Reason 4: where the Drishti goes, Energy flows

Often when people are practicing Tree Pose they are only focused on lifting the foot. The foot lifting is the LAST thing that needs/should happen in this pose. It is very important for the rest of the body to be in proper alignment before the foot lifts up. You need to make sure the hips are level – because if one hip is higher (usually the hip of the bent and lifted knee) you are going to fall over to that side. You need to make sure the core is engaged for stability, the spine and the sides of the waist are lengthening up, and the shoulders are not up around the ears. Lastly you should keep your gaze soft and down at the floor – not in the mirror or on the teacher – because it’s a lot more difficult to balance while watching things that are moving. Once you have taken the time to align the body properly, the foot can lift – and you may just notice it stays there longer than usual!