So many things escape us during pregnancy. Sleep, wine, our pee… our balance is just one of many. But you can work on regaining some balancing skills through Yoga. Tree pose is the quintessential Yoga pose for a fairly good reason. Not only is it accessible to everyone thanks to its many different modifications, it combines so many different parts of yoga (balance, strength, alignment, focus, breath). It allows you to ground down while also extending the body and growing longer. By now you can probably tell that I truly love Vriksasana.
You can start in Tree pose from Tadasana (read all about Tadasana here). Without moving the hips over to the left, transfer your weight into your left foot and bend your right knee. Your hands can be on your hips at this point.
Maintain a strong core while you open your right knee out to the right side. Allow your toes to stay on the floor while your heel rests on your left ankle. Looking forward at a point or spot on the wall in front of you, tuck your tailbone a little more to ensure a strong core. You might decide to stay here, moving your hands into a prayer position at your heart or raise them overhead, as if they were branches on a tree.
If you feel stable, you might want to lift your right foot higher onto your calf below your knee. As you do this, be sure not to fall out of the position to your left side. If you’re feeling exgtremely stable, you might want to lift your right foot even higher, above your knee to your thigh. Again, be sure not to let your hips move to the left. Keep looking at that spot on the wall as you let your gaze kind of rest there. Relax your face and enjoy your breath moving in and out.
To ensure you don’t fall completely out of the pose, consider practicing Tree pose next to a wall so you’re ready to grab something if you need it. Don’t be upset if you’re not able to lift your foot high, that’s not the goal. Work with where you are today and be happy with the success you have.
Bring your knee back to the front and then back to the ground. Shake your body out a little before setting up for the second side.
Namaste and Happy Balancing!
