Teacher Spotlight: Nora Brank

1. 3 December 2014
   

   • tree pose
   • vrksasana
   • yoga
   • highlandpark
   • namastehighlandpark

   We love Nora because of the things captured in this photo:

   

   And we also love Nora’s words about this photo:

   About ten years ago I lost my email password and had to get a new one. The auto generated password I received was “flexibletree” . The next day, I went to a yoga class and my teacher guided us into tree pose and said “The brittle, unmoving tree is more likely to crack and fall. The flexible tree sways and bends with the wind, staying firm and tall.” Needless to say, I kept the auto-generated email password.

   Vrksasana, or tree pose, is such a simple pose, yet encapsulates so many aspects of the yoga practice. It relies on the cultivation of strength, both mental and physical, to stay steady. Once steady, the pose requires a renewed focus and presence of mind to maintain balance. For me, the joy that follows a period of intense and concentrated focus is physically manifested in the final stage of the pose; the glorious “growing of the branches” or arms outstretched overhead, just like a tall and flexible tree.