If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you know the feeling: You’re rocking the class and feeling on top of the world when suddenly it’s time for tree pose. Get into that pose — one that requires an insane amount of balance skills — and you’re wobbling back and forth like a flower in a windstorm. Even if you’re experienced, we’ve all been there at some point or another! The good news is that you can improve your sense of balance. Let’s learn how!

How can yoga help you have better balance?

If you’re looking to improve your sense of balance, yoga’s where it’s at. Holding poses for up to several minutes at a time, going from one tricky pose to another — yoga is all about balance. However, while it can be hard at first, the more you do it, the better you’ll get. You’ll also be more stable overall. Practice makes progress!

Static balance vs. dynamic balance

Let’s think about these two types of balance in terms of yoga. Static balance is basically being able to hold a pose with firm footing and without shaking or wobbling. It’s all about being rooted and stable. (Welp, if you’re anything like us, you’ll wobble at least a bit, but hey…that’s the journey of yoga!)  Dynamic balance, on the other hand, means being able to smoothly move from one pose to another without losing your footing. It’s all about being able to hold yourself steady while being in motion.

Tips to help improve balance 

Everyone has to start somewhere. As you’re in yoga class, whenever you find it hard to remain balanced, follow these tips:

Stretch: Stretch before every class! Stretching warms up your muscles and prepares them for the work ahead! Tight muscles need love otherwise they’re more likely to give out on you.

Focal point: Choosing a point to focus on can help you maintain your balance. This point should be straight in front of you, right in your line of sight. It should also be something stable (i.e., no focusing on your yoga buddy in front of you). A certain part of a picture hanging on the wall or a plant in front of the room works, for example. 

Visualize strength and stability: If you find that you need an extra boost, it can be helpful to imagine yourself as something strong. For example, in the warrior poses, picture yourself as a mountain, spread out and steady. Or in tree pose, imagine yourself as a large, established tree, your roots planted firmly in the ground.

Strength exercises: If you’re having trouble balancing, do some strength training a couple days a week. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference you’ll see in how your body responds to unstable situations! Work on strengthening your entire body, but focus on your legs and core to really help!

Close your eyes: What? Didn’t we just say to have a focal point? This one’s for when you’re ready to unlock that next-level balance or for advanced practitioners of yoga! Once you’ve mastered balancing in your poses, try closing your eyes while holding a balance pose… It’s much harder than holding it with your eyes open! 

You need good strength to be able to balance well. The more you practice yoga, the more you’re strengthening the muscles needed for certain poses and the more your body will be able to handle keeping those poses steady.

Poses that help hone your sense of balance

Looking for some poses you can practice to help you balance? We recommend these:

Tree pose

Chair pose

Triangle pose

Warrior poses

Eagle pose

Plank pose

As always, be safe and ask for tips from your instructor if you’re finding a particular pose to be hard. You can also try keeping a stable object nearby that you can grab on to in case you begin to falter a bit.