How to Do the Tree Pose

A single banyan, India's national tree, can cover up to an acre or more. In other words, they're stable—which is what you should keep in mind when you're balancing on one leg in the Tree Pose.

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Up next in How to Do Yoga Poses (57 videos)

Learn all the basic yoga poses -- downward facing dog, lotus, plank, and so on -- so you can get toned and find a little inner calmness, too.

 
How to Tone Your Butt with Yoga
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How to Tone Your Butt with Yoga
How to Do the Upward Facing Dog Pose
2
How to Do the Upward Facing Dog Pose
How to Do the Cow Face Pose
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How to Do the Cow Face Pose
How to Do the Corpse Pose
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How to Do the Corpse Pose
How to Do the Lotus Pose
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How to Do the Lotus Pose
How to Do the Scorpion Pose
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How to Do the Scorpion Pose
How to Do the Shoulder Stand Pose
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How to Do the Shoulder Stand Pose
How to Do the Hero Pose
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How to Do the Hero Pose
How to Do the Crow Pose
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How to Do the Crow Pose
How to Do the Dancer Pose
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How to Do the Dancer Pose
How to Do the Cat Cow Pose
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How to Do the Cat Cow Pose
How to Do the Plank Pose
12
How to Do the Plank Pose
How to Do the Adept Pose
13
How to Do the Adept Pose
How to Do the Downward Facing Dog Pose
14
How to Do the Downward Facing Dog Pose
How to Do the Locust Pose
15
How to Do the Locust Pose
How to Do the Wheel Pose
16
How to Do the Wheel Pose
How to Do the Bow Pose
17
How to Do the Bow Pose
How to Do a Sun Salutation B
18
How to Do a Sun Salutation B
How to Do a Standing Forward Bend
19
How to Do a Standing Forward Bend
How to Do the Camel Pose
20
How to Do the Camel Pose
How to Do the Mountain Pose
21
How to Do the Mountain Pose
How to Do the Child's Pose
22
How to Do the Child's Pose
How to Do the Balancing Half Moon Pose
23
How to Do the Balancing Half Moon Pose
How to Do a Standing Half Forward Bend
24
How to Do a Standing Half Forward Bend
How to Do the Warrior II Pose
25
How to Do the Warrior II Pose
How to Do the Thunderbolt Pose
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How to Do the Thunderbolt Pose
How to Do the Arms Reaching Upward Pose
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How to Do the Arms Reaching Upward Pose
How to Do a Basic Sun Salutation
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How to Do a Basic Sun Salutation
How to Do the Extended Hand to Toe Pose
29
How to Do the Extended Hand to Toe Pose
How to Do the Pigeon Pose
30
How to Do the Pigeon Pose
How to Do the Bridge Pose
31
How to Do the Bridge Pose
How to Do the Standing Crescent Moon Pose
32
How to Do the Standing Crescent Moon Pose
How to Do the Wind Relieving Pose
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How to Do the Wind Relieving Pose
How to Do the Fish Pose
34
How to Do the Fish Pose
How to Do the Salute with Eight Limbs Pose
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How to Do the Salute with Eight Limbs Pose
How to Do the Tree Pose
36
How to Do the Tree Pose
How to Do the Extended Side Angle Pose
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How to Do the Extended Side Angle Pose
How to Do the Warrior III Pose
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How to Do the Warrior III Pose
How to Do the Lion Pose
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How to Do the Lion Pose
How to Do the Plow Pose
40
How to Do the Plow Pose
How to Do the Shooting Bow Pose
41
How to Do the Shooting Bow Pose
How to Do the Wide Legged Forward Bend
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How to Do the Wide Legged Forward Bend
How to Do a Noble Pose
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How to Do a Noble Pose
How to Do the Bound Angle Pose
44
How to Do the Bound Angle Pose
How to Do the Eagle Pose
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How to Do the Eagle Pose
How to Do the Four Limbed Staff Pose
46
How to Do the Four Limbed Staff Pose
How to Do the Lunge Pose
47
How to Do the Lunge Pose
How to Do the Headstand Pose
48
How to Do the Headstand Pose
How to Do the Cobra Pose
49
How to Do the Cobra Pose
How to Do the Chair Pose
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How to Do the Chair Pose
How to Do a Seated Spinal Twist Pose
51
How to Do a Seated Spinal Twist Pose
How to Do the Extended Triangle Pose
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How to Do the Extended Triangle Pose
How to Do Power Yoga
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How to Do Power Yoga
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How to Choose Yoga Classes
How to Handle a Fart in Yoga Class
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How to Handle a Fart in Yoga Class
How to Do the Warrior I Pose
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How to Do the Warrior I Pose
How to Practice Nude Yoga
57
How to Practice Nude Yoga
 

You Will Need

  • Comfortable clothing suitable for stretching and moving
  • A calm place where you won't be distracted or disturbed
  • A yoga mat or folded blanket

Steps

  1. Step 1

    Mountain Pose

    Stand at the front of your mat with your feet hip-width apart and your weight evenly distributed between them, your spine erect, and your arms at your sides.

  2. Step 2

    Draw right heel up

    Shift your weight onto your left leg as you bend your right knee and draw your right heel up toward your pelvis.

  3. Step 3

    Place heel on left thigh

    Grab your heel with your hand and lift it up, placing your heel on the inner thigh of your left leg. Your toes should be pointing down your leg toward the mat and your knee should be facing out.

  4. If you can only raise your heel as high as your knee, place it on your calf instead as it will strain the knee joint to rest it there.

  5. Step 4

    Drop tailbone

    Press the foot and inner thigh against each other and gently drop your tailbone toward the ground so that your lower back lengthens.

  6. Step 5

    Place hands

    Place your hands in front of your chest with your palms pressed together in a praying position.

  7. Step 6

    Extend arms

    Extend your arms overhead so they're near your ears and your elbows are straight, while keeping your hands in their prayer position.

  8. If your neck or shoulders feel tense, leave your hands in front of your chest or place them on your hips.

  9. Step 7

    Focus eyes

    Focus your eyes on a fixed point a few feet in front of you and hold the pose for several slow, even breaths.

  10. Step 8

    Repeat pose

    Lower your foot to the mat, shift your weight to it, and repeat the pose on the left leg, for the same number of breaths.

  11. Step 9

    Release pose

    Release the pose by lowering your foot.

  12. Thomas Edison planted the U.S.'s first banyan tree in 1925 on his estate in Florida, where it still flourishes.

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