Trouble with tree pose

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I love yoga, but I cannot do a tree pose to save my life. My yoga teacher, who usually gives very clear and helpful instructions, just says, “Make sure you’re grounding through your standing leg.”

I’m pretty sure that I’m grounding as much as I can. But as soon as my other leg comes up, I wobble around like a tree in an earthquake, no matter how high or low I place it, and I keep falling out of the pose.

I welcome a challenge, but I’m not sure how to proceed. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

#2

Many people in our society have issues with balance and that can manifest in balancing poses. Additionally, there’s a misperception that balance is only physiological. It is, in fact, a combination of the way one uses their body, their mind, and their breath.

Rooting or “grounding” is appropriate and should result in recoiling. However it is only one part of one part.

It is also important to understand that the experience of “not being able to do tree pose to save my life” is a very fruitful position to be in. It is completely okay to fall over as many times as necessary - as long as you are getting up one more time than you are falling.

The pose will come when the student builds foundational standing poses and cultivates the ability to make the mind of one point and move the breath into different parts of the body, not to mention learning to contract some muscles while not contracting others.

#3

Speaking only from my own beginner’s struggles with it and very slowly developing ability to do it.

First I found it easier to do at home than in class, until I realized that watching the instructor doing it while I was trying to do it was next to impossible for me. Something about the fact of visually following another person’s shifting as they kept balance was throwing me off. When she moved out of my visual range it was much easier to do. Probably not good to watch yourself in the mirror either.

I also found it was much easier to do early in the day than in class at the end of the work day. And it was much easier to do at the beginning of a session than after I’d done other poses, especially side angle ones.

So for me extra practice of doing it alone, or not looking at the instructor (or other students as they balance), doing it earlier in the day and earlier the session helped a lot when starting out. It is still easier that way but after focusing on doing under the special circumstances it has become slowly doable and easier when I don’t have them.

YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary) and none of this may help you.

#4

I too have balancing issues with Tree Pose and Eagle Pose and Dancer Pose. I think I finally got it with all 3 poses!! Its really your mind!! I’m learning to calm my mind in those positions. And I try to feel both feet. I’m use to both feet…not one!! So once I know I do have both feet I imagine I’m utilizing both or figuring out each body part. Kinda like you are doing a relaxation scan through your whole body. Feel where each important body part is located, where is the foot that is up and where is the foot on the ground. And just feel!!
And your arms are IMPORTANT as well!! Are you hands in prayer position? If so…make sure your elbows are pointing out and use your folded arms as balance as well. I like to squeeze my hands together so hard if I feel I’m becoming a bit unbalanced. All I can say is keep practicing and do not give up!! It will come…but relax the mind and BREATHE!!! Good luck!!

#5

Thanks for your suggestions, everybody. I appreciate your help.

#6

Hello Cuhl,just to add to the good advie you are receiving,I know tree pose is a balancing posture, but you could try using a wall for support,so you may spend more time in the pose and then become familiar with helpful actions in the pose.Best of course not to become overly attached to the wall.

#7

I find that breath control becomes crucial for gaining control in the balancing postures. So, in addition to focusing your gaze, grounding the supporting foot, pay attention to slow and steady, and in my case, long inhalations and exhalations.

In my experience, there’s a very tight relationship between jerky breath and instability.

Hope this helps

y