Trees are patient creatures. They live a long, quiet time, and they know how to stand firm through all the changes of day and night, climate and season.
Trees appear throughout Indian sacred literature as symbols of the universe and as organic links between God and the individual. In this pose, imagine yourself as both Sita and the tree.
Sita, abducted and held captive, draws strength and comfort from nature. Contact with the earth helps her focus on Rama—who is, of course, not only her husband but God, the personification of ultimate value. Her body may be constrained, but her mind is free.
Vrksasana: Tree Pose reminds us to grow our roots along with our fruits. If a tree only grows fruit, it will become top heavy and fall over. If we focus only on external indicators of success, we will ultimately do the same. As your new year gets into full swing and you are sending your energy outwards towards your goals, remember to send some of it back inside, send some of it inward and down- where no one can see it. Send it where it will truly support you, where it will stabilize you and catch you when you sway.
Have you been in a situation where there was overwhelming pressure to accept a way of life or a set of values that fought with your own deeply held sense of what is right? What helped you to regain and maintain your equilibrium? Perhaps you were in a difficult situation you weren't able to leave. Where did you find mental freedom? Did nature help?
The tree, patient, stable, and deeply rooted, offers shelter to the one who takes refuge beneath its branches, back snuggled firmly against its trunk.
Benefits of vrikshasana (tree pose) include improved balance and stability in the legs, feet, and pelvis—and also the emotions. Practice this pose when life makes you feel off balance, or when you have been moving too much.
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