Tree Pose with a Tree

Saturday morning at Yoga in the Park, in preparation for balancing tree pose, we gathered around one majestic tree. First, we admired the tree's roots. These roots, a foot wide, extended away from the trunk tens of feet, to unknown depths underground. Wow, what grounding! We too can embody this sense of grounding, down through the standing leg in tree pose, or even simply walking, connecting into earth energy.

Next we looked up into the branches. The branches, so expansive, and broad, were reaching up and out perhaps a hundred feet, and extended so gracefully and majestically into the sky. Can you imagine what this must feel like? It gives a whole new meaning to "extend your arms into the sky".

Countless small green leaves shaded and protected the earth beneath. This too is a metaphor, as we too may be helping to shade and protect a special person from the heat in their own life. In the breadth of our stance, we can visualize sending compassion to these people.

This yoga experience helps to connect us to these characteristics that we already have in ourselves, and may just need to be re-awakened: Strength, grounding, gracefulness, and compassion.

From Karoun Yoga Newsletter #8 on 7/27/2009