Sanskrit name

Trikonasana (Trikona = Triangle)

How to do Trikonasana

Start in Tadasana to get aware of your body and breath.Then open your feet about 1m(3-5 feet). Heels are in one line and your body weight balanced on both feet. Keep your legs active and straight (don’t overbend). To raise your kneecaps up push your big toe into the ground (Tadasana feet!). Now open the right foot in 90° angle to the side. In order to protect your ankles turn the backfoot (left) slightly inwards.

After setting a stable foundation, inhale and raise your arms over your head, lifting up the rip cage. Exhale and lower them to the sides (on shoulder level), parallel to the floor, palms facing down. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your chest open. Now you reach out to the side: Exhale and extend your torso from your hips (still facing to the front) to the right side. Extend just as far as you can keep your torso straight. On the next exhalation you lower the right arm and raise up the left arm, changing the line of your arms from horizontal to vertical (in line with your shoulders). Turn your palms facing the front.

Finally you can turn your face to the ceiling, to the front (if more comfortable) or even to the ground (for neck pain). Try what’s best for you and how you can enjoy the pose.

Stay for a few breaths in triangle pose. Close your eyes. Use your breath to get deeper into the pose: Feel with every inhalation your lungs expanding and your rip cage opening. With every exhalation release tensions or resistances and extend a bit more.

To get out of trikonasana, inhale and lift up your upper body to its original position. Change the side. Repeat on the other side.

Special focus on

feet: Heels are in a line. Backfoot is turning slightly inwards. Make sure you push into the mat through the heel of your back foot.

legs: keep them active, lift your kneecaps up (pressing big toe into the mat), to avoid hyper extension stay in a micro bend.

hips/torso: don’t fall for -or backwards. Stay open and parallel to the long side of the mat.

head/neck: neck keeps aligned with the rest of the spine

shoulders: keep them relaxed and away from the ears.

Benefits

• Stretches and strengthens the thighs, knees, and ankles
• Stretches the hips, groins, hamstrings, and calves; shoulders, chest, and spine
• Stimulates the abdominal organs, digestion
• Increases mental and physical equilibrium
• helps with anxiety, stress, back pain and sciatica

Contraindication

Diarrhea, headache, low blood pressure

problems in the neck: stay with your gaze towards the floor