Trikonasana/Triangle Pose

Triangle pose is one of the more interesting and complex of the common poses. It's thought of as a beginner pose, because pretty much everyone can do it to some extent. But even after years and years of doing trikonasana, I'm still figuring things out about it.

When they first start doing Trikonasana, most people think of it as a side bend, because they feel the side stretch on the top side the most. And sure, it is a side stretch. But then, teachers will tell you to extend the bottom side of the torso as much as the top side. This can be pretty confusing the first time you hear it -- obviously you're compressing the bottom side of the torso, and lengthening the top side. But the instruction should be this -- you TRY to extend the bottom side as much as the top side. In other words, you're trying to make your whole torso as parallel to the floor on both sides as possible. And at the same time, you're trying to make your pelvis as perpendicular to the floor as possible -- as if you were lying on your side. This is pretty much never going to happen for just about everyone, but that's OK -- what's important is your intention, the effort you make towards the goal.

So my revelation after a dozen years or so of doing Trikonasana is that what's really important in the pose is what's happening at the hip joint of the forward leg. I think the way to really take your Trikonasana places is to think only of what's happening at this joint, and pretty much ignore the rest.

Here's an image to consider. Imagine that instead of your torso heading towards parallel to the floor, you are maintaining it upright. If you replicate the torso/leg relationship (i.e. the action at the hip joint) with your torso in the upright position, where would your front leg be? Why, straight out to the side, lifted way up, with your foot up somewhere near shoulder or head level. Think of a ballet dancer standing on one leg, with the other leg straight and held up by the ankle out to the side. Note that her spine is totally straight, pelvis totally perpendicular to the spine. It's all flexion at the hip joint.

So the real action of trikonasana is a leg flexion of the front leg, completely to the side. It's like a hamstring stretch straight out to the side with your leg externally rotated as much as possible.

OK, I know this is all pretty abstract -- that's just how I am. I have to abstract things first, then come back to the real, practical world. So to get practical, here are some steps to follow for trikonasana.

1. First of all, there is no correct distance to spread your legs. And there's no reason to always have your legs the same distance apart. Try three feet apart one day, five feet apart the next day. The two poses will be very different. Neither is "right", they are just different.

2. Really, really externally rotate your front thigh as much as possible. You can even bring your top hand behind your back, grab the front of your thigh, and rotate it outwards. While you are rotating your thigh outwards, think of tucking your bottom/front sit-bone underneath you as much as possible.

3. Here's the most important thing -- push the bottom sit-bone back in space, towards the back of your mat, as much as possible. Here is where you think of making your whole spine as parallel to the floor to the floor as possible, and your pelvis as perpendicular to the floor as possible. Remember -- lying on your side.

Note -- by pushing the sit bone towards the back, you should feel the stretch in the hamstring increase. This is what you want. Your hamstring flexibility (unless you are a Gumby) should be the limiting factor in how far you can tilt your pelvis onto its side. If you can't get a hamstring stretch in this pose, you should experiment with lengthening the distance between the feet. If you still can't get a hamstring stretch, count your blessings.

4. Don't worry about where your hand is. Everyone is so goal-oriented in yoga, which is fine, except they choose the wrong goals. Bringing your hand to the floor is not the goal in trikonasana. Getting your spine parallel to the floor, and your pelvis perpendicular to the floor is your goal. Getting the hand to the floor may just mean that your're curving your spine to the side a lot.

Mind you, it's not the worst thing to curve the spine -- we all do it to some extend. And you do get the side stretch on the top side. But there are better ways to get a side stretch, and besides, what's really powerful and unique in the triangle pose is the sideways leg flexion in the front leg.

So, give it a try. Just focus on the hip joint of the front leg, trying to get as much of a stretch of all the muscles there as you can. Don't worry about the hands, the side stretch. It's all in the hips, baby.