Proper Yoga Technique: Tree Pose

The Tree Pose in yoga has many benefits. It stretches your thigh, groin, torso and shoulders while building strength in your ankles and calves. It also tones abdominal muscles and challenges your balance.

This is a great pose for soccer or basketball players to help improve accuracy with passes and shots.

So how do you do perform this pose correctly? Lois Maple, PT with OrthoCarolina, shares her advice. 

1. Start in the standing position, shift your weight onto one leg
2. Place the opposite foot at calf level or on the inner thigh (never on the knee joint)
3. Keep your ankle, hip and knee in line with the leg you’re standing on.  Keep hips level.
4. Slowly “grow your tree” by raising your arms above your head
5. Engage your core
6. Hold the pose for 30 seconds or longer
7. For a great challenge you can look up towards the ceiling

Once you complete the pose on one leg, switch to the other leg. The longer you hold this pose the more your balance is challenged.

Lois Maple is a physical therapist with OrthoCarolina Winston.