Technique
- From a standing position, bring the sole of one foot to the inner thigh of the opposite leg, above the knee.
- Press the foot and thigh toward each other.
- Bring the palms of the hands together in front of the chest in Prayer Position.
- Think of externally rotating the hip, and allow the tailbone to drop toward the heels, keeping the chest lifted and the gaze straight ahead.
Form tips
- If the foot will not go to the upper thigh, opt for Low tree pose.
- Do not put pressure on the inside of the knee.
- You may use your hand to assist in positioning the foot.
- Keep the gaze and breath steady to help with balance.
- Stamp down into the standing leg to keep it active and retain balance.
- Press the palms together firmly to bring awareness to the center line of the body and retain balance.
Logging: Work each side for the time indicated.
Muscles
Strength
Secondary
- Legs
Flexibility
Primary
- Glutes
Secondary
- Pelvis
- Hamstrings
- Quadriceps
Individual muscles
Individual muscles
- Flexor digitorum brevis
- Flexor digitorum longus
- Flexor hallucis longus
- Flexor hallucis brevis
Equipment
Appears in
Strength
Flexibility
Balance
Other disciplines
Joint movements
Progressions
Standing figure-4 tree
Novice
Regressions
Low tree pose
Beginner
View Similar Exercises
View Similar Exercises
Standing quad stretch
Beginner
Standing front leg toe hold
Novice
Side leg swing
Novice
One-leg stand eyes closed
Novice
Standing side leg toe hold
Novice
Want to log this exercise? Open it in Calistree. Text and images are used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; the video plays from the original source.