Triangle Pose
In Sanskrit, ‘tri’ = ‘three’, ‘kona’ = ‘angle, corners’, ‘asana’ = ‘posture’. Hence Trikonasana just means ‘three corners’ and the English title is Triangle Pose. This is a standing basic beginner level yoga pose and forms part of almost all styles of yoga. A great way to open the hips, while also stretching the muscles around the spine. Compared to the practice of Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose), this requires more flexibility of the hips and the side abdominal muscles.
Triangle Pose is considered a base pose as triangle pose variations can be derived from this pose.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Pose Detail
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Poses by Type: Standing Yoga Poses, Twist Yoga Poses
Benefits and Contraindications
Stretches and strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles
Stretches the hips, groins, hamstrings, and calves; shoulders, chest, and spine
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Helps relieve stress
Improves digestion
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Relieves backache, especially through second trimester of pregnancy
Therapeutic for anxiety, flat feet, infertility, neck pain, osteoporosis, and sciatica
Diarrhea
Headache
Low blood pressure
Heart Condition: Practice against a wall. Keep the top arm on the hip.
High blood pressure: Turn the head to gaze downward in the final pose.
Neck problems: Don’t turn your head to look upward; continue looking straight ahead and keep both sides of the neck evenly long.
Photo poses in different angles
Tips
So this asana really isn’t all about getting your bottom arm to the ground. It’s about stretching the side body and aligning the torso with the front leg.
It doesn’t matter if your hand gets close to the ground or not.
Find heal to arch alignment in the feet. Ground through all four corners of 2 feet. Firm the thighs up toward the groins. Inhale to stand tall, elongate the back and extend the arms out to the sides. Exhale and reach the front arm forward and the torso forward as much as possible. Try to align the front arm and side of the waist with the front leg.
At the end of the exhale and the end of your reach, tilt the shoulders to come into the full posture.
Try to keep the hips working to open. Use the back glute to help do this.
Keep the neck long and the chest open. Imagine a spreading of the sternum. The head can look down at the front foot, straight in front or at the top arm. Just make sure there’s no strain in the next. The forehead should be above the chin at all times (jalandara bandha)
- Triangle Pose Variation Hand On Shin
- Revolved Triangle Pose Against Wall
- Fallen Triangle Pose
- Triangle Pose Arm At Body
- Revolved Triangle Pose Wheel
- Revolved Triangle Pose
- Extended Triangle Pose
- Triangle Pose Chair Against Wall
- Revolved Triangle Pose Variation Hand Wall
- Pyramid Pose Variation Hands Down Revolved Triangle Pose Flow
- Half Bound Triangle Pose
- Warrior Pose II
- Reverse Warrior Pose
- Extended Side Angle Pose
- Warrior Pose II
- Half Moon Pose
- Extended Side Angle Pose
