Amy Tetreault teaching a yoga class at TCI EXPO ‘25. Photo courtesy of Chris Hall.

Tree care work can be physically demanding and mentally challenging. Whether you’re climbing into the canopy, operating equipment, managing crews or running a business, the work requires strength, focus and resilience. Taking care of your body and mind is essential for staying safe, performing at your best and building a long, healthy career. Yoga can be a valuable tool in your toolbox.

To explore how yoga can benefit tree care professionals, we reached out to Bear LeVangie and Amy Tetreault. LeVangie, co-founder and executive director of the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop, has more than 25 years of arboriculture experience spanning tree climbing, utility work, residential tree care, consulting and research. A Yoga Alliance RYT-200 lead instructor and yoga coach, LeVangie brings a unique perspective on the physical and mental demands of tree work. Tetreault is the executive vice president of the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA), a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500) and director of teaching at Sol Power Yoga in Bedford, New Hampshire.

What are the biggest physical challenges tree care professionals face?

LeVangie: The biggest challenges arborists and tree care professionals continually face are overuse and repetitive-motion injuries. To name a few: tendonitis, bursitis, inflammation, carpal tunnel, golfer/tennis elbow, low back strain, herniations, shoulder injuries and sun damage. The human body, our one and only temple, shuts down if we don’t listen to it. When workers ignore pain, it puts their bodies in a constant state of “dis-ease,” or stress. Over time, if the body remains in a perpetual state of “dis-ease,” it often becomes truly diseased. When recognizing these states of “dis-ease,” most workers would benefit from a full-body rediscovery.

It starts with better food choices, creating a better sleep routine, finding ways to reduce stress, increasing water intake and incorporating a dedicated stretch-and-flex program at work. This often is enough for most professionals.

Tetreault: Tree care is incredibly physically demanding. Workers in our industry face cumulative wear and tear from heavy lifting, repetitive movements and the overall intensity that comes with this work. Not to mention, days are often long and require being outside (often in extreme weather), which exacerbates everything.

How can yoga help?

LeVangie: Although not a religion, yoga is a way of life. Most people only think of the asana practice when they hear the word yoga. Yoga is a very personal journey and can be practiced in many ways. When people have space to honor their own existence beyond work and family, I would recommend a yoga practice.

Tetreault: Yoga isn’t the complicated poses you see on social media. It’s a practice of weaving together simple movements (called poses) and breathing techniques. In combination, this practice builds physical flexibility and strength while slowing down the mind and improving focus and clarity. It’s an absolutely incredible tool for arborists to help enhance their physical and mental well-being.

Tree care work also can be mentally demanding, especially in high-risk situations. How can yoga help professionals with their mental health?

LeVangie: Tree work, owning a business, caring for ourselves and our families – all of these things demand a lot of our time and attention. Once folks have learned how to take care of themselves at the most basic level, incorporating yoga can help elevate the mind out of a constant state of stress, anxiety and chaos. Yoga is a daily practice that continues into a lifelong journey. The practice evolves differently for each practitioner.

Tetreault: According to the Harvard Medical School, “Yoga strengthens parts of the brain that play a key role in memory, attention, awareness, thought, and language. Think of it as weightlifting for the brain.” Put simply – learning to truly breathe helps you learn how to calm your mind. And it’s just like anything else, the more you practice breathing, the better you get at calming your mind. The better you get at calming your mind, the easier it will be to handle stressful situations. The better you handle stressful situations, the safer you are.

Why is maintaining mobility so important for preventing injuries and extending a career in tree care?

LeVangie: Water and mobility remain the keys to life. Once the human body stops moving, it starts to decline. There are a lot of good phrases out there, but these two are the easiest to remember: “Motion is lotion” and “Movement is medicine.”

The body needs movement to keep synovial fluid flowing through the joints and to keep healing blood moving to the tendons, fascia and muscles to reduce inflammation. When bodies become stagnant, stale or stationary, they get stuck. Staying mobile reduces pain and injury, which can extend our beloved careers.

