12 Single Leg Yoga Poses You Should Do to Improve Your Balance and Flexibility

You can always do yoga poses on one leg to test your stability. Don’t do them just for fun or to test yourself. Standing on one leg to perform yoga poses can help achieve balance and strength. Such asanas are especially useful for the elderly, as people develop problems with balance as they age. Improving balance is important as it can reduce the risk of falling. If you are a beginner, these postures may seem too difficult for you. However, with consistent practice and patience, you can learn to master these poses. Remember to start gradually and adjust the single leg yoga poses according to your fitness level.

Yoga for better balance

In your youth, you may not have a problem with balance. A 2012 analysis published in Current Gerontology And Geriatrics Research found that the ability to maintain balance declines with age. You have to work on it as it may have something to do with your life expectancy. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2022 found a link between the ability to maintain balance and a longer life. The researchers found an 84 percent greater risk of death from any cause for people who couldn’t stand on one leg for 10 seconds.

Regular yoga practice can help manage balance problems. According to a study published in PM&R in 2016, it can help reduce the fear of falling and improve balance in older adults. Another study published in Plos One in 2023 found that after a 16-week yoga intervention, the ability of people who practiced yoga was able to better balance their bodies.

12 One Leg Yoga Poses You Must Do

“Try these single leg yoga poses to improve your balance and strengthen your body,” says yoga expert Fenil Purohit.

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• Tree Pose is one of the best single-legged yoga poses, so stand up straight, shift your weight to your left leg, and bend your right knee.
• Keep your right foot on the inside of your left thigh or calf, avoiding the knee.
• Place your hands in the center of your heart or raise them above your head.
• Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths, then switch to the other side.

2. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

• To do one of the warrior poses, stand with your right foot forward.
• As you shift your weight onto your right leg, extend your left leg straight back.
• Bend your torso forward until it is parallel to the ground.
• Stretch your arms forward or relax them at your sides.
• Hold for 5-10 breaths, then switch sides.

3. Dancer’s pose (Natarajasana)

• To perform one of the popular one-legged yoga poses, stand up straight, shift your weight to your left leg, and bend your right knee.
• Grab your right ankle with your right hand.
• Extend your left arm forward while lifting your right leg up.
• After staying in this position for 5 to 10 breaths, switch sides.

4. Eagle pose (Garudasana)

• Stand upright and bend both knees slightly.
• Cross your right thigh over your left thigh.
• Optionally, wrap your right leg around your left calf.
• Cross your right hand under your left hand, palms together.
• Stay in this position for 10 breaths, then switch sides.

5. Standing big toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)

• Stand tall and lift your right leg, bending the knee.
• Grasp the big toe with your right hand.
• Straighten your right leg forward (or keep it bent).
• Extend your left arm to help balance, then switch sides after 10 seconds.

6. Crescent Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

• Stand up straight, extend your right leg and shift your weight onto your right leg.
• Place your right hand on the floor or on a yoga block.
• Lift your back leg (left) so that it is parallel to the ground.
• Open your chest and extend your left arm up.
• Hold the pose for 10 breaths, then switch to the opposite side.

7. One-legged chair pose (Eka Pada Utkatasana)

• Stand up and then lower your body as if you were sitting in an invisible chair.
• Shift your weight to your left leg and lift your right knee.
• Find your balance by reaching forward or raising your arms above your head.
• Hold the position for at least 5 breaths, then switch to the other side.

8. Warrior I with raised leg

• Stand up straight, extend your right leg and shift your weight onto it.
• Lift your back (left) leg slightly off the ground.
• Balance with arms in a prayer position or extended overhead, then switch sides after 10 breaths.

9. Swivel Chair Pose (Parivrta Utkatasana) on one leg

• Stand up, then lower your body into a sitting position.
• Lift your right leg slightly off the ground.
• Twist your torso and bring your left elbow to your right thigh.
• Switch sides, holding this position for about 5 seconds.

10. Spinning Crescent Pose (Parivrta Ardha Chandrasana)

• Start in Warrior III.
• Place your right hand on the floor or on a yoga block.
• Turn your torso to the right while extending your left arm up.
• Switch sides after 10 breaths.

