Vrikshasana
- ‘Vriksh’ means Tree, and the pose depicts a tree.
It is the foundational balance pose. - Great stretch for the thighs, groins, torso, and shoulders
- This asana also helps to remedy flat feet and is therapeutic for sciatica
It is one of the most iconic yoga poses. In the ancient legends we find stories of Yogis performing great austerities in Vrikshasana.
In the epic poem of India, the ‘Mahabharata’ one of the principal characters, Yuddhisthra, having lost his kingdom in a gambling game begins to perform ‘Tapasya’ or austerities by standing in Vrikshasana from Sunrise to Sunset every day. He is then blessed by Surya the Sun God with a bowl that never gets empty when food is placed in it (‘akshay patra’). Like this there are innumerable references to Vrikshasana in Indian mythology.
