Poses >> Vrksasana Arda Padmasana

Vrksasana Arda Padmasana (Tree Pose with Half Lotus)
 

• Strengthens thighs, calves, ankles, and spine
• Stretches the groins and inner thighs, chest and shoulders
• Opens the hip and stretches the knee
• Stretches the hamstring on the standing leg when folding forward
• Opens the chest and shoulder
• Stretches the hamstring on the standing leg when folding forward
• Improves sense of balance, promotes concentration and focus
• Calms the mental body, has a grounding effect

Note: Hip openers are an important preparation pose for this standing balance pose.

1. Beginning in Tree Pose, reach down and release the right foot from the left inner leg and draw it upward toward the chest. Place the left heel at the top of the thigh. Hold the toes in your left hand as they point upward toward the shoulder. Imagining your hip as a hinge and your knee as the gate, on the exhale, encourage the hinge of the hip to release so that the knee can move downward.
2. Bring your breath into the hip. Feel the grounding in the left foot and strengthen the left thigh. After a few breaths, you may be able to draw the foot higher on the thigh, aligning the heel with the pubic bone.
3. To deepen, reach your right arm around behind you, drawing your shoulder down. If can reach to the right toes, wrap the big toe and hold and extend the left arm to the ceiling. If you cannot reach the toes comfortably use a strap or hold the left bicep in you hand.
4. If you are able to reach to the toes with the left hand, you may carefully begin to fold at the hips into forward fold, to deepen the hip opener. Move slowly and follow the opening created by the breath.
5. Release slowly and repeat on the other side.

Video and Text by Yogamates Featured Teacher: Daniel Stewart