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5 Ways to Challenge Your Tree Pose

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:38:15 PDT

In celebration of Arbor Day this Friday, I can't help but think about the peaceful and majestic Tree pose. If you've mastered the basic pose already, here are some ways to challenge your Tree.

Arch: When doing the traditional Tree pose, balancing your torso straight over your standing leg allows you to stack your bones on top of each other to create a stable pose. Make balancing on one leg harder by leaning toward your bent knee, resting your forearm on your thigh, and gazing up toward the ceiling. Aside from strengthening your legs, you'll also feel a deep stretch on the side of your torso.
Twist: While in Tree pose, twist toward your bent leg, resting the opposite hand on the outside of your knee. Extend your other hand behind you and gaze over your shoulder for a nice spinal twist.
Stretch the upper back: Traditionally, the palms are pressed together in front of your heart center, or the arms are lifted overhead. For a variation, cross one elbow over the other and then bring your palms together, just as in Eagle pose. This variation offers a wonderful stretch for the upper back and shoulders.
Turn your Tree on its side: The next time you're in Sage (side plank), balancing on your hand and the outside edge of your flexed foot, lift the leg that's on top into the air, bend the knee, and - you guessed it - come into Tree. This variation, appropriately named Sage Tree, targets your upper body, core, and hips all at the same time.
Close your eyes: While in regular Tree, or while trying one of the above variations, try closing your eyes. It allows you to bring your awareness inward and focus on your breath, which can help you stay balanced.

FitSugar Readers Name Their Top 5 Yoga Poses

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:50:00 PDT

Last week I asked you to tell me what your favorite yoga pose is, and even though the results varied, a few poses were mentioned over and over. Keep reading to see what poses FitSugar readers love most, and make sure to click through to the end to see what the all-time favorite pose is.

Jennifer Aniston's Favorite Yoga Poses Are . . .

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:00:00 PST

I'm really happy that yoga is gaining in popularity these days, because it's so good for everybody. Whether you're training for a marathon, recovering from an injury, dealing with chronic back pain, are pregnant, or just need to de-stress, the ancient practice of yoga can help. Apparently it's also good for celebs too. Madonna, Brooke Shields, Adam Levine, Drew Barrymore, and Naomi Watts are all into practicing yoga.

So is Jennifer Aniston. When asked about her favorite yoga poses, Jennifer said in a recent interview with People, "I'm so terrible with names . . . Child pose. And it's a mix between that and Tree pose. [Tree] has good balance and I like how it feels."

These two poses are basic poses you'd learn in a beginner yoga class, but they're poses that you'll continue to do until you're an experienced yogi. To find out the benefits of these tranquil poses

Child's Pose is one of my favorites too because it's so relaxing. Lowering your head below your heart has this calming effect on your mind, and it's a great pose to do if you're feeling stressed or tired. Child's Pose is recommended for people with lower back pain. It's also the perfect pose to do in a yoga class if your arms need a break, or if you feel your breathing becoming too erratic.
Tree is a wonderful balancing pose because it doesn't require a ton of muscular strength. When your bent leg is resting on the inner thigh of your straight leg, it's actually quite stable. So you can stay in this position for a while, just breathing and feeling your connection with the ground.

To learn how to do more yoga poses, check out these Strike a Yoga Pose posts.

Source and Source

Strike a Yoga Pose: Tree

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:00:00 PST

When most people think of yoga, they imagine someone in Lotus pose or this pose called Tree. This pose is all about challenging your sense of balance, but it also promotes good posture and opens your hips.

Sanskrit Name: Vrksasana
English Translation: Tree Pose

Want to know my trick for staying in this pose? Then

When doing this pose, it's important that you wear pants and not shorts, since the sole of your foot will end up sliding down your bare leg.

To get into this pose, stand with your feet together. Put all your weight into your left foot and lift your right foot off the ground.
Grab onto your right ankle with your right hand, flex your foot and place your heel as far up your leg as possible with your toes pointing down. Place your foot wherever it feels comfortable. It's OK to rest it on your knee if that's as high as your right foot will go.
To keep your right foot planted, actively press your left leg against the sole of your right foot, and at the same time, press the sole of your right foot against your left leg. These two opposing forces will help to prevent your right foot from slipping down. Also draw your right knee back to open your hip. This also keeps your right foot in place.
Press your palms together in front of your heart, and if it feels OK raise your arms straight over your head. Gaze softly at a still point in front of you to help you stay balanced.
Keep your spine nice and long and tuck in your tailbone. Focus on keeping your belly still and breathing into your ribs. Stay here for five or more breaths and then do the other side.

Fit's Tips: Is this pose super easy for you? Try doing it with your eyes closed.

Strike a Yoga Pose: Tree

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:35:00 PST

This pose works mostly on your balance, without putting too much strain on your muscles.

Let's give it a try:

Stand tall, with your feet together, arms by your side (mountain pose)
Put all your weight in your left foot, and bend your right knee
Using your hands, place the sole of your right foot against your left inner thigh. If that is too much for your knee...Just place your foot lower down on your left leg.
Stay here, or work on lifting your arms above your head.
Gazing at eye level in front of you, take 5 deep breaths - then try the other side.

