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How to do Tree PoseJenBellYoga

Ultimate Guide: How to do Tree Pose (Vrksasana) + Anatomy Break Down

Beginner Yoga • Yoga • Yoga Pose
July 12, 2022

It’s simple. It’s boring. But I love to make it dance! Tree pose shouldn’t be overlooked, but even I get complacent when practicing Vrksasana.

It’s the first pose I think about when someone asks me how yoga can improve their balance. Its simplicity makes it the perfect introduction to practicing standing balancing poses, but even an advanced practitioner can find it challenging if they want. Watch the video for a visual telling of the pose but come back for more detailed information on Vrikshasana. In this post I’ll go over the basics of the pose, ways to modify, ways to challenge, and as requested – the anatomy of Tree Pose.

Pose Basics

The trickiest part to tree pose is to hold it without falling over. Oftentimes there is a correlation between the mental activity in your mind and your ability to hold steady on one foot. In a yoga class balancing poses are generally placed in the middle. The first part of the class is meant to warm up the body and help clear the mind before attempting to balance on the feet or the hands. My suggestion is to read this post (or follow along with the video), absorb all the information you can, but know that this run through of tree pose will probably not be your best and that is OK. The next time you do vrksasana in a yoga class apply the information you found here and see how it can make a difference. 🙌

Basic Position

The Standing leg

  • The centerline of the body (the spine) is stacked directly over the standing foot.
  • The big toe and pinky toe mound (ball of the foot) of the standing leg are pressing down into the ground and the weight is evenly distributed.
  • The weight of the standing leg is evenly distributed between the balls of the foot (specifically the big toe and pinky toe) and the heel.
  • The standing leg is straight, but the knee is NOT locked out.
  • The muscles of the standing leg are engaged.

The Lifted leg

  • The lifted knee is bent.
  • The lifted leg externally rotates so the knee is pointed outward from the centerline of the body.
  • The foot of the lifted leg can be on the floor, touching the calf, or touching the thigh of the supporting leg. Check out this version.

Important Notes

  • The “lifted” leg can always maintain contact with the floor to help increase stability.
  • Avoid placing the “lifted” leg against the knee of the standing leg
  • The knee can be pointed in any direction that feels comfortable
  • The lifted leg could be lightly touching the supporting leg

or

  • If the “lifted” leg foot is on the thigh, it can press into the thigh of the supporting leg. In return, the muscles of the inner thigh (the adductors) on the supporting leg engage and press back into the lifted foot.

Arms

  • The arms traditionally are lifted up straight overhead with the hands together over the midline of the body.

Important Notes

  • In all arm variations the shoulder should be moving away from the ears.
  • Skip down below to see other arm variations.

Gaze

  • The gaze traditionally goes straight ahead.

Important Notes

  • If you are in a group class with people in front of you it can be helpful to find a spot on the wall slightly above the horizon and focus on something that is not moving.
  • You can also turn your gaze down towards the floor but in general this tilts the chin down and moves the head out of alignment.

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Surface

Having a hard time holding tree pose? Take a look at the surface you’re standing on. Tree pose could be done on any surface, but a flat firm surface is easier to balance on than even a yoga mat. Below is a list of surfaces going from easiest to most challenging. If you find tree pose easy, work your way through the list to increase your ability to balance.

Moving In and Out of the Pose

Sometimes you’ll see a funky flow into (or out of) tree pose, but traditionally it’s done from mountain pose at the top of the mat. Below are the instructions from that, but there is no one right way to move into this pose. The important thing? Is to always be present and mindful as you move into any pose.

  • Start in mountain pose
  • The big toe and pinky toe mound (ball of the foot) of the standing leg are pressing down into the ground and the weight is evenly distributed.
  • The weight of the standing leg is evenly distributed between the balls of the foot (specifically the big toe and pinky toe) and the heel.

or

To come out of the pose, place the lifted foot back down on the ground coming back into mountain pose.

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Modifications

For the Balance Challenged

Balance can be difficult for many reasons: medication, inner ear issue, lack of mobility in the foot, lack of strength in the leg, weak proprioception, and more. The above quote almost says it all: you don’t magically start balancing, you have to practice (cultivate) it in order to attain balance. I’m guessing the quote above is in relation to life (work/life balance), but the same can be applied for physical balance. As babies we don’t come out walking. Our first steps are often filled with constant teeter and toddling followed by a few splats. So, if you’re struggling to find physical balance here are some suggestions:

  • Use a wall for support
  • Use heavy furniture for support
  • Practice regularly
  • Balance barefoot (it allows your toes to spread to help with micro counter balance adjustments)
  • Check your surface

For Tight Upper Bodies

No matter the reason, you may have an injury, it might be uncomfortable, or you just don’t want to do it, you don’t HAVE to do traditional arms in tree pose. You can put your arms in a variety of positions. Below is a list to start from, some (but not all) of these are shown in the video. You can get creative and combine arm positions from other poses to get a stretch in and avoid tension where it’s needed.

  • Hands on hips
  • Hands together at heart center (anjali mudra)
  • Arms out at a “T”
  • Cactus arms (goal post arms)
  • Arms up at a “Y”
  • Cowface (Gomukasana) arms
  • Eagle (garudasana) arms

For Tight Hips and Knees

The purpose of tree pose is to practice balancing on one leg, what happens with the other leg is nearly irrelevant to the purpose of the pose. Traditionally the lifted foot is on the inner thigh of the supporting leg but it isn’t mandatory to meet the purpose of the pose. Below is a list of other ideas for the lifted leg. It’s not exclusive and you can be as creative as you would like.

