SANSKRIT NAME OF ASANA: Utthita Trikonasana
There is more to Utthita Trikonasana as it seems in the first instance, and this posture is by no means a beginners’ yoga pose.
This posture requires a lot of action from joint complexes. It starts all from the ankles and feet upwards. I recommend you finding an experienced teacher to practice Trikonasana. For many people, this pose in the long term can lead to knee and lower back problems if not practised safely.
For example, your front ankle goes into eversion and a slight plantar flexion and the back ankle into inversion and slight dorsiflexion.
Front foot:
Useful instructions: Press into the front of the foot to activate the plantar flexor and squeeze the inner ankle inwards to rotate thigh and hips outwards; lift the outer arch of your front foot as you are doing this. The inner edge of your inner heel presses down. Lift the outer arch of the foot to keep the arches active.
Back foot:
Lift the inner arch by pressing the heel's outer edge down and push the heel slightly backwards and the front of the foot inwards.
Knees:
You can slightly bend the front knee as you do the above action to ensure better rotation of the thigh and not overextend the front leg, thereby locking the knee. The above-mentioned ankle action pretty much aligns your knees and make the pose safe to practice.
Hips:
The front hip is flexion, abduction and externally rotates, whereas the back hip is in extension, abduction and internal rotation.
This can help many, but as all instructions explained above, please note that they may need slight modifications for different practitioners. Turning the big toe of the front foot slightly inwards helps when you squeeze the inner heel inwards to rotate better the hip and thigh. Slightly push the front hip to the foot.
The back hip is assisted by squeezing the front foot inwards and the back foot's inner heel outwards.
Lower Back:
More experienced practitioners will be able to lengthen the spine fully (Uddyana Bandha) and use Mula Bandha (Ha Mula Bandha) while the spine rotates. The middle back slightly presses in as you lengthen the front of the body. You turn the spine from the navel so that the neck is just an extension.
Shoulders, Elbows and Wrists:
Come to my next workshop, “yoga lab”, to learn about further actions and practice all this with chairs, walls and other props. Learn what your armpits do to help activate Mulabandha. Learn what groups of muscles will be stretched relative to their normal length and which muscle groups must be active. Learn about some simpler alternative ways to perform this asana and learn how to use gravity. Learn about Partnering or how to assist somebody in this pose.
For the love of Yoga
Benefits of Triangle Pose
According to Mr Iyengar: it “reduces gastritis, indigestion, acidity and flatulence, improves the flexibility of the spine, alleviates backache, corrects the alignment of the shoulders, helps to treat neck sprains, massages and tones the pelvic area, strengthens the ankles, reduces discomfort during ministration”.
Come to my Yoga Lab Workshop. Yoga Lab includes, but not excluded to Learn about subtle adjustments (and how you can adjust others) in Trikonasana, Warrior 1 & 2, Paschimotanasana and Savasana!!
Next workshops: