about tree pose, if you would like to practise it or just simply satisfy your curiosity for the same. 

Vriksha: Tree   Asana: Pose

What is Vrikshasana or the Tree Pose

Also known as the Tree Pose, the Vrikshasana is one of the more complicated Yoga poses known to man, as it does require a fairly decent amount of flexibility and body awareness. Hence, Vrikshasana aka the tree pose should ideally be only practised by Yogis who are at intermediate level or up. 

Allegedly discovered on a 7th century stone tablet depicting a human figure standing in a similar position in Mahabalipuram, the Vrikshasana is a pose about focus, body awareness, flexibility as balance. The pose gets its name due to the fact that at the final position, the yogi’s shape resembles that of an upright tree.

How To Do Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose

In order to perform the Vrikshasana pose correctly, follow the steps mentioned below:

Vrikshasana Step 1: Stand straight on either a mat or on the floor with your feet 2 inches apart.

Vrikshasana Step 2: Focus on a point right in front of you keeping your head straight and gaze right in front

Vrikshasana Step 3: Breathe out and while doing so, raise and bend your right leg. Post that, place your right foot onto either on the right side of your left thigh or on the portion of the calf right underneath it. As a rule, avoid placing the foot onto the side of your knee.

Vrikshasana Step 4: Inhale and bring your arms in a Namaste position over your head. Make sure that your hands are in alignment with the middle section of your chest.

Vrikshasana Step 5: Maintain normal breathing, raise your arms in the position mentioned above right above your head and try to stay in this position for between 10-30 seconds or more if you can hold without losing your balance.

Vrikshasana Step 6: Exhale and bring your arms down and back to the starting position. Make sure that you bring your leg to the starting position as well.

Vrikshasana Step 7: Repeat the above steps one more time to complete one repetition of Vrikshasana, but this time around, use your left leg or the other leg.

What Are The Benefits Of Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose

Some of the benefits of the Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose are as follows:

Helps you boost your self confidence: Believe it or not, Vrikshasana tend to notice a positive kind of increase in their self confidence and image. The yoga pose in question is able to achieve the same by activating the calmness response and deactivating the stress response.

Helps you gain more body stability: Practitioners of the Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose challenge some of the muscle groups responsible for bodily stability while in position, especially when they fold their hands together in the Namaste position. Additionally, the position also activates the abductor group of muscles which goes a long way in terms of body stability in the long run.

Helps you fight depression and anxiety: Practising Vrikshasana directly reduces the level of a neurotransmitter called cortisol in your brain, elevated levels of which cause bouts of depression and anxiety of various degrees. Additionally, the pose also triggers the calming response in an individual.

Helps in concentration: Since the perfect execution of the Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose majorly depends on concentration, it helps the Yogi with their concentration levels. In fact, studies have also shown that it also elevates the concentration levels of individuals who suffer with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Increases flexibility levels: the practitioner of the Vrikshasana pose can take their flexibility levels to new heights over time if done regularly or as prescribed by a Yoga instructor, since it causes stretching and elongation of several muscles at once.

When To Practise Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose

Ideally, the Vrikshasana pose must be practised for a total of 5 times for each leg as a part of a yoga session. Ideally, the yogi must also try to take their time on one leg to one minute each. The position must also be ideally practised on a stomach and bladder that has been empty for at least 4 hours.

Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose contraindications

The following kinds of students should refrain from practising the Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose :

• People who have had their knees, hips or shoulders operated on. People who have undergone surgeries for any internal organs must also avoid this pose.
• People who have stability issues and suffer from conditions like vertigo.

• Given that the Vrikshasana needs the yogi to have a particular amount of strength, people with extremely weak leg muscles should also think twice before practising the pose.

People who lack body and breath awareness must also stay away from the Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose.

Anatomy of Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose

The anatomical exploration of the Vrikshasana reveals that the following group of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons get engaged:

• Muscles around the spine: Upon the completion of step 4, the first place where the practitioner will feel a stretch is the spine and the back muscles surrounding it. The stretching will eventually elongate the muscles and hence pave the way for a greater stature, a much more sturdy body frame and an upright posture.

• Shoulder blades: Regular practitioners have also noted an elongation of the shoulder blades which leads to a wider upper body frame and a V-shape physique, given that the latissimus dorsal muscles are also activated upon the completion of step 4.

• Arms: the Vrikshasana engages the two portions of each bicep and the three portions of each tricep just like how a set of bicep curls and reverse tricep pushdowns would do, causing the eventual microtears in them and an increase in their strength levels over time.

• Abdominal muscles: Since the Vrikshasana is all about body balance, one will feel a tremendous amount of contracting pressure in the abdominals, as it is the key to maintaining balance.

• The gluteus range of muscles: The Vrikshasana also stretches the gluteus maximus and minimus as well, which is great for the body’s overall posture. While it does so, it also puts a similar kind of pressure on your knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, PCL and LCL) as well as hamstrings.

Other places in which this Yoga asana works its magic are the abductor muscles, the quadriceps as well as hip bones, which open up over time with regular practice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Vrikshasana

Why is it called Vrikshasana?

The roots of the name Vriksasana can be found in Sanskrit. The breakdown the word is as follows:

Vriksha: Tree

Asana: Pose

Implying that the Vrikshasana pose gets its name from the fact that at full motion, the shape of the practitioner resembles that of a Tree or Vriksha.

What are the techniques of Vrikshasana?

Some of the alternative techniques of Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose are as follows:

• Vrikshasana with hands held in the Namaste position close to the chest.
• Vrikshasana with hands on the hips so that the upper body can get support while the lower body remains in a tree pose.
• Vrikshasana with hands on the ankle of the foot of the bent leg, in case the practitioner needs support.
• Vrikshasana with the foot on the calves of the opposite leg, in case pulling all the way up to the thighs seems challenging.
• Vrikshasana with the back against the wall, in case the practitioner is afraid of falling.

Who should not do Vrikshasana?

People who have sustained any kind of internal or external injuries or have got any kind of operations done from the neck down should avoid practising the Vrikshasana aka the Tree Pose. Additionally, people with conditions like vertigo, low breath-body coordination and weak muscles should refrain from performing this pose as well.

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