Lesson One • Vrikshasana
Wobbling Wisdom:
Walking the Path of Growth through the Three Learning Zones
Paradigm Shift: In three words the paradigm shift at the heart of balance postures is this: Embrace the Wobble— because wobbling is growth! We all want to be good at what we do, but being good at something isn’t the same as growing from it. Movement enthusiasts refer to this as “Learning Zones”. At zone 1, we wobble the most and we learn the most. We stumble and fumble through the posture or movement, being forced to make decisions consciously and consistently. The result is that our brains are building the most new neural connections, and our awareness is ‘velcroed’ to the present for a longer period of time. This is of course exhausting, but its also stimulating. We may not feel like we are ‘good at’ what we’re doing, yet a study from the University of Oxford showed that here we are growing the most and our brains are building more neural connections. In Zone 2, we start to feel more adept, but our learning tapers. The focus shifts to refining and perfecting the foundational skills. While new neural connections still form, they're less than in Zone 1. By Zone 3, we feel confident in our mastery, but our learning stagnates. Few, if any, new neural connections form, and we're essentially revisiting what we've already grasped.
Balancing in Zone 1:
The allure of balance postures lies in their ability to keep us in zone 1 for extended periods. Mechanically, these postures don't differ significantly from many we execute on two feet. However, they impart profound lessons. For instance, Virabhadrasana 3 can be viewed as Parsvottanasana performed on a single foot. While many might typically find themselves in zone 2 or 3 during Parsvottanasana, transitioning to Virabhadrasana 3 often sees us evolving in zone 1. Similarly, from a mechanical viewpoint, Ardha Chandrasana is akin to Trikonasana, a pose we’ve all encountered perhaps hundreds of times on our mats. Because of our familiarity with Trikonasana, our minds might drift unless anchored; this lack of concentration might result in hyperextended knees, for example. Yet, when executed on one leg, there’s an unmistakable surge in muscular engagement and heightened awareness. Consider how unconsciously students may reach back for their ankles when preparing for or performing Dhanurasana. Performing the same spinal extension while balancing in Natarajasana is a completely different experience— time decelerates and breathing deepens, transforming the familiar backbend into a meditative experience. Given these insights, it’s imperative that we re-frame our approach to balancing postures— embrace and recognize the wobble for what it is— an indication that you are walking the path of growth.
The Path of Growth:
“The Path is Shakti,” The Vijnana Bhairava teaches, “the path is not Shiva, where there is no path”. Shiva is the embodiment of eternal focus and stillness, and Shakti is the embodiment of ceaseless and infinite manifestation. Why then did the Vijnana Bhairava teach that the path to stillness and centeredness is not through Shiva but through Shakti? This is because we don’t arrive at real stillness through doership, holding onto stillness, but rather the only path to true stillness is to arrive there through conscious movement. For example, the 58th Dharana of this text teaches that one can find center “by letting yourself swing in slowing invisible circles.” ’Slowing invisible circles’ means feeling the wobble in subtler and subtler ways, till one arrives at real stillness. Try it right now, standing or sitting— let yourself move in small circles, like wobbling on your feet, and then make the circles smaller and smaller till you seamlessly arrive at center. The experience is dramatically different than simply trying to ‘be still’ with external doership. This is the path of Shakti that the Vijnana Bhairvava describes. Balance postures serve as an invaluable tool as they offer an embodied representation of this philosophy— as we walk the path of the wobble we generate these smaller and smaller circles, till we arrive at center. Balance postures provide a tangible ‘Path of Shakti' guiding us towards the profound experience of Shiva, our innate nature.
One foot 80% of the time:
You might be surprised to learn that walking is arguably the most intricate balancing act we frequently engage in. Research indicates that while walking, you are balancing on one foot approximately 80% of the time. Try walking around your current space and observe how often only one foot touches the ground compared to both feet. The nuanced movement of walking isn't merely a physiological wonder; many movement scientists view it as our most remarkable evolutionary achievement, as James Earls writes, “Many people believe bipedalism was the main mechanism for accelerating our evolution as a race. Much debate exists about what makes us “human”—intelligence, language, cooperation, society, opposable thumbs, and so forth—but the ability to stand upright and move bipedally can be argued to be a precursor to all of them.”
When we walk, we are literally shifting our weight from one leg to the other in a high efficiency balancing act. This is mitigated by the lateral line of musculature that catches our weight as it shifts from side to side, like a game of catch, creating a supremely unique model of efficiency. In primates, the face of the ilia (the pelvis) faces back, this means that when they push off their legs, the force sends them forward. The ilia in humans have developed to face the side, which sends us forward and sideways, creating the balancing act we call walking. Remarkably, this bipedal gait consumes less energy than walking on all fours, offering humans an evolutionary edge, enabling us to forage and hunt far beyond the ranges of quadrupedal species. In a profound sense, one might argue that our evolutionary trajectory illustrates that the path of Shakti leads to Shiva— the nuanced balancing act of walking elevated the state of being of an entire species.
