The tree
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Meaning tree of life / Tree of Life
The tree of life describes many things. Its history goes back to 2`500 BC.
For example, there is an ancient tree in Bahrain. It is called Shajarat al Haya and it is a 400 year old tree, it is one of the wonders of nature. Bahrain is located between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The tree belongs to the genus of mesquite (mimosa plant, legume, modification in German sweet legume tree).
Family Tree:
Further it is usual that one represents the family history, better said the family tree with the pertinent relations in a tree of life.
Also in the Bible, the tree was already called the tree of life.
Moreover, there is a coniferous species, the genus Thuja which belongs to the genus of trees of life.
The tree as a yoga position:
"Place the right foot on the top of the thigh and stand on the ground like a tree!". The tree posture, also known as Vrksasana, is one of 32 postures in the Gheranda Samhita (ch. 2 /verse 36). Lord Shiva taught this posture. A total of 8,400,000 postures are attributed to Him.
In Sanskrit, the syllable Vrksa means tree.
Mode of action of the yoga position "Tree of life":
The posture requires balancing on one leg while placing the other leg on the inside of the thigh.
Thereby the tree should express stability and inspire confidence. A tree should be stable and solid both above and below the ground, because a tree grows both upwards and downwards. Our hands above the head symbolize the branches.
Some people may feel more comfortable at the beginning if there is a wall behind them or the certainty that they can support themselves against such a wall.
The important thing in the tree posture is to keep the pelvis as neutral as possible. And then we should ground ourselves again and again with the standing leg. If you know that you tend to tilt your pelvis, you should consciously neutralize your pelvis and shoulders before you start to lift your leg.
In general, in the tree posture we strengthen our knee tendons, hips, knees, ankles, quadriceps and just also the stability of the pelvis.
The tree of life in history:
Paintings and sculptures in ancient Indian temples show long-haired yogis with matted hair in the tree posture.
Therefore, it is assumed that this was a bus attitude.
Thus, there is a story that says that the king Bhagiratha remained in the posture for years and meanwhile, persuaded Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva to integrate the river Ganges into the earth. In Jainism and Buddhism, as well as in the Hindu tradition, trees are considered sacred.
Besides Hinduism and Buddhism, the predominant religions in India are Sikhism and Jainism. Of course, Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Zoroastrianism coexist in parallel. The Zoroastrianism does not build on images of God, these are alien to him. The focus is on the fire temple, where a constantly burning fire is guarded as a sacred flame, which is considered a symbol of deity and perfect purity.
Whereas in Jainism, it is a transtheistic religion native to India that originated around the 6th/5th century BC. The Jainism assumes that two principles are opposed to each other in the world: Spiritual and non-spiritual. The spiritual is based on an infinite number of individual souls (jiva). The unspiritual comprises the five categories: Motion, Rest, Space, Substance and Time.
At the same time Buddhists worship the Peepal tree, because Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment under this tree. In the Jainism the 24 jinas are each connected to a tree.
The tree in mythology:
Another interesting mythological connection to Vrksasana is the story from the Ramayana. According to the traditional belief, Sita sat under the Ashoka tree and sought shelter there during her stay in Lanka before her husband Lord Rama came to rescue her. The Ashoka tree is therefore also associated with the God of Love. By praying to it, one can get rid of sorrow and grief. Sitting under this tree, Sita also gets her love back and ends her sorrow.
Vrksasana comes from the practice of Hatha Yoga and is a sthira sukham asana. Balancing on one leg, yogis must focus their attention on their body-mind-breath to remain steady, strong and stable. Much like a tree in nature. This is how to "practice" a calm, steady, focused body-mind-breath connection. In doing so, we can also learn to "control or coordinate" our flow of thoughts.
Anatomical mode of action of the tree posture in yoga:
Just as the tree grows upward by rooting itself in the earth, and returns downward to the earth, our practice of Vrksasana should also support the flow of prana (the energy force) moving from the Muladhara (root) chakra upward to the Sahasrara (crown) chakra and back down to the Muladhara (root) chakra, creating a sense of balance between body and mind.
The tree posture is considered one of the basic postures, from which various variations can be derived. (twisted tree, little tree in the wind, etc.)
The tree pose, helps to increase the energy in the body and can therefore be incorporated into flow yoga sequences. It also helps to ground and activates our root chakra.
Anatomically, the tree posture positively affects our glutes as well as the backs of the thighs, our hips (center) knees, quadriceps (fronts of the thighs).
Often the little tree also appears in children's yoga, prenatal yoga sequences, postnatal yoga sequences, as well as hip-opening yoga poses.
Emotional effect of the tree position:
Vrksasana - to strengthen the energy conductors from the root chakra to the crown chakra.
To consolidate the physical and mental balance, to harmonize the body and breathing and mind.
Ideally, we bring ourselves into emotional balance. Emotional balance refers to the state in which we are aware of our emotions and can perceive and reflect on them and, if necessary, also control them through conscious perception.
The basic prerequisite for emotional balance is emotional intelligence in interaction with an educated, reflective mind and an adult ego. This adult I is able to perceive its own emotions, to sort them out and to be able to act.
Emotional balance versus emotional imbalance:
Emotional imbalance can have two general causes: Either you allow emotions to overwhelm you, or you don't allow yourself to experience negative emotions. Mental illness, trauma and stress can cause such an imbalance.
Emotional balance is a state in which we are sufficiently aware of our emotions to gently control or counteract them. Emotional balance comes from emotional intelligence combined with a clever, educated mind that is able to perceive, objectively assess, and respond to or interact with emotions, or even control them when they occur.
What, on the other hand, causes emotional imbalance?
On the one hand, this can happen through the suppression of emotions. On the other hand, of course, when the opposite occurs and emotions "virtually flood" us.
On the one hand, suppression can trigger mental illness, trauma, stress, or these can also cause an imbalance in the first place.
The symbolism of the tree of life:
In conclusion, trees stand for the old, the past, but also for permanence.
The branches, which are sometimes bent and then again straight grown, bend up to the sky, show the desire for change, further development. On the other hand, the roots, which are firmly anchored in the ground, symbolize the old, stable.
The tree trunk symbolizes our roots, our home. A place to which we can always come back, but also our past, which has shaped us a bit and made us what we are today.
But some cultures also associate love, birth, rebirth, death with him.
There is a legend that the tree connects heaven, earth and underworld.
The tree as a gift:
If someone wants to show his deep attachment to someone else, the tree of life is the perfect choice. As it conveys reliability and strength, inspires confidence and stands as a symbol of constancy.
Everything under the ground symbolizes the past, while the leaves and shoots can also mean a new beginning. Also, therefore, it stands for fertility.