Vrikshasana

Understanding Asana and its importance

Vriksha + asana = Tree  Posture

Vrikshasana is a standing yoga posture in which the arms are raised overhead in namaskara mudra or the hands are in front of the chest. A posture in which a tree is depicted both physically and mentally.

Benefits

  • Leg-strengthening posture
  • Balancing Posture
  • It helps improve concentration.
  • It makes the legs strong, improves balance, and opens the hips.

Caution 

  • Improper posture: attempting the asana without stable and firm leg on the ground can topple you.

Anatomy

Physiology

Lower Limb Strength

Promotes postural integrity and Lower-body strength.

 

 

Spine 

Erect and lengthened strengthen’s the spine muscles

Promotes better Posture

Pulmonary capacity

Opening the chest improves pulmonary ventilation, enhances oxygen intake, and promotes better posture and lung capacity over time. This action facilitates greater lung expansion, creating space for high-volume inhalations.

Thoracic Cavity

The rib cage expands upward and outward, increasing the anterior-posterior and lateral dimensions of the thoracic cavity. Muscles of the thoracic cavity—especially the intercostal muscles, diaphragm, and accessory muscles of respiration—are gently stretched and engaged.

Diagnosis

What could stop me???

Notice

Which movements are increasing the discomfort? Visit a specialist and explain your body’s response to the actions. Information shared in this website is only for educational purpose.

Muscles

  • With weak leg muscles, one cannot stand on a single foot.
  • Weak adductor muscles will pull the folded leg, keeping it out of line with the body frame.
  • Drooping or weak spinal muscles will transfer the upper body weight on the legs/knees.

Joints and Body Structure

  • Knee pain could aggravate when trying to balance the body on a single leg. Strengthen the leg muscles so that they can hold the weight of the upper body onto the knee.
  • When raising the hands, beware of the shoulder joint impingement

Fascia

  • Unlike muscle and joint injuries, fascia adhesions tend to feel better with movement and also respond well to heat therapy, which helps bring back the tissue’s elasticity.
  • For some people, adhesions can worsen over time, causing the fascia to compress and contort the muscles it surrounds. This can result in hard, tender knots in the muscles, called trigger points

Posture

  • While in standing posture, leaning the legs too forward will take the spine into extreme lordosis.

Yogic Managment

A human being is not just the combination of body and mind but something beyond these restricted limitations. We address the health of a being in all these planes of existence. Instead of addressing the symptoms of a condition, an ancient holistic approach of Ayurveda & Yoga works on the root cause and builds a strong foundation.

Annamaya Kosha

Sharira

Physical Plane

Neck-shoulders

  • Shoulder depression and tilt on the opposite side
  • Shoulder rotations

Rotator cuff

  • Horizontal hand stretch to the opposite side
  • Weights Pull down, pull ups
  • Forearm and upperarm in 90 degrees.
    • Raising the hand in the frontal plane.
    • Moving the hand in the transverse plane. 

Open up the upper chest area

  • Pectoralis hand stretch 
  • Single hand raise for namaskara mudra – activate the armpit, shoulder blade, side trunk.

Spine

  • Adhomuka Swanasana
  • Shashankasana
  • Pawanamusktasana
  • Lumbar stretch
  • Setubandasana

Hip

  •  Single leg butterfly
    • Seated
    • Supine
  • Single leg 90 degree turn @ hip-foot
  • Stretched leg lateral movements

Upper Legs

  • Contraction and relaxation

Knee

  • Kneecap warming,forward -backwards, lateral movements

Lower Legs

  • Wall Push up with one leg flexed and placed near to the wall
  • Knee- lower leg rotations
  • Ankle dorsiflexion

Feet

  • Plantar flexion, dorsiflexion
  • Toes curl & stretch
  • Inversion & eversion
  • Rotations

 

Contra indications

Before attempting to work on the area or movement, understand its health. Some of us have specific health scenarios or conditions, that are strong reasons not to attempt the practice.

Take support and train yourself slowly and consistently

Take the support of chair or wall before attempting to perform a new movement. Donot be overwhelemd by people displaying strong and flexible movements. Donot compare yourself with others. Each one of has different body capacity and flexibility, each one trains different, takes nutrition different, then how can you expect the output to be the same.

Rest

Body has the innate ability to heal itself if given rest. Observe your body posture through out the day and correct if required. Relax your body and mind.

Hydro therapy

Cold water best works for inflammations. Hot water helps for pain relief.

