Terrible Tree Pose: Don't Harsh Your Knees!

The woman pictured here is in one of the most recognizable yoga postures, Vrkasana or “Tree Pose.” While she has the right idea showing up for yoga in the first place, and she is still enhancing her balance and confidence, her foot placement is all off. 

    Tree pose is great for building balance, coordination, muscle strength, and bone density, but resting the raised foot on the stable leg’s knee is a very bad habit. Over a long period of time, doing tree this way will strain both of your knees, pretty much negating the benefits of the posture.

    Proper alignment calls for the lifted foot to be anywhere above or below the knee, and some practitioners prefer to actually cross the lifted foot across the stable leg. Although it would appear most of Vrkasana’s action is happening when the leg is lifted, the actual power of the pose is found in the stable hip. Tuck the tailbone and feel the lower abdominals engage. 

    As for the shoes, well, I’m not a fan. There are certain environments and times when wearing shoes for yoga is appropriate, but as a rule, I think it’s best to practice barefoot. Socks cause slipping, and possibly injury. Bare feet have the opportunity to pronate and flex naturally, stretching ligaments and tendons and allowing the foundation of the body to support and correct itself. Never hesitate to put one finger, a whole hand or your entire body against a wall if you want or need to. Yoga isn't about doing circus tricks or performance art.