Lower back, hips and knees

Tree Pose: Side-Lying

The most accessible version: lying on your side removes all standing and balance demands, making hip rotation mobility work available to everyone.

How to do it

1. 1

   Lie on one side with your legs stacked

   Head supported on a cushion or your lower arm, hips one directly above the other.

2. 2

   Bend the top knee and slide that foot in

   Bring the top foot to the inside of the bottom leg, around the ankle or calf, and let the knee travel away from the bottom leg.

3. 3

   Rest the top knee on a pillow

   Let a pillow meet the knee wherever it lands. Nothing is holding the leg up here, which is what makes this the easiest version to stay in.

4. 4

   Stay for thirty to sixty seconds, then roll over

   Change sides slowly and rebuild the same support on the second side.

What to watch for

Letting the top hip roll forward so the knee can reach further down. Keep the hips stacked and let the pillow come up to the knee instead.

Ways to adjust it

• Pillow between knees

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: At Wall
• Tree Pose: Classic
• Tree Pose: Foot on Chair
• Tree Pose: Holding Chair
• Tree Pose: Lift & Lower
• 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.