Feet : One foot planted on the ground, other foot resting on the inner thigh of the other leg.

Knee : Align with the ankle, straight and pulled up. Donot push the other foot onto the knee. 

Buttocks : Pushing the muscles forward onto the quads to create firmness in the upper legs. Active posterior hip contraction with flexed knee.

Hips :  open one side with knee flexed, make sure the knee-thigh are inline with the frontal plane of the body.

Lower Body : Firm and stable

Lower back : Lifted up to accommodate the weight balance. Coming out of excess lordosis.

Chest : Lifted up

Shoulder : Rolled and pushed back, not elevated.

ArmPit : Opened and stretched from the side chest to the upper arm area   

Upper Back :  Shoulder blade area pushing forward onto the rib cage to create a dip.

Arms: Raised Up and behind

Hands: Namaskara mudra

Neck – Head : In line with shoulders.

Gaze: Single point focus at eye level. Don’t close

An anjali/namaskar mudra of the hands near the chest or over the head.

 

  1.  Foot placed on the inner side of the stretched leg, closer to the ground for balance. As the balance improves, you may reach higher closer to the inner thigh.
  2. Hand – wall support for balance.
  3. Hands could be stretched shoulder level laterally for balance, before attempting Namaskara mudra.

 

Other Koshas

With the hands joining, the prana flows in an uninterrupted loop. 

 

DHARANA

  • Trataka -Soft focus on single point in front of you at eye level
  • Japa Ajapa
  • Nama Rupa Dharana

 

CHAKRA

Visualize the energy flow from the center of the heart chakra i.e Anahata chakra to the rest of the body. With folded hands, an energy circuit is formed with undisputed prana flow.

 

MUDRA

Hands joining symbolizes oneness, humility, surrender, and reverence.

  • The symmetrical pressure from the right and left hands against each other is thought to balance the two sides of the body and mind.
  • By pressing the palms and fingertips together, you are activating sensory receptors in both hands. The hands communicate with the brain, stimulating both hemispheres and promoting bilateral brain activation. 
The left and right brain in yogic context:
In the yogic perspective, the balance created by the Namaskar mudra helps harmonize the dualities associated with the two brain hemispheres.
 
Aspect Left Hemisphere (Yin, Lunar) Right Hemisphere (Yang, Solar)
Associated with Logic, analysis, words, and linear thinking. Intuition, creativity, emotions, and non-linear thinking.
Yogic energy Ida nadi (the cooling, lunar energy channel). Pingala nadi (the heating, solar energy channel).
The Namaskar mudra helps to calm the nervous system by promoting alpha brain wave activity, which is associated with a calm and meditative state. By integrating the “logical” and “intuitive” sides, the mudra helps create inner harmony.
 

CHITA PRASADANAM

  • Goal: 
    The ultimate goal is to achieve mental stability and purity, which is necessary for progress in yoga and can lead to liberation (samadhi). 
     
  • Practice: 
    It involves cultivating a specific mental attitude towards four types of people:
    • Friendliness (Maitri): Towards those who are happy. 
       
    • Compassion (Karuna): Towards those who are suffering. 
       
    • Joyfulness (Mudita): When observing others who are virtuous. 
       
    • Indifference (Upeksha): Towards those who are causing harm. 

Recollect the wisdom of the seers 

Rooted to the Principles:

Guru Dattatreya took up to 24 individuals as his Gurus, since anything and everything was teaching something or the other.

Guru Dattatreya

May the representation of the tree enable me to remain deeply connected to the teachings of my elders, so that no adversity or challenges in my life can displace me from the principles of sanatana dharma.

Flourish:

A plant tries to grow even in the harshest environments, sometimes even in concrete, electrical poles, etc. May I inculcate the wisdom to grow out of any challenges and adversities I face.

Pure Intellect to work – Hamsa – separate water from milk

No mind /ego just the doing.

Dvaita to Advaita

No two, there is no seer or the seen, there is only the seeing.

Nishkama karma 

A tree unbothered about what its profits are provides shade, fruits, and flowers. It does so as its innate nature to be itself, growing and giving. May I inculcate that habit of nishkama karma, irrespective of the results of my actions.

Bhakthi Tanmayatvam

Krida

 

 

 

Bibliography

 

  2. https://www.rohitghai.com/vrikshasana/
  3. https://www.scribd.com/document/919574202/Namask%C4%81r-Mudr%C4%81
  4. <a href=”https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/cage” title=”cage icons”>Cage icons created by e.c – Flaticon</a>