Tree pose or Vrikshasana ( sa, वृक्षासन, translit=vṛkṣāsana) is a balancing
asana
An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and later extended in hatha yoga ...
. It is one of the very few
standing poses in medieval
hatha yoga, and remains popular in modern
yoga as exercise
Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of postures, often connected by flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by breathing exercises, and frequently ending with relaxation lying down or meditation. Yoga in this form has ...
. The pose has been called iconic of modern yoga; it is often featured in yoga magazines, and practised in public displays such as for the
International Day of Yoga
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated across the world annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice which originated i ...
.
Etymology and origins
The name comes from the Sanskrit words () meaning 'tree', and () meaning 'posture'.
A 7th-century stone carving in
Mahabalipuram
Mamallapuram, also known as Mahabalipuram, is a town in Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is o ...
appears to contain a figure standing on one leg, perhaps indicating that a pose similar to vrikshasana was in use at that time. It is said that
sadhu
''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. ...
s disciplined themselves by choosing to meditate in the pose.
The pose is described in the 17th century ''
Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā'' 2.36. More recently it has been called iconic of modern yoga; it is often featured in yoga magazines, and practised in public displays such as for the
International Day of Yoga
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated across the world annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice which originated i ...
.
File:Ganga Mahabalipuram2.jpg, Rock relief
A rock relief or rock-cut relief is a relief sculpture carved on solid or "living rock" such as a cliff, rather than a detached piece of stone. They are a category of rock art, and sometimes found as part of, or in conjunction with, ro ...
seems to show Vrikshasana at top left.
Description
The pose is entered from
Tadasana
Tadasana ( sa , ताड़ासन, translit=Tāḍāsana), Mountain pose or Samasthiti ( sa, समस्थिति; IAST: ''samasthitiḥ'') is a standing asana in modern yoga as exercise; it is not described in medieval hatha yoga te ...
. The most common form has one knee bent and the foot of that leg placed on the inner thigh of the standing leg; alternatively, the bent leg may be placed in
half lotus
Lotus position or Padmasana ( sa, पद्मासन, translit=padmāsana) is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha y ...
position. The hands are held above the head, either pointed directly upwards and unclasped, or clasped together in
anjali mudra '' (Devanagari: अञ्जली; अंजली) is a Sanskrit word that means " divine offering". It is not only a given name, but also the name given to the greeting between Hindus, Buddhists and other religions on the Indian subcontinent: ha ...
.
File:The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju performing Yoga, on the occasion of the 3rd International Day of Yoga – 2017, in Gangtok, Sikkim on June 21, 2017 (2).jpg, The Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju
Kiren Rijiju (born 19 November 1971) is an Indian politician from Arunachal Pradesh who serves as the Cabinet Minister of Law and Justice in the Government of India.
Early life
Rijiju was born on 19 November 1971 at Nakhu near Nafra in West K ...
, in a public yoga session on the 3rd International Day of Yoga
The International Day of Yoga has been celebrated across the world annually on June 21 since 2015, following its inception in the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual practice which originated i ...
in Gangtok
Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the largest populated place of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also the headquarters of the East Sikkim district, Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an e ...
, Sikkim, 21 June 2017
File:USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) 140720-N-CS564-302 (14711440211).jpg, A US Navy yoga display on the flight deck of USS ''George H.W. Bush'', using Vrikshasana and Natarajasana
Natarajasana ( sa, नटराजासन, translit=Naṭarājāsana), Lord of the Dance Pose or Dancer Pose is a standing, balancing, back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is derived from a pose in the classical Indian dance form B ...
, 2014
Variations
In
Bikram Yoga
Bikram Yoga is a system of hot yoga, a type of yoga as exercise, devised by Bikram Choudhury and based on the teachings of B. C. Ghosh, that became popular in the early 1970s. Classes consist of a fixed sequence of 26 postures, practised in a ...
, Tree pose (which it calls "Tadasana") has one leg folded in half lotus and the hands together over the chest in prayer position. It is followed by bending the straight leg into a squatting position (called Toe Stand or "Padangushtasana" in Bikram Yoga) with the heel raised and the thigh resting on the calf and heel, the other leg remaining in half lotus.
The pose may be modified according to the practitioner's ability to balance. The hands may be held apart, either straight up or out at an angle, or lowered into prayer position in front of the chest. Or, one heel can be raised and placed against the shin of the standing leg, if necessary keeping the toes on the ground. Another option is to stand beside a wall and place one hand on it. Alternatively, the pose can be practised reclining on the floor, if need be
with a block under the bent knee.
File:Vrksasana.jpg, A group practising outdoors
File:Breath yoga with Shaymaa.jpg, Variant with one leg in half lotus
Lotus position or Padmasana ( sa, पद्मासन, translit=padmāsana) is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha y ...
File:Padangushtasana, Heinz Grill 1992 (cropped).jpg, Heinz Grill
Heinz Grill is a German mountaineer, author, and yoga teacher. He has opened many new climbing routes in the Alps and Dolomites.
In 1977 he won the Golden Carabiner award from the German Alpine Club. In 2012 he shared the Silla Ghedina prize fo ...
in Padangushtasana,
Toe Stand
Applications
Tree pose has been recommended for older people to help them maintain good balance and so to reduce the risk of injury from falls.
There is preliminary evidence that a yoga programme including tree pose may help to prevent falls among older people.
See also
*
List of asanas
An asana is a body posture, used in both medieval hatha yoga and modern yoga. The term is derived from the Sanskrit word for 'seat'. While many of the oldest mentioned asanas are indeed seated postures for meditation, asanas may be standing, sea ...
References
Sources
*
*
{{Hatha yoga
Standing asanas
Medieval Hatha Yoga asanas
Asymmetric asanas