What are you standing on when life gets shaky?
When health fails, money disappears, or relationships bend under pressure, what is your foundation? What keeps you upright?
In Christian yoga, Tree Posture is a posture that invites us to explore these questions with our whole being. It’s more than a balance exercise. It’s a spiritual practice of rooting ourselves in God and staying focused on Christ, even when everything around us sways.
Like a Tree Planted by Water
Psalm 1:3 (NRSV) describes the one who delights in God’s way like this:
“They are like trees planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.”
That’s the image: rooted, nourished, steady.
Tree Pose mirrors this. We press down through one foot, find our balance, and grow upward just like a tree reaching for the sun. But balance doesn’t come from forcing it. It comes from rooting deeply and fixing our gaze.
The same is true in our spiritual lives.
Practicing Tree Pose: A Posture of Rootedness and Focus
In Tree Pose, we:
- Ground through the foot that is planted
- Lift the opposite foot to the ankle, calf, or inner thigh
- Find a steady point to look at
- Reach our arms upward or gently move them like swaying branches
It’s simple but not easy. If our eyes wander or our mind rushes, we start to wobble. And if we’re not truly rooted, we fall.
This physical posture teaches a spiritual lesson: We can’t stay balanced if we’re rooted in the wrong things or focused on the wrong place.
Fix Your Eyes on Jesus
Hebrews 12:1–2 (NRSV) says:
“…let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…”
Just as we focus on a single unmoving point to help hold Tree Pose, we’re called to fix our spiritual gaze on Christ. Not on approval, success, comfort, or comparison, but on the One who has already won the victory for us.
When our eyes are all over the place, when we’re distracted by a thousand voices telling us what will keep us safe or make us happy, our balance falters. But when we look to Jesus, we remember who we are and whose we are.
Storms Will Come—Will You Stay Planted?
It’s not if the winds will blow. It’s when.
The world shakes us through disappointment, conflict, illness, uncertainty. Jeremiah 17:7–8 echoes Psalm 1:
“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green…”
You will be shaken. But you don’t have to be uprooted.
When your foundation is Christ, even the fiercest winds cannot undo you. Like trees rooted in deep, living water, you may sway but you will not fall.
In Tree Posture, you might let your arms move like branches in the wind, an embodied reminder that life may swirl around you, but your roots in God keep you steady.
Rooted in the Rock
Jesus Himself told us what to do when life feels unstable:
“Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” (Matthew 7:24, NRSV)
That foundation, His teachings, His presence, and His victory, is what allows us to stand firm. It’s not that storms don’t hit the faithful. It’s that we’ve been planted where the floodwaters can’t wash us away.
Embodied Faith: Practicing Tree with Intention
As you come into Tree Pose, consider what you’re rooting in:
- Is your security in circumstances or in Christ?
- Are you looking to the world or looking to Jesus?
- Are you trying to hold yourself up or letting God hold you?
You can try this breath prayer as you hold tree:
Inhale: I am rooted
Exhale: in Christ
Hold for a few breaths, then gently release knowing the roots of your faith go deeper each time you return.
Remember, Tree Pose can be practiced with your foot on the ankle, calf, or thigh. You can also use a wall or chair to help support your balance. The goal is not to “perfect the shape,” but to let the posture anchor your spirit in truth.
Tree Pose as a Spiritual Reminder
Tree Pose helps us embody what we know to be true:
- That God is our source of life and strength
- That staying rooted in God’s Word keeps us from being pulled apart
- That what we see in the world isn’t the whole story
- That in Christ, we already have the victory
Even when we feel weak or off balance, we’re not alone and we’re not without hope. The cross and resurrection remind us that death doesn’t have the final word. We are rooted in something eternal.
Want More Christian Yoga?
At Christian Yoga with Ruah Space, we create classes that help you connect with God through movement, breath, and Scripture. If Tree Pose speaks to your heart, we invite you to explore our YouTube channel for more faith-centered practices.
Come to the mat.
Root yourself in the unshakable.
And let your posture become your prayer.
