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06 Sept 2025

FITNESS Perfect your posture while toning up

05 Jul 2011 9:52 AM

Yoga teacher Lee Kennedy describes the tree pose (Vrksasana), good for toning, strengthening and balance
Perfect your posture while toning up


Yoga
Lee Kennedy

The tree pose , aims to improve balance, posture and concentration. Practicing regularly can help to limber the hips, strengthen ankles and tone the leg and back muscles.

A perfect tree
  • Stand upright in the centre of your yoga mat, ensuring your body weight is spread evenly over the feet.
  • Bend the right knee, catch hold of the right foot and take the knee out to the right side.
  • Place the sole of the right foot high on the inside of the left thigh, close to the groin.`
  • Spread your right toes and point them towards the ground.
  • Aim to keep the left leg straight and steady. Maintain an even spread across the bases of all your toes. You’ll feel your centre of balance steady as you lengthen through your inner ankles and ground through your heel bones.
  • Extend the arms straight over the head, palms together. (If you have high blood pressure, keep your hands in front of your chest in ‘prayer position’).
  • Keep the head straight, focusing on a point ahead of you in your eye line, or turn your gaze towards the tip of your nose, to steady your mind.
  • Stay in this pose for as long as you are comfortable, working towards one minute. Remain conscious of your breath and your body throughout.
  • Exhale, lower the right foot to the floor, take the arms down and repeat on the other side.
Lee Kennedy qualified with The BKS Iyengar Yoga Association UK, the YTTC and Ana Forrest of Forrest Yoga. She specialises in pregnancy-related yoga and can be contacted at 086 3906343.

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