Extended Tree pose

Extended Tree Pose.

by Steve Johansen, Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga

 

I love a balance pose and looking back over my previous articles, I found that the second column that I ever wrote was tree pose. Time, then to explain to you how to do that advanced version: Extended Tree Pose.

Tree pose has lots of variations, which require different levels of skill. Gardeners often say that there is a tree for every garden, as a yoga teacher, I feel that there is a tree pose perfectly suited to you! Dancing Tree, Willow Tree, Extended Tree Pose all challenge your balance, encouraging you to stand on one leg and focus on maintaining body alignment and even breaths. Dancing Tree is as it sounds a dynamic balance, akin to a tree swaying in the wind, Willow tree, as the name suggests encourages you to arch over. In my daily practice, I always include balance exercises, which are particularly important as we get older. I particularly enjoy Extended Tree Pose, which shifts the centre of balance in a playful and challenging way.

 

Where to start

•         Start in Tadasana (tah-DAHS-anna) or Mountain pose.
•         Standing tall, strong and immoveable like a mountain.
•         Strech your hands down to the floor, palms forward by the side of the hips.
•         Lift the crown of the head to the ceiling to stand as tall and strong as you can.
•         Relax your shoulders downwards, creating space between your shoulders and ears.
•         Find your Dristi, at eye hight in front of you to maintain your mental and physical focus.
•         Establish a long slow, steady even breaths.
•         Ideally with each inhalation find strength and on exhalation for ease and relaxation.

 

To get into Extended Tree Pose:

On your next inhalation:

•         Keeping the knees soft slowly transfer your weight into the four corners of your left foot.
•         Lift the right knee up level with your hip, keep you ankle under knee, flex your foot.
•         Hook the fingers of your right hand under the inside the right thigh just behind the knee.
•         Maintain your focus on your Dristi and the four corners of your left foot.  
•         Make sure that your weight hasn’t shifted to outside of your foot. If this has happened you have probably lifted your right hip.

 

On your next exhalation:

•         Keep your Dristi steady, your right arm straight to maintain the alignment of leg and torso.
•         Without twisting the hips, allow your right knee to turn outwards as far as you can.
•         Notice how this affects your centre of balance.
•         Keep your core strong and lengthen though the spine to help your balance.
•         Stretch your left arm outwards to counterbalance your right leg.
•         To challenge yourself further lengthen out your right leg.
•         Use your steady breath and Dristi to maintain your balance for 3 to 5 breaths

 

Come out of the pose on your next inhalation:

•         To come out of the pose, move one thing at a time, to help keep your balance.
•         Keeping the foot flexed bend your right knee, until the ankle is below the knee.
•         Lower the left arm back to your side.
•         Drawing your right knees to the front, pausing before lowering your foot to the floor.

 

I like to hold Extended Tree Poses for 3 to 5 long, slow breaths. This involves using inhalation to achieve strength and steadiness, and exhalation to calm the mind. Balancing on one leg while extending the other out to the side helps to maintain that focus and balance. Remember to repeat on the other side.

 

Teacher Tip: 

•         Be patient it takes time to develop your sense of balance. Start slowly, doing one thing at a time, standing with you left fingertips just touching a wall, before raising the right knee and placing the right hand on the inside of your knee, once you feel comfortable draw the right knee outward.
•         For more challenging variations, once you feel confident, you can extend your leg straight out in front and hold onto your ankle or big toe with the same arm, before turning the leg outwards and the opposite arm out as a counterbalance. 

 

For those of you who feel like you would like to know more of the benefits ofExtended Tree Pose

or how to incorporate this pose within your practice, join me at my studio and let me guide you. Book in online and use this free pass code HPYFREECLASS.

 

If you’d like to be reminded how to do more basic balance poses, such as Tree pose, or any other poses that I have guided you through in my column, please check out my blogs at www.hummingbirdpilates.co.uk.