In most yoga styles, the extended triangle pose is a typical standing pose.
POSE INFORMATION
GENERAL INFO
Name in Sanskrit: Utthita Trikonasana
Difficulty: Easy
POSE BENEFITS
- Stimulates organs in the abdomen
- Improves digestion
- Alleviates stress
- Strengthens and stretches the knees, thighs, ankles, hips, hamstrings, groins, calves, spine and chest.
- Alleviates menopause symptoms
- Helps in treating anxiety, osteoporosis, sciatica, neck pain, flat feet, and infertility.
- Relieves back pain, especially for pregnant women in the second trimester
POSE CAUTIONS
- Headache
- High blood pressure: Turn the head to look down during the final pose
- Low blood pressure
- Diarrhea
- Problem with the neck: ensure you keep looking straight, do not turn your head to gaze upward, ensure both sides of the neck are stretched out.
PREPARATORY POSES:
- Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana)
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
- Wide-Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
- Intense Side Stretch Pose (Parsvottanasana)
HOW TO PRACTICE THIS ASANA
ONE
You begin in the Tadasana pose, then breathe out as you place your feet about 3.5 or 3 feet away from each other. Raise your arms sideways, make sure it’s shoulder blade wide, parallel to the ground with your palms faced down.
TWO
Slightly turn your left foot to face right and turn your right foot at 90 degrees to the right. Make sure both your left and right heel are aligned. Keep your thighs firm and bend the right thigh outward, ensure the center of your right knee and center of your right ankle are in the same line.
THREE
Breathe out as you move your torso in the right direction directly over the plane of your right leg, do not bend the waist, bend from the joint in the hip. To anchor this movement, strengthen your left leg by pressing the ground with your outer heel.
Bend your torso to the left, maintain both sides equally long. Allow your left hip to move forward gently and keep the tailbone straight towards the back heel.
FOUR
Place your right arm either on your ankle, shin or on the ground outside the right foot without distorting the sides of your torso. Ensure your left arm is stretched towards the sky, keep it in line with your shoulder tops. Turn your head towards the left, gazing gently at your left thumb or maintain a neutral position.
FIVE
Maintain this position for 30 to 60 seconds.
Breath in as you come up, then press your back heel firmly into the ground and move the top arm to face the sky. Reverse your feet, and redo the procedure to the left for the same duration.
How to do the Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)
BEGINNERS TIP
To make this pose more comfortable, use a wall to support the back of your torso or back heel.
MODIFICATIONS & PROPS
To modify this pose for support and comfort, support your palm on a block if you find it difficult to reach the ground with your fingertips.
DEEPENING THE POSE
For advanced students who want to make this pose a bit challenging, make sure your front heel and the back foot arch are aligned.
PARTNERING
You can partner with someone to improve how you do this routine.
Your partner should stand facing you in front of your front foot. Inhale as you lift your front arm, keep it parallel to the ground.
Allow your partner to hold your wrist and use his/her big toe in wedging into your forward hip crease.
Have your partner draw your arm and pushing into the hip crease as you exhale, stretching the sides beneath your torso.
VARIATIONS
Stretch your top arm over the back of your top ear instead of stretching it towards the sky, make sure it is parallel to the ground.
Magda Felcio, a certified Vinyasa Flow Yoga teacher in Brazil, is deeply passionate about the grace and transformation this practice offers. With a commitment to empowering her students, she creates harmonious and flowing sequences that focus on alignment and mindfulness.