  • Foot on the floor with little weight
  • Foot at the ankle
  • Foot on the calf
  • Knee facing forward
  • Leg hanging

Common Mistakes

I had a hard time titling this section. Yoga is a process and a practice, it’s not about perfecting anything, so it’s hard for me to call these “mistakes.” In reality this is about things to look out for, or things to explore. You  may not be aware there’s anything to adjust, but if you have a spare minute grab your phone (or a mirror) and record, then watch yourself in the pose. Take the video from both a front and a side angle to get the most information. The below “mistakes” are probably easier to watch, so if you haven’t yet, watch the video to get the most of the section below.

Sticking the booty out

I catch myself doing this often, especially when I’ve been sitting a lot. The flexed hip position (think when they’re sitting in a chair) is something we do so often we become very comfortable with how it feels. This is simple to correct: engage your gluteus maximus. The glute max (the big butt muscle) prevents hip flexion. Notice as you engage it how you start to stand up taller.

Watch out for:

If you squeeze your glute but relax your core you’ll make the opposite shape: hips forward and a small arch in your low back. So make sure you squeeze your glutes while engaging your core.

Sassy Tree

I have given this as a yoga therapy exercise to a few clients of mine. It’s a great way to make sure you’re engaging your gluteus medius. Sassy tree is when you stick the hip of the support leg out to the side. Generally the hips are no longer parallel to the ground, and the hips are also not centered over the supporting leg foot. So as you’ve already figured out, the way to correct this posture is to engage the gluteus medius. If you want to do my sassy tree exercise just move back and forth between a sassy tree and a standard tree. You’ll feel that glute med start to burn after a few reps!

Challenging Variations

If you’re not finding tree pose challenging enough here are a few ways to challenge tree pose:

  • Changing the surface
  • Closing the eyes
  • Increase the length of time you hold Vrksasana
  • Move into tree pose from something other than mountain pose (tadasana)
  • Half lotus lifted leg
  • Half lotus lifted leg with the bind (see image below)
  • Make it sway or dance

Anatomy of the pose

I introduced these next two sections 2 weeks ago. These sections can be helpful if you’re going through a yoga teacher training, a medical professional, or if you’re just curious about how the poses work. As I mentioned during side angle pose: anatomy is complex but the goal here is to hit the big points.

Lower Body:

  • Supporting leg is straight (but not locked out) with the muscles of the leg (quadriceps and hamstrings) stabilizing the knee joint.
  • The hips are stacked over the supporting foot with the gluteus maximus (the biggest of the butt muscles) preventing the hips from hinging forward (or the but sticking out), and the gluteus medius is engaged to keep the hips level and parallel to the floor.
  • Traditionally the lifted leg is turned outward (externally rotated) finding a stretch in the inner thigh (adductors)
  • If your lifted foot is pressing into the supporting leg thigh the muscles of the inner thighs (adductors) engage in return activating the pelvic floor muscles.

Trunk  of the Body:

  • The spine is long and straight, centered over the supporting leg foot.
  • The muscles of the core (mostly the transverse abdominis) is engaged slightly to support the length of the spine.
Upper Body:
  • Traditionally the arms are extended over the head with the palms of the hands touching. In this scenario the arms are externally rotated from the soldiers, there is a stretch through the sides of the torso (latissimus dorsi). The shoulder blades are moving down the back (lower trapezius engagement).
  • If the arms are in a “Y” overhead, the same muscle actions as the traditional arms apply.
  • Arms at a “T”: The middle muscle of the shoulders (medial deltoid) is engaged to lift the arms to shoulder height. The arms are straight and though it’s not required the muscles of the upper arms (biceps and triceps) should engage to add “energy” moving outward through the fingertips to the pose. Depending on the person, the chest muscles (pectoralis major and minor) might be stretched in this shape.
  • Arms in a cactus: The elbow are bent (elbow flexion), the chest muscles (pectoralis major and minor) are being stretched, and the muscles of the back and shoulders (medial deltoid, lower and middle trapezius) are engaged to keep the arms lifted and externally rotated.
  • Hands on hips: the arms are internally rotated from the shoulders, shortening/relaxing of the chest muscles (pectoralis minor), and the elbows are bent (flexed).
Gaze
  • Traditionally the gaze goes straight ahead, making sure to keep the head in line with the rest of the spine.

Muscle Break Down

Love anatomy? Want to know how to apply it to the pose, or what pose can do what to your body? Here’s the breakdown of the pose by the anatomy.

Muscles Worked

  • Gluteus Medius of the supporting leg: Used to keep the hips level and parallel to the ground
  • Gluteus Medius of the lifted leg: Used to externally rotate the leg from the hip
  • Gluteus Maximus: Used to prevent hip flexion (hinging of the torso forward)
  • Quadriceps of the supporting leg: Used to stabilize the knee and prevent bending. 
  • Hamstring of the supporting leg: Used (a little bit) to keep the knee soft and prevent locking.
  • Transverse Abdominis: Used to support the spine
  • Lower Trapezius Muscles: Used to draw the shoulder blades down the back and externally rotate the arms.

Muscles Stretched

  • Adductors of the lifted leg
  • Latissimus Dorsi
  • Posterior Deltoids

I don’t practice tree pose very often. Actually, take that back. I often stand around on one leg, with my hip sticking out, and my other foot pressing on my inner thigh. Just like that sassy tree I wrote about up there 👆. Hopefully from this post and the video you learned a few ways to find more stability in your tree pose, or a renewed sense of fun with new challenging variations. Sign up for my newsletter below to learn more tips and tricks on (and the anatomy of) all your favorite yoga poses.

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