Fit's Challenge: Try looking up towards your hands which can be tough without falling over. Timbeeeeeerrr!!!!

Source

Yoga Sequence For Balance and Strong, Sculpted Legs

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:31:58 PDT

Just as you can build your upper body strength in order to hold Forearm Stand, or increase your flexibility so you can do Wheel Pose, you can also improve your balance in order to master poses like Tree. The best way to feel confident is to practice poses that challenge your sense of balance: here's a yoga sequence that involves mostly one-legged standing poses. Bonus - this yoga sequence will also give you sexy, sculpted legs. First follow the sequence through on the right side and then repeat on the left.

The trick to standing on one leg is to concentrate on your breath, move slowly, focus your drishti (your gaze) on one point to help you feel grounded, and engage your standing leg and abs to help stabilize your body. If you find you're tipping over or falling out of a pose, just take a deep breath and try again!

What You Shouldn't Put on Before Yoga Class

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 01:36:42 PST

Black leggings? Check. Cute tank top? Check. These are musts when it comes to taking a yoga class, but aside from these clothes you shouldn't wear to yoga class, check this list to find out what else you shouldn't put on.

Lotion: Slathering on hand lotion is something we do every day, but be careful not to put it on right before a yoga class. As soon as you begin to sweat, your hands will become slippery and can quickly become dangerous. Wash your hands thoroughly before class to reduce the spread of germs and ensure a solid grip. The same goes for lotion on other exposed areas. Any pose where you are skin-on-skin, such as Crow or Tree (if you're wearing shorts) will result in slipping, instead of remaining stable.
Bracelets: Although many people practice yoga while wearing jewelry, wrist and ankle bracelets can be distracting. When you're doing Bound Extended Side Angle, do you really want to wrestle with your bangle, trying to push it out of the way so your left hand can clasp your right wrist? If you need to accessorize, go for earrings or rings.

Keep reading to find out what else you shouldn't put on before doing yoga.

Yoga Poses For Strength and Stability

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:51:26 PST

When I think of balancing poses in yoga, I immediately picture someone standing serenely on one leg in Tree Pose, but there are so many other poses that help improve your balance.

A strong sense of balance encourages stillness in yoga poses, as well as stillness in your mind. Improve your balance and you'll also strengthen your muscles and improve flexibility and muscular control, as well as body awareness. Off the mat, improved balance will encourage proper posture, make simple tasks a cinch (like walking in heels), as well as help with other forms of fitness, like skiing or surfing. Practice these balancing poses and you'll feel more balanced physically as well as mentally.

Source: Thinkstock

Omm My! 5 Annoying People You'll Find in Yoga Class

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 03:07:52 PST

Yoga is about self-acceptance and embracing little quirks in others, but let's face it - we've probably all found someone in our yoga class annoying. You may smile at them and even throw out a polite "namaste," but on the inside, you're rolling your third eye.

1. The Show-Off
Oh, you can do a handstand? Wow. Oh, you can do Scorpion Handstand with your feet on your head. Impressive. Wait, now you're folding into Lotus, lowering your knees onto your arms, and coming into some crazy Crow variation?! We get it. You're strong, flexible, and amazing. But do you need to show off all your Cirque du Soleil tricks when the rest of us are doing the humble Tree pose? Come on!

2. The Om-ing Exhaler
Every yoga class has some degree of group om-ing, chanting, and deep breathing, but it's the spontaneous and abnormally loud om-ing exhales, the huge sighs, and other random noises that really annoy. We get it, you're releasing and relaxing, but keep the feel-good noises that border on sex sounds to a minimum.

Keep reading to hear about three more annoying people in your yoga class.

50 Geeky Date Ideas For Valentine's Day (and Beyond)

GeekSugar — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:30:10 PST

Coming up short for Valentine's Day date ideas? If you and your sweetheart are more of the geeky persuasion, simply hitting up an overpriced restaurant just won't cut it. We brainstormed 50 date ideas that incorporate science, tech, and video games, for a special Valentine's eve. But don't limit yourself - tackle these date ideas all year!

Bundle up, pack a dinner picnic, and head to the park for some stargazing.
Watch Contact (for the millionth time).
Go to a science museum.
Hit the natural history museum and check out your favorite dino bones.
Go retro - grab a roll of quarters, a slice or two, and hit the pizza parlor arcade.
Build your own planetarium with glow-in-the-dark stickers.
Catch up with the Doctor Who craze by watching the series from the beginning.
Throw a Star Wars party for two.
Whip up a batch of Cloud 9 mojitos (complete with mason jar glasses) and have a Battlestar Galactica marathon.
Visit Nerdy Day Trips and find geeky stuff to do near you.
Go to the planetarium.
Take a dream vacay to the Hobbit Hotel in New Zealand.
Spend a few romantic nights in the Hobbit House of Montana.
Visit the actual Lord of the Rings movie set.
Travel to the Chott el Djerid salt lakes in Tunisia, which were transformed into Luke Skywalker's home on Tatooine.

See the rest of the list after the break!