YanvaYoga > Yoga Poses > Tree Pose

Tree Pose

Vriksasana (Tree Pose)

‘Vrksa’ means ‘Tree’ and hence Vrksasana means ‘Tree Pose’. The very name suggests the body in the final pose should look like a tree. A tree stands tall, strong and straight. Tree Pose (Vrksasana) comes under the standing poses and balancing poses in yoga.

Tree Pose is considered a base pose as tree pose variations can be derived from this pose.Tree Pose helps boost energy in the body and hence can be included in flow yoga sequences.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1
Start in mountain pose with your arms alongside your body. Equally distribute the weight across both feet and ground down evenly through the inner ankles, big toes, pinky toes and the heels.
Step 2
On an inhale, shift the weight into your left foot ensuring your weight is equally distributed through all four corners of your foot and you are not gripping the toes.
Step 3
Bend the right knee into your chest and reach down to grab hold of the right inner ankle. Guide the sole of the right foot to the inner left thigh or inner calf. **Avoid resting the left foot on the inner knee.
Step 4
Press the sole of the right foot into the left inner thigh and the left inner thigh into the sole of the right foot to create stability.
Step 5
Rest your hands on your hips and encourage them to be at the same height and squared forwards towards the front. Then bring the palms to prayer at your heart center.
Step 6
Lengthen the tailbone towards the earth.
Step 7
Engage the belly gently by drawing the naval in and up towards the spine.
Step 8
Root down firmly through that left foot as you lengthen through the spine and the crown of the head.
Step 9
Soften your gaze to a non-moving point in front of you on the horizon.
Step 10
On an inhale you can reach the arms up above head with the hands active either shoulder distance apart or palms pressing together. Relax the shoulders away from the ears.
Step 11
To release, bring the right foot back down to the ground and the arms back alongside the body into mountain pose. Repeat on the other side.

Pose Detail

Benefits and Contraindications

Benefits

Improves neuromuscular coordination

Improves balance, endurance and alertness

Tones up the leg muscles and ligaments

Helps in bone development and proper alignment of the vertebral column

Helps relieve premenstrual symptoms like leg cramps and abdominal cramps

Relieves stress and anxiety

Contraindications

Arthritis and/or vertigo

Obesity

Knee or hip injury

Photo poses in different angles

Tips

Keep the knee of your standing leg soft – do not lock the knee especially if you are hypermobile.

To help with your stability and balance:
– Spread through the toes and press the foot firmly into the floor but try not to clench your foot so that it can make small movements to help keep your balance.
– Engage the muscles of the leg, hips, glutes.
– Maintain an active core.

Modifications & Variations
  • Tree Pose Aerial
  • Palm Tree Pose Variation Elbows
  • Half Lotus Tree Pose
  • Beginner Tree Pose
  • Double Tree Pose
  • Tree Pose Foot Chair
  • Tree Pose Hand Wall
  • Tree Pose On Block
  • Tree Pose Side Bend
  • Beginner Tree Pose Chair
Top Preparatory Poses
  • Mountain Pose
  • Beginner Tree Pose
  • Standing Wind Release Pose
Top Follow-Up Poses
  • Mountain Pose
  • Tree Position Side Bend
  • Warrior Pose III
Iana Varshavska
Iana Varshavska
Website administrator

In love with yoga and everything that goes along with it. Iana is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) who has completed the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification by the Yoga Alliance U.S. In addition to that, she is constantly studying and improving her skills in various aspects of yoga philosophy, yoga anatomy, biomechanics, and holodynamics.