Yoga for patience, persistence and balance.

I visited an Indian nutriceutical company several years ago and was surprised to see the schedule of the day: afternoon session started with, “Visitor planting a tree”. My astonishment was the prominence the event occupied the agenda. In Indian culture trees and plants are revered and (even) worshipped (the Bodhi tree under which Budha attained enlightment; the national tree of India- Banyan tree, Thulsi -ocimum sanctum- in front yards are example.) Flowers, fruits and leaves of several trees have been part of various religious ceremonies in India. Trees planted near tombs represented memories; their fruits, its values, integrity and karma! Trees occupy a great position in other cultures too: Yule tree in Germanic mythology; the tree of knowledge in Judaism and Christianity. Trees symbolize life, perseverance, balance, transformation and the inherent desire to reach the higher truth while grounded in reality. The metaphor of two birds perched on a tree in Rigveda and Upanishads represent the mind-spirit duality. The first bird (Jiva), distracted by the appealing sensual pleasure, ate the fruit. The other one (Atma), not distracted by the fruit, watched the first one and abstained from the corporeal desire. “The tree of knowledge” represents the sensual and spiritual dimensions of our self. If Adam was not tempted by the fruit offered by Eve or if Adam had just watched Eve (without eating the fruits), Cane and Abel would have ended up as ideal children!

Trees are more than a symbol of balance. Rooted in reality, reaching to unite with the higher truth and its determination to accept and unite with other trees and organisms embodies the fine human attributes we aspire; a great lesson to be learnt. We do have folks rooted in reality; we do have spiritual people; we do have people who yoke with others. What we, often, do not have is a committed balance of these three- a culture where we interact, support, complement each other.

There was not a single pose in yoga that has generated such an excitement in my yoga class than the tree pose- a pose mostly confined to focus and balance. Tree pose has also been under scrutiny since recent reports that a lack of balance in a tree pose could be an early indication of a possible memory loss later in the life. If a lack of balance is perceived as a warning sign, an increased balance, by practicing the tree pose should be indication of sharpened cognition. For such an outcome, the traditional tree pose need to be taken out of “strength of the standing legs and the flexibility of hip adductors and abductors.”

Normally, one variation of the pose by placing the feet on the inner thigh above the knees (or below knees or kickstand style) is practiced. In vinyasa styles it’s transitory to hip opening poses. I have seen practitioners fall like chopped trees in the pose and the bilateral asymmetry is often blamed for this imbalance. The strength of the standing leg; strength of quadriceps, hamstrings, glute and psoas major muscles and pranayama techniques have always been overlooked. Practice the pose with one knee flexed and puling the feet towards buttocks (make sure to keep thighs parallel). This will work on the quadriceps. To work on the hamstrings and the glute lift the bend leg towards the chest and the press knees to the chest (combined with a lifting action). Continue the preparation with uttitha padangustasana and natarajasana. The combination of these four poses prior to the traditional tree should help one to get the required strength, flexibility and balance for the tree pose (prior you scan the brain!) By the time you gain the balance through patience and perseverance, you will realize the path of yoga and discover the yogi in you.

Thy,

Jay