Triangle Pose

Utthita Trikonasana

Utthita=extended Trikona=triangle

“When we stand, weight is transmitted down through our spines, into our pelvis, through our hip joints to our feet. Standing is a foundation for stability, mobility, and confidence. When the lower part of the body is grounded properly, the upper part of the body, including the mind, becomes light and agile. Energy is freed up. We learn to have our feet on the ground, to find connection to the earth and to grow upward toward the sky.”

Esther Myers, Yoga and You

Benefits

Triangle acts to balance the muscular support around the lower back & pelvis & align the pelvis with the legs for a clear line of weight distribution downwards. It is a grounding posture, thus it allows you to feel your legs supporting you. Triangle pose also releases the hips, legs, & spinal column. It is a strong pose, legs are active & abdominal muscles are engaged. Standing poses build confidence & security.

Practicing the Pose

• Find your feet & your legs in Tadasna (Mountain Pose), take a moment & breathe. Our feet are naturally resilient, to maintain this resilience & to support the body properly the arches need to be extended & the muscles, tendons, ligaments & small joints of the feet need to be flexible. Focus your attention to your heels, outer edges of your feet & the base of your big toes. Your legs can be straight or there can be a soft bend in the knees. Avoid placing stress on the knees, do not lock the knees & with out forcing or straining direct your knees forward.
• From Tadasana as you exhale step your right foot a comfortable distance behind you (long or short stance). You know your stance is too wide if you can no longer feel the outer edge of your back foot. It is okay to keep your front knee bent for protection; however it is important that the front knee face forward. Angle your back foot in slightly & have your left toes forward. Take a grounding breath before moving on… relax as you inhale & as you exhale drop into your heels, the outer edges of your feet & press into your big toes.
• With the legs in position take a breath & float your arms up to shoulder level. Relax your arms. Imagine a wall behind you. Try practicing with the wall for support sometimes, it’s a wonderful stretch for the body & a changes the sensation from doing it in the center of the room.
• With the wave of your breath lengthen long over your left leg as you exhale. Move slowly; don’t rush here, it is important to lengthen the spine before releasing your left hand to your shin, ankle, foot, floor, or block. Allow your pelvis the freedom to move. Right arm & fingers reach up, right shoulder aligns on top of your left, & right palm faces forward. Breathe & enjoy! REPEAT OTHER SIDE

Cautions

Knees: NO PULL ON THE BACK OF THE KNEE, front knee can be kept slightly bent.

Neck: NO STRAIN ON THE NECK, look down at front foot, straight ahead, or up at top hand. Keep head level with your heart.

Head: DO NOT COLLAPSE THE HEAD, spine is kept in alignment