I encourage team stretching as a way to hold each other accountable for showing up and committing to one another’s health and injury reduction. Celebrate each other’s small successes.

Tetreault: Yoga is an incredible complement to most other physical efforts, because it helps engage parts of the body that are often ignored. Yoga utilizes and moves those small muscles that aren’t activated during other activities like running or weightlifting or cycling. And when you engage those parts of the body that may not otherwise get attention, you are building consistent, overall strength. As we get older, we need to be mindful that we are activating our entire body.

Simple stretches with Bear:

Start your morning with these warm-up stretches. Go slowly and deepen when able, but do not deepen stretch if you feel pain.

Bear LeVangie instructing a group stretch. Photo courtesy of Bear LeVangie.

1. Warm-up: Do full-body wiggles (truly imagine yourself wiggling). Start with one body part and continue adding parts until your whole body is moving. Start with 30 seconds, then increase the time when possible. Imagine yourself as a little kid. Have fun and smile as you wiggle. Doing so increases your endorphins to stimulate pain release, stress reduction and emotional wellbeing.
2. Neck stretch: Lower your right ear toward your right shoulder. On each exhale, allow your neck to soften for a total of 30 seconds. Then lower your left ear toward your left shoulder. On each exhale, allow your neck to soften for a total of 30 seconds. Finally, lower your chin to your chest. On each exhale, allow your neck to soften for a total of 30 seconds.
3. Arm circles: Circle both arms together or separately. Slowly rotate in one direction for 15 seconds, then reverse direction for 15 seconds. Start with small circles and slowly increase the size of your circle.
4. Wrist circles: Make circles with your wrists, either together or separately. Slowly rotate in one direction for 15 seconds, then reverse direction for 15 seconds. Start with small circles and slowly increase the size of your circle.
5. Hip circles: Slowly rotate your hips in one direction for 15 seconds, then reverse direction for 15 seconds. Start with small circles and slowly increase the size of your circle.
6. Ankle circles: Slowly rotate your ankles in one direction for 15 seconds, then reverse direction for 15 seconds. Start with small circles and slowly increase the size of your circle.
7. Shake it all out, drink some water, and start your day.

Simple poses with Amy:

For physical poses, consider mountain pose and its subsequent variations – including extended mountain, side body stretch and side body twist. Each of these improves balance, posture and alignment. They support your range of motion and stretch the deep muscles that may otherwise be ignored.

From left to right: mountain pose, extended mountain pose, side body stretch and side body twist.

Mountain Pose: This foundational pose improves posture, balance and alignment, as well as providing awareness to tune you to your body.
Extended Mountain Pose: This pose, although seemingly simple, is foundational for breath and alignment and helps with coordination. It stretches your side body, spine, shoulders and belly.
Side Body Stretch: This pose stretches the entire side of the body, including the hips, legs and shoulders, while encouraging better posture and mobility. It’s a great way to give your body a quick “reset” on the job site, especially after spending time in repetitive or awkward positions.
Side Body Twist: This pose helps improve flexibility and range of motion while gently stretching the muscles around the back, hips and torso. It can be especially helpful for tree care workers who spend long periods twisting, reaching or working in physically demanding positions.

Four-Part Breathing Exercise

Both LeVangie and Tetreault suggest box breathing when you start, end or pause during the workday, especially when you need to reset, calm down or refocus.

This simple breathing technique can help calm your body, release tension and improve focus, and it can be done virtually anywhere.

• Inhale steadily through your nose for a count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count of four.
• Exhale steadily through your nose for a count of four.
• Hold your breath for a count of four.

Repeat the cycle four times (about 64 seconds). Keep your face, neck and body relaxed throughout.

As you become comfortable with the exercise, slowly increase the count to five, six, seven, eight or more seconds per step.

Join Amy Tetreault for yoga at TCI EXPOGrow on Thursday, Nov. 12,at 11 a.m. on the trade show floor at TCI EXPO ’26.

Find Bear LeVangie at TCI EXPOSaw on the trade show floor at TCI EXPO ’26, hosted in partnership with the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop (WTCW), Nov. 12–14.