11. Mountain pose on one leg (Eko Pada Tadasana)

• Stand tall.
• Raise your right knee to hip height, making sure your hands stay on your hips.
• Focus on maintaining balance by engaging the core.
• Hold this position for about 5 breaths, then switch to the opposite side.

12. Standing Split (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

• To do one of the best single leg yoga poses, bring the front of your upper body to your lower body as if you were bending your body.
• Shift your weight to your left leg and lift your right leg up.
• Keep your hands on the ground or hold your ankle while standing for stability.
• Hold this pose for 5 to 10 breaths, then switch sides to continue one of the best single leg yoga poses.

Benefits of One Leg Yoga Poses

Doing yoga poses on one leg is great for your body:

1. Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

• It stabilizes the muscles of the ankles and knees, strengthening the health of the joints.
• “It also stimulates the pelvic floor and lower abdominal muscles, helping to align the spine,” says the expert.

2. Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

• This is one of the best single leg yoga poses as it strengthens the hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles that are essential for movement and support of the spine.
• Increases core stability by engaging the transversus abdominis and the muscles that straighten the spine.
• Improves balance by developing proprioceptive feedback from the feet and legs.

3. Dancer’s pose (Natarajasana)

• Good for the quadriceps and hip flexors, which can help improve stability.
• Stretches the lumbar and iliac muscles, relieving tension in the hip area.
• Strengthens the expansion of the chest, which increases the capacity of the lungs and the supply of oxygen.

4. Eagle pose (Garudasana)

• Eagle pose improves joint mobility in the shoulders, hips and knees.
• “It stabilizes the muscles of the ankles and feet, reducing the risk of injuries,” says the specialist.

5. Standing big toe pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)

• Good for ankles, feet and core muscles.
• Increases hamstring and hip flexibility by lengthening the posterior chain.
• Promotes hip mobility, reducing stiffness and increasing range of motion, making it one of the best single leg yoga poses.

6. Crescent Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

• Strengthens the gluteus medius, improving hip stability and reducing stress on the lower back.
• Improves spinal alignment and rotation through lateral body engagement.

7. One-legged chair pose (Eka Pada Utkatasana)

• Strengthens quadriceps and lower legs, increasing joint stability.
• “It engages the core, improves spinal alignment and tones the abdominal muscles,” says Purohit.
• Increases functional balance by stimulating sensory feedback from the foot.

8. Warrior I with raised leg

• Strengthens the hip flexors and extensors needed to maintain balance and posture.
• Activates the lower back and gluteal muscles to increase pelvic stability.

9. Swivel Chair Pose (Parivrta Utkatasana) on one leg

• Strengthens the oblique and multipartite muscles, improving the rotation and stability of the spine.
• Stimulates the digestive organs by compressing the abdomen and massaging.
• “It increases quadriceps endurance and lower back flexibility,” says the expert.

10. Spinning Crescent Pose (Parivrta Ardha Chandrasana)

• Strengthens core muscles for better rotation and stability of the spine.
• Improves hip and hamstring flexibility by stretching the posterior chain.
• “This activates the thoracic spine, helping to improve rotational mobility,” says Purohit.

11. Mountain pose on one leg (Eko Pada Tadasana)

• This version of mountain pose strengthens the foot muscles, improving stability and balance.
• Activates the deep core muscles, including the psoas and rectus abdominis.
• Improves postural alignment by promoting an upright spine.

12. Standing twine (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

• Stretches the hamstrings, shins and gluteal muscles, relieving stiffness.
• Strengthens the leg and core, promoting muscular endurance.
• Increases hip flexibility and helps relieve stress on the lower back.

Who Should Avoid Single Leg Yoga Poses?

• People with knee injuries should not practice single leg yoga poses.
• People who have had surgery, especially on the hips and knees, should avoid them.
• One-legged yoga poses require physical strength. People with weak knees and ankles should skip these asanas.
• Pregnant women may fall while performing these asanas and injure themselves, so avoid them.

At first, single leg yoga poses may seem difficult. Stay calm and focus on a fixed point to maintain balance while performing these asanas. If you’re not confident, you can practice next to a wall or include blocks for extra support.

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