Lower back, hips, knees and ankles

Tree Pose: At Wall

The wall gives you a safety net while you develop single-leg balance, building confidence and stability in your ankles, hips, and core.

How to do it

1. 1

   Stand with a wall close on one side

   Close enough that your fingertips reach it without leaning. Balance on the leg nearer the wall so the other knee can open away into the room.

2. 2

   Rest your fingertips lightly on the wall

   The wall is there to catch sideways wobble, so a light touch is enough. Keep the shoulder down rather than propping on the arm.

3. 3

   Place the lifted foot on the inner leg

   Calf or inner thigh, whichever you can reach without the hips shifting. Keep it off the side of the knee.

4. 4

   Level the hips and stand up through the standing leg

   Both hip points face forward and stay the same height. The chest lifts rather than tipping toward the wall.

5. 5

   Hold for thirty to sixty seconds, then turn around

   Working both sides means having the wall on each side in turn. If steadying is still hard, hold a chair or keep the lifted toes on the floor.

What to watch for

Leaning your body weight into the wall, or hooking the lifted knee against it. Fingertips are a cue, not a crutch, and if the wall is holding you the balance work stops happening.

Ways to adjust it

• Chair
• Toes floor

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

• Tree Pose: Holding Chair

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Tree Pose versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

• Tree Pose: Classic
• Tree Pose: Foot on Chair
• Tree Pose: Holding Chair
• Tree Pose: Lift & Lower
• Tree Pose: Side-Lying
• Tree Pose: Toes on Floor

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.