Tree Pose (Vrikshasana): Steps, Tradition, Balance Safety and a Wall Option

Vrikshasana, or tree pose, is a standing balance. You stand on one leg, place the sole of the other foot against the standing leg, and bring the hands together or lift them overhead, much as a tree stands with its roots below and branches above. It is one of the first balances that classes teach, and it is also one of the first places beginners wobble.

Below are the steps, the tradition, the doshas as some teachers draw them, and a clear list of who should avoid it. A fall is the main risk, so a wall or chair nearby is part of doing it sensibly. Please also read the safety notes for the whole section.

How to do it

1. Stand beside a wall or a sturdy chair so that you can touch it with one hand. Begin in mountain pose.
2. Shift your weight onto the left foot. Keep the left knee soft and not locked.
3. Bend the right knee and turn it out. Rest the sole of the right foot on the left ankle, with the toes on the floor, or against the calf below the knee.
4. Never press the foot against the side of the standing knee. The knee joint should be left free.
5. Fix your eyes on a still point ahead at eye level. Bring the palms together at the chest.
6. Breathe slowly through the nose for five breaths. If you feel steady and the balance is easy, you may lift the hands overhead.
7. Lower the foot slowly and change sides.

If you lose balance, simply step out of the pose. There is no failing in it.

What the tradition says

The Sanskrit vriksha means tree. The posture is taught in modern postural yoga and is not one of the classic seated postures of the older hatha texts, so claims of ancient authority for it should be treated with caution. Teachers describe it as training steadiness and attention, since the mind wanders as soon as the body wobbles, and they say that practising it can make a person feel more rooted. Those are descriptions of the experience that teachers report, and they are not measured outcomes.

Tree pose and the doshas

Matching postures to doshas is a modern teaching habit. It is not a rule laid down by the medical texts of Ayurveda, and research has not tested it. Within that limit, here is how teachers tend to explain it.

• For vata, the dosha described as light, mobile and easily unsettled, tree pose is a favourite because it asks for slow, steady attention. Teachers suggest holding it near a wall and for short times. See vata.
• For pitta, described as intense and competitive, teachers warn against treating the balance as a contest, and suggest a soft gaze and a relaxed jaw. See pitta.
• For kapha, described as heavy and steady, teachers like the way the pose lifts the chest and wakes the legs, and may hold it for a few more breaths. See kapha.

Who should avoid it or take care

• Anyone with balance problems, dizziness, vertigo or a history of falls, including many older adults, should do it only at a wall or sitting, after asking a doctor.
• People with low blood pressure or inner-ear problems should take extra care.
• Those with knee, hip or ankle injuries or arthritis should avoid placing the foot high or turning the knee out far.
• In pregnancy, balance changes as the body changes. Keep a wall within reach and ask your doctor, or take a pregnancy class.
• People with osteoporosis, a recent operation or neuropathy in the feet should ask a doctor first.
• Do not practise it on a slippery floor, in socks or after a heavy meal.

A gentler option

Keep the toes of the lifted foot on the floor and the heel resting against the standing ankle, like a kickstand. This is called the toe-down version, and many teachers consider it a complete practice in itself. Or stand with your back flat against a wall, so that if you tilt you meet the wall. A third option is to sit on a chair, place one foot against the opposite calf, and hold the hands at the chest. Make the holding times short, and let the half-strength rule from exercise by dosha remind you that stopping early is part of the classical advice.

What research says

Studies on yoga as a whole suggest modest improvements in balance and confidence for some groups, such as older adults, but those trials mix many postures and vary in quality. There is almost no research on tree pose alone. It is accurate to say that balance practice in general is regarded by doctors as useful for staying steady, and that yoga is not a treatment for balance disorders.

Making it part of your practice

Tree pose sits well in the middle of a short standing sequence, after mountain pose and before a side stretch such as triangle pose. The yoga sequence tool uses a wall-supported tree in its vata option. Practise on an empty stomach, in bare feet on a non-slip surface.

The balance practice above is described as a tradition, not as medical advice. The medical disclaimer sets out the limits of this site. Check with a doctor first if you have a health concern. A registered Ayurvedic practitioner is the person to see for Ayurvedic treatment.

Frequently asked questions