The Lateral Line:
This incredible dance of balance is performed in large part by our lateral line, a team of muscles that link up and cover the lateral edge of our body, creating a net of connective tissue that can catch the lateral force of our hips and gracefully send that energy back to the other hip with almost no caloric expense. This lateral line, which we will zoom in on later, consists of the muscles of our lateral shin, thigh, hips, ribs, and neck and intricately connects the front and back lines of our body, forming a criss-cross basket weave formation that allows seamless cooperation between the two halves. These lateral muscles, often underused in our daily lives, come to life in balance postures, offering us an opportunity to work directly with force mitigators. Among these postures, the Floating Tree stands out as a beautiful example of how the lateral line catches us and ushers us into a state of stillness, akin to a moment of pause between breaths. By exploring the lateral lines of our lower leg and trunk, we unlock the secrets to enhancing balance, refining energy distribution, and restoring efficient movement patterns.
Feel the Lateral Line in Floating Tree:
One of the easiest ways to feel the work of our lateral line as a whole is in floating tree pose. In this posture we can literally feel our lateral line catch us as we propel ourselves to the side. As we feel these muscles activate we literally arrive in a state of stillness, a moment of pause in between the wobbles of life. This physical pause, much like the pause between the breaths, is a gateway to ascending energy. This is why balance postures make us feel light, even weightless— a great reward for great work.
Summary & Reflection
The essence of balance postures in yoga is encapsulated in three words: Embrace the Wobble. The wobble represents different "Learning Zones" that guide our growth both physically and mentally. Zone 1 is where we experience the most wobble and consequently the most growth; our brain forms the most new neural connections here. As we move to Zone 2 and then Zone 3, our learning decreases but our mastery increases. The allure of balance postures like Virabhadrasana 3 and Ardha Chandrasana lies in their ability to keep us in Zone 1, facilitating maximum learning and mindfulness. Balance is not just a physical act but also a profound philosophical concept, illustrating the "Path of Shakti" that guides us towards experiencing "Shiva," our true nature. The intricate act of walking itself is an advanced balancing act, reinforcing the idea that balance is crucial for our evolutionary trajectory, overall health, and well-being. "The only constant is change," which is akin to saying the only experience of 'constance' is being fully present with the wobble of change.
Reflective Journal Question:
How has your perception of 'wobbling' shifted after considering its role in various Learning Zones, particularly Zone 1? In your own practice, have you consciously tried to maintain yourself in Zone 1 for extended periods? What insights have you gained in doing so, and how does it influence your understanding of the interplay between movement, growth, and spiritual awareness?
Anatomy in Motion
Vrksasana takes the experience of the buoyant hip postures and asks us to find that sense of support now with half of our base - a single leg! Lifting one leg not only takes away support, it also increases the load applied to the grounded leg, giving the opportunity to become stronger and more skillful. The sole of the lifted foot presses evenly into the medial line of the standing leg, allowing for direct stimulation of the deep front line— teaching us how to self-support from the inside out and the ground up.
Set-up
From Tadasana, float arms away from the hips to a low “V”, palms facing forward to promote openness in the chest and shoulders.
Find a drshti, a steady gaze point upon which to focus.
Shift weight into the left foot, pressing through the big toe to initiate the core. Try not to grip with the other toes.
Press through the standing leg to feel the hip suction under the body for support. Practice gliding the right foot up to the inner left ankle.
For enhanced core and lateral line integration, allow the body to glide right with the foot as it leaves the inner left ankle, and then press through the right foot to silently propel you towards a balanced standing position with foot to inner ankle. Momentum is a natural function of our daily movement, adding some into this setup might help you feel lighter and more supported in your single leg stance. Notice the left side of the body ‘catching’ you each time you float to standing, this is the lateral line integrating from ankle to neck.
The next time you glide the foot up into balance, or float there through your graceful push, pause while standing and press down through the grounded leg to grow taller with deep core support.
Note: The foot can be placed anywhere on the leg. If someone has knee issues or doesn’t seem strong and integrated, they should avoid placing the foot to the knee to prevent stretching the lateral collateral ligament. However, there is nothing inherently wrong with placing the foot to the knee if the leg is strong enough to prevent side to side movement, in fact finding knee stability while applying lateral pressure can make healthy knees even more resilient!
Primary movement (Deep Core integration and external hip rotation)
Inhale Press into both feet to initiate lift and length in the deep front line.
Exhale Keep hips square as you slowly externally rotate the right hip. Notice how the deep front line, especially the adductors, supports the lifted leg and created space in the hip socket.
Arms traditionally reach softly upward or to a T position.
Swaying Exploration
Students have a tendency to hold and grip in balancing postures. Introducing gentle, controlled movements will dramatically increase one’s ability to stay relaxed as the body optimally organizes itself over one leg.
Inhale Float the arms softly over head.
Exhale Allow the lateral line of the grounded leg to eccentrically contract so that that side body curves out like a bow towards the bend knee.
Inhale Return to center.
Repeat this several times. Notice how the more the lateral line can suction down into the ground, the more the deep core can lift and support the rest of the body.
Deep Core and Lateral Line Exploration
From the Setup, bring the arm of the standing leg up next to the head, leaving the arm of the lifted leg down.
As you exhale, bend laterally towards the bent knee, as we did in the swaying exploration, while simultaneously lifting the lowered arm laterally to the horizon. The lateral lift of the lowered arm will engage the deep core as the lateral sway of the upper torso demands the deeper work. The sway and lift should happen simultaneously, and inform each other’s work.