Sit cross-legged at the base of the tall tree. Feel your ischia (the two bones you can feel under your bottom in contact with the ground, also known as the “sitting bones”). Take the time to place your weight in the earth and stretch your spine towards the sky, your head as light as a balloon. Breathe in deeply through your nose and observe whether the walls of your nostrils pull together, then try to pull them apart in order to fill yourself with the scent of the Swiss pine under which you are sitting. Feel the calm and wisdom of the tall tree.
Optional
The full lotus position is to sit with your legs crossed and your feet resting on your thighs, but that is reserved for very flexible people! If you find sitting cross-legged uncomfortable, as you tend to slouch forwards, which can restrict your breathing, you can sit on a root, your bag or roll up your mat for extra height.
Here is a fun variation to try: You can play with your balance by putting your arms inside your thighs, as shown in the image (it is easier if you put your feet together, one against the other). Try to find the pivotal point by pushing into your ischia and trying to lift your feet off the ground, keeping your chest pushed out. Become a flower.
If there are more than one of you, you can also create a giant flower. Each of you enters the Warrior III pose, pressing their hands, with their arms stretched, against the tree trunk, with one leg stretched out in the air behind them. The tree is the centre of the flower and each of you is a petal.
