Query: When I practice tree pose I feel shaky? Why do you think this happens? What should I do with this?

Response: You see there is a difference between pose and asana. If you practice Vriksha asana instead of tree pose you might find that your experience is different. Here is what I mean:

1. Have you looked at a tree closely? No tree is ever static. It is always in motion. Why are you worried about movement then. Embrace it. Let there be outer thrill yet inner still.

2. Pose and Poise: When you practice tree pose, you are posing the pose. If you become that (tree/vriksha) then it does not matter what the pose looks like, there will still be poise in your pose.

3. Vriksha asana is the practice to BE like a tree, not to LOOK like a tree

4. Understand that asanas are seats of mind in the pranic body through the physical body. Asanas are inspired from animated aspect of cosmos like animals, trees, birds etc. The purpose behind this inspiration is that every cosmic being filters the prana and apana current in their own unique ways. As human beings we seek those multimillion inspirations in our pranic body to benefit in multimillion ways. It has minimal to do with the physical body.

5. Who decides what is a tree? A broken tree is also a tree, a weak tree is also a tree, a lush tree is also a tree, a barren tree is also a tree, a tree filled with fruits is also a tree. Nature does not creates bias on calling it something else but every tree is called a tree. When we as humans practice tree pose, we all want to be a perfect picture of tree. Where is the inspiration from nature in this case? It is simply the idea of perfection which does not even exist in nature. Change that fixation on perfection. Let the prana of your body touch the prana of the tree and become that. There is freedom in this approach and also the benefit of real Yoga between the tree and you

The idea is to do nothing in the asana. Just take a seat and let it happen.

Practice- Next time you choose to practice Tree pose, take a sankalpa (make a resolve) to connect to the treeness of the tree and not to worry about, judge, control the movement/shakinss and compare yourself to nothing else, no one else. Simply be the tree no matter how weak, strong, shaky, still the tree is.

Want to know more about asanas? Check out my book on Yoga

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