Tree Pose (Vrksasana) is a standing balance: you stand on one leg with the sole of the other foot pressed against the inside of your standing leg. It trains you to balance on a rooted foot with level hips and a steady gaze. The one placement rule: the lifted foot goes above or below the standing knee, never on it.
Root the standing foot
Start in Mountain Pose. Spread your toes, press both feet evenly into the mat and firm your legs. Lift your chest and draw your shoulder blades down your back.
even weight through the whole foot, legs awake.
Fix your gaze on one still spot straight ahead. A steady gaze point helps you balance.
eyes quiet on one spot.
Put your hands on your hips and shift your weight onto one foot. Keep that foot's toes and knee facing forward; don't let the standing foot turn out. Keep the standing leg firm and straight, but don't push the knee back into a locked position. If your knees tend to bow backward, keep a slight bend.
a firm standing leg with the knee soft, not jammed back.
Place the foot safely
Pick a foot height you can balance at. Easiest: heel against the inside of your standing ankle with your toes on the floor. Next: sole on the inner calf, below the knee. Full: sole on the inner thigh, above the knee. Never place or press the foot on the knee itself.
the foot clearly above or below the knee joint.
Press your foot into your leg and your leg back into your foot with equal pressure.
foot and leg holding each other in place.
Open the knee, lengthen
Keep your hips level and facing forward. Let the lifted knee point out only as far as it can without the pelvis turning or hiking. If the hip on the lifted side rises or swings open, let that knee drift forward a little and firm the outer hip of your standing leg in toward your midline.
both hip points facing the front, the same height.
Choose your arms. Keep your hands on your hips, bring your palms together at your chest, or, once steady, reach your arms overhead in line with your ears. Don't take the arms behind your ears; that can tip you backward. If your shoulder hurts, tingles or goes numb overhead, keep your hands on your hips.
tall through the crown of your head.
Hold for 3–5 breaths, or as long as you're comfortable. Lower the foot with control, stand in Mountain Pose, then repeat on the other side.
rooted down through the standing foot, lifting up through the head.
Feel it
Rooted down through the standing foot and lifting up through the crown of your head. Foot and leg press into each other, hips stay level and face forward, and your eyes rest on one spot. Small wobbles are normal. If you tip, lower the foot or put a hand on the wall and set up again. Some effort is expected; pain is not, so stop if anything hurts.
Fix-its
- Your foot is on your knee Move it above the knee (inner thigh) or below it (inner calf or ankle). Never press into the knee joint.
- Your hip hikes or your pelvis turns open You're forcing the lifted knee out to the side. Let it drift forward until both hip points face front and sit level, and firm the outer standing hip in.
- Your standing foot turns out Point the standing toes and knee straight ahead. A turned-out foot can misalign the knee and hip.
- Your standing knee is jammed back Keep the leg firm but ease out of the lock with a slight bend, especially if your knees naturally bow backward.
- You keep falling out Fix your gaze on one still spot, lower the foot to the calf or ankle with toes down, and stand a few inches from a wall so you can touch it. Keep your arms in line with your ears, not behind them.
Drill
- Wall tree: stand a few inches from a wall on your standing-leg side and touch it when you wobble. Heel at the ankle, toes down. 3–5 breaths each side.
- Counter or chair support: hold a counter or chair back with one hand and lift the foot to the calf. 3–5 breaths each side.
- Calf tree: sole on the inner calf, hands at your chest, gaze fixed. 3–5 breaths each side, checking that your hips stay level.
- Thigh tree: sole on the inner thigh, arms overhead in line with your ears, once the calf version is steady. 3–5 breaths each side.
- Seated option if standing balance isn't safe for you yet: sit near the front of an armless chair, one leg extended, and open the other knee to the side with the foot on a block.
Sources
- Yoga Journal — Tree Pose: How to Practice Vrksasana (Natasha Rizopoulos; anatomy by Ray Long, MD) (2025)
- YogaUOnline — How to Do Tree Pose (Vrksasana), Pose Library
- ACE — Yoga Poses to Pair With Your High-intensity Interval Training (Shoshana Hebshi, RYT-200) (2016)
- Cleveland Clinic (Valerie Williams, E-RYT 500) — Yoga for Beginners: 6 Postures To Get Started (2026)
- Amber Burke / Yoga International (with Bill Reif, PT) — Adapting Yoga for Knee Issues: Alignment Tips and Best Practices
Last checked 2026-10-26.