How confident do you feel climbing a flight of stairs? Do you move step by step, or stride upward without a second thought? Balance is something most people take for granted—until it starts to slip.
Your sense of balance often goes unnoticed, yet it’s a skill everyone benefits from developing, regardless of age or fitness level.
“Balance isn’t just physical, it’s an attitude of attention, inner steadiness and calm,” says YogaGo yoga teacher Amanda York.
She explains that the mind–body connection plays a crucial role, as the body naturally follows where the mind is focused.
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“When the mind scatters, the body wobbles. When attention settles, the body follows,” she says.
Factors such as joint instability, injury, or limited mobility can affect balance, but so can a lack of practice, confidence, and mental focus.
“In my 15 years of teaching yoga, I’ve noticed balance poses are especially appealing to more mature students, largely due to aging bones and natural muscle loss,” York explains.
“But truly, balance poses benefit everyone. No matter your age, sex, or ability, balance work builds strength, stability, and confidence that carry over into everyday life.”
Standing balance poses strengthen the legs, hips, core, and back while also offering psychological benefits.
“By focusing on standing balance, you become more aware of your posture and center of gravity,” York says.
With regular practice, these poses help strengthen muscles, train the core to engage effectively, and support both yoga practice and daily functional movement.
Three Standing Balance Poses to Practice
Here are three balance poses York recommends to improve stability, focus, and confidence.
1. Tree Pose
Hold: Five breaths
York selected this pose to develop foundational stability and a strong sense of grounding.
“Tree pose teaches you how to stand firmly on one leg while maintaining ease and steadiness,” she says.
How to do it:
- Stand tall with your feet together, distributing weight evenly.
- Shift your weight onto one foot.
- Place the sole of your other foot on your inner thigh, calf, or ankle, avoiding the knee joint.
- Fix your gaze on a steady point ahead.
- Bring your palms together at your chest or extend them overhead.
- Press your standing foot into the floor, engage your core, and breathe steadily.
- Hold for five breaths, then release slowly and repeat on the other side.
Expert tips:
- Externally rotate the lifted thigh from the hip.
- Keep a slight bend in the standing knee if needed.
- Practice near a wall for extra support.
2. Warrior III
Hold: Five breaths
This pose builds core strength, focus, and full-body coordination.
“Building on the grounding of tree pose, warrior III challenges balance as the body extends in opposite directions,” York explains.
How to do it:
- Begin standing and step one foot back into a high lunge.
- Shift your weight into your front foot and look down for balance.
- Hinge forward from the hips, lifting your back leg straight behind you.
- Extend your arms forward, forming a straight line from fingertips to heel.
- Engage your core and breathe deeply for five breaths.
- Lower with control and repeat on the opposite side.
Expert tips:
- Keep your hands on your hips if balance feels challenging.
- Lift the back leg only as high as feels stable.
3. Half Moon Pose
Hold: Five breaths
This pose enhances lower-body strength, torso openness, and overall body awareness.
“Half moon builds on warrior III by adding rotation, openness, and confidence,” says York.
How to do it:
- From standing, step your right foot forward and turn your left foot 90 degrees outward.
- Hinge at the hips and shift your weight onto your right leg.
- Lower your torso and place your right hand on the floor or a block.
- Lift your back leg until it’s parallel to the floor.
- Rotate your torso to the right and extend your left arm upward.
- Gaze downward for stability, to the side for challenge, or upward for intensity.
- Hold for five breaths, then release slowly and repeat on the other side.
Expert tips:
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- Use a block under your supporting hand.
- Maintain a slight bend in the standing leg.
- Flex the lifted foot to help stabilize the hips.
