Pose guide
How to improve your Tree Pose
Standing leg strong, hips level, torso tall and centered, head steady. Here’s the rubric Posewise measures it against, and what to train when you miss.
The rubric
Posewise checks four things from the front. Here’s what good looks like.
- Standing legStraight and strong, knee not locked165–185°hip · knee · ankle
- HipsLevel, neither side hiking or dropping0–7°tilt
- TorsoTall and centered over the standing foot0–12°lean from vertical
- HeadLevel, gaze on one still point0–9°tilt
What’s holding it back
Strengthen your outer hips, and your hips will stay level.
The standing-leg glutes hold the pelvis level on one leg. When they’re weak, the hips tip and the torso leans to compensate.
Clamshells12 a side
Lateral step-outs10 a side
Level your hips and stand tall over your foot.
Build quad strength, and your standing leg will stay straight and strong.
A standing knee that softens as you hold usually points to single-leg strength running out.
Quad sets12 a side
Step-downs8 a side
Press down through your standing foot.
And one cue: fix your gaze on one still point ahead and keep your head level. A steady gaze steadies everything below it.
Not sure which one is yours?
Posewise watches your Tree Pose through your iPhone camera, tells you which of these is holding you back, and builds a six-minute daily plan to fix it. Video never leaves your phone.
Join the betaFree during the beta · iPhone
Quick answers
Can I put my foot on my knee?
No. Place it above or below the knee, on your inner thigh or calf, so there’s no sideways pressure on the joint.
Why do I lose my balance?
Usually a wandering gaze or a weak standing hip. Fix your eyes on one still point and press your foot and inner leg into each other.
Why does my foot slide down?
Press your foot and leg into each other with equal force, or start with your foot on your calf or your toes on the floor.
Should my hips be level?
Yes. The lifted-leg hip tends to hike up, so draw it down until both hip points face forward and sit level.
How can I check my Tree Pose form at home?
Film yourself from the front. Or use Posewise, an iPhone app that measures your Tree Pose with the camera, speaks corrections as you hold it, and builds a six-minute daily plan for what it finds.