How to do Vrikshasana / The Tree Pose: Cautions & Benefits

by Nikitha · July 27, 2015

Yoga asana is excellent for keeping your body healthy and to ward off various diseases that you may contact. You become more aware of your body, mind and soul by practicing yoga asana regularly. This keeps you energetic and active throughout the day. Thus you will be able to do your daily tasks more efficiently. You can choose yoga asana according to your health and capacity.

Simple yoga asanas are for the beginners. They are easy to do and anyone can do them without any strain. Intermediate and advanced yoga asanas are little more complex and not very easy to do. only those who are well versed on yogs asanas can do them. Some of the yoga asanas for the beginners are Dandasana, Vajrasana, Padmasana, Ardhapadmasana, Tadasana and so on. Vrikshasana (Vriksha-asana) is also a pose meant for the beginners. Vriksa means tree in Sanskrit language, while asana means pose. Therefore Vrikshasana is also referred to as the tree pose. Often this asana is done to warm up your body; so that you can move on to do more difficult poses.

Step By Step Instructions to do Vrikshasana:

Stand straight on the floor in Tadasana, with your hands raised up straight in the air. Stretch your torso and the arms.
Now you have to shift some of your body weight to your left leg and keep your left leg firmly on the floor.
Now inhale deeply and bend your right knee. Let it stay in that way for a while and then hold the right ankle with your right hand.
At the same time, move your right foot upwards, so that the sole of your right foot is pressed against the inner part of your left thigh.
Keep the heel of your right foot pressed against the inner part of the left groin. The toes of your right foot should point towards the floor.
As you do this pose, make sure that your pelvis is straight. Let your hands rest on the rims of the pelvis.
Now stretch your torso well and press your right foot against the left thigh as if resisting the pressure from the outer side of the left thigh.
Next you have to stretch your hands up in the air and then bring both your hands in front of your chest. Fold them in the prayer position or the Anjali mudra.
Look upwards and then remain in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Breathe deeply.
Now you can get back to the Tadasana pose.
Repeat the same with the other leg.
Repeat this asana about 5 to 10 times per day.

Precautions You Must Take While doing Vrikshasana:

If you suffer from severe headaches frequently, you must not practice this exercise. Those who face sleeping problems like insomnia are also advised not to attempt this pose. People suffering from low blood pressure or high blood pressure must also refrain from doing such asanas. If you have high blood pressure, you must not raise your hands over your head for too long as this may affect your heart and there is risk of heart attack. In such cases, you can place your hands on your chest, where the thymus glands are present. This helps in activating them. If you face any problems while you do Vrikshasana, you may consult a qualified yoga teacher and take his advice or take the advice of your doctor.

Health Benefits of Vriksha-Asana Pose:

Practicing Vrikshasana regularly helps in making your lower limps strong, especially the thighs, calves, ankles and the spine.
This asana provides a good stretch to your shoulders, thighs, groin and the chest.
By stretching the chest, this pose helps in improving the functioning of the heart and increases heart rate. Blood circulation in the heart is also increased by doing this asana.
If you have excess of fat stored in your arms and the shoulders, you can reduce it by doing this pose.
Kids are also greatly benefited by doing this pose. It improves the body posture of the kids and they are able to balance their body well. They can get taller by doing Vrikshasana.
Since you have to stand on one leg when doing this pose, it helps in maintaining good balance of the body. It is also good for your posture.
You can prevent flat feet by doing Vrikshasana regularly. It also protects you from sciatica pain, which is caused by the sciatica nerve.
Doing this pose regularly increases your concentration power as well as your self-confidence.
This asana is great for relaxing your mind and providing you peace of mind.

Many of you may find it difficult to balance your body on one foot in the beginning. In that case you can touch the wall with one of your fingers for support. After practicing for a while, you will be able to balance your body well without any support. Similarly, as you rest your foot against the inner side of your thigh, it may slip down no matter however you try. So, to prevent your foot from sliding down, you can keep a folded sticky yoga mat between your raised foot and the thigh. This will prevent the foot from sliding down as you perform this exercise.

Now that you have seen various benefits of Vrikshasana, practice it daily at home and see the difference it brings to your personality and your health. Once you learn to do this pose well, you can do it as a warm up exercise and proceed to more difficult and advances yoga poses.