Make Your Yoga Creative: Tree Pose Challenge

The Tree Pose is the first pose that most yoga beginners learn. It targets your legs, core, and whole body balance. This pose strengthens your legs and core while opening your hips and stretching your inner thighs. It helps build better balance. Why do you need a better balance? A strong core and good balance help you stay active and healthy.

Add a little flair to your Tree Pose, allow it to move in a new way. The results will be unique: innovative, deep, joyful. Here are some ways to challenge your Tree Pose. The following variations refine balance and alignment, build strength.

1. Tree Pose With Eyes Closed

While in regular Tree Pose, or while trying one of the below variations, be active with your grounded leg and try to close your eyes. It helps you bring your awareness inward and focus on your breath, which can allow you to stay more balanced. Closing your eyes challenges your balance and changes your experience of the posture.

2. Twisted Tree Pose

Keep your left foot planted on your mat, open your right hip, and choose the placement of your right foot. It can be a block or your opposite inner thigh. Draw your hands together in prayer in from of you and find your balance. Then open your arms out to the side so they are parallel to the floor. Turn your palms up to feel more energized, or down to feel more grounded.

Keeping your lower body stable and hips square to the front, twist your upper body toward your bent leg. Notice how the energy of the twist changes your experience in the Tree Pose.

3. Stretch The Upper Back

Usually, in the Tree Pose, your palms are pressed together in front of your heart, or the arms are lifted overhead. For this third variation, cross one elbow over the other and then bring your palms together, just as in Eagle pose. This Tree Pose variation gives you a wonderful stretch for the upper back and shoulders.

4. Bending Tree Pose

Stand in Tree Pose. Extend both arms straight up to the sky. Drop the elbow of the bent knee down to the hip, palm facing up. Ground the outer rim of your standing foot as you begin to lean and stretch to the side. Use your core to lift out of the pose. Hug your knee back into your chest, then place the foot down. Then repeat on the other side.

5. Sage Tree Pose

The next time you’re in the side plank – Sage, balancing on your hand and the outside edge of your flexed foot, lift the leg that’s on top into the air, bend the knee, and come into Tree. This Tree Pose variation strengthens your upper body, core, and opens hips at the same time.

SOURCE:

Tree Pose – Challenge your balance – https://www.castleford-yoga.co.uk/2016/03/02/tree-pose-challenge-your-balance/