Be Right Where You Are: Master Your Version of Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

Ah, Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana). It’s one of the foundational postures of modern yoga, and you will probably find it in nearly every yoga class you attend. 

Because of that, you’ll probably find that different yoga styles approach this pose differently. You may have seen different teachers doing quite different variations of this pose. So you might be wondering: “Which one is the right version of Triangle Pose?” 

This is totally understandable, but it’s actually not the right question.

The real question is, “Which is the right version of Triangle Pose for me?” 

Now, that’s a question we can work with! This is the most important question, not just for Triangle Pose but for pretty much any yoga pose. We are all different. It’s well worth trying out different versions of yoga poses to find the one that works best for you.

How to Find the Right Version of Triangle Pose for You

When exploring a yoga pose, whether it’s a new one or one you’ve done 100 times, there are three simple steps that I have found really helpful over the years:

1. Start with the foundation, and work your way up and out.
2. Practice function over form.
3. Try different variations.

This article deals only with number one above to figure out how to find the correct foundation of Triangle Pose for your personal body. We’ll dive into the second and third steps in later articles. 

Yoga Foundations: All About the Feet in Trikonasana

Of course, the feet are the foundation of Triangle Pose. The classic alignment cue for the feet is: “Turn your front foot forward 90 degrees, turn your back toes forward between 30 and 45 degrees, and align the heel of your front foot with the inner arch of your back foot.” 

However, most new to yoga find that their hips are tight, and it’s difficult to practice the pose in this way. Depending on the construction of the hip joints and the width of the pelvis, even the most flexible and experienced practitioner may find that this alignment is not ideal, which is the subject of our next section.

Mobility in Triangle Pose: My Hips Don’t Move Like That!

Triangle Pose requires a fair degree of flexibility and range of motion in the hip joint, not to mention flexibility in the hamstrings and groin. So, if you are starting out or if your hips are tight, you can make the base of the pose more stable by stepping your feet wider apart. Instead of lining your feet up exactly heel-to-arch, place your back foot a bit further to the side to see whether that gives a greater sense of ease in your hip motion. (see image above)

Try placing your bottom hand on a block, chair, or simply on your shin. (images below and above) This allows you to practice Triangle alignment while remaining within the parameters of your current mobility.

1. How to Practice This Triangle Variation:

1. Imagine your feet are on “railroad tracks” (each has its own lane on the mat.) Ground down equally through both feet.
2. Use a chair or block under your hand, or place your hand on your shin for a lesser bend at your hips.

Note: If you have trouble balancing or if you’re recovering from a hip injury, this is usually an ideal way to set your feet up when practicing Triangle Pose.

2. Watch Out for This Common Misalignment With the Feet

Finally, a note on what not to do: Don’t let your back heel stray backward of the midline of your body. This really destabilizes the pose and puts unnecessary strain on the hip joint and the sacroiliac (SI) joints.

Be Where You Are in Yoga’s Triangle Pose

Often, in yoga (and in life in general), we strive to be the next step ahead, to progress and advance. These ambitious aspirations can be useful, but they can also sometimes be detrimental, especially in yoga practice.

It is always wise to practice where we currently are rather than where we’d like to be. So utilize props, realign your foundation, and back off as needed whenever it feels appropriate. Be where you are in your practice. Before you know it, you’ll very likely be where you want to be. And more often than not, that’s exactly where you are already!

Make Triangle Pose Fit Your Body: Function Over Form

OK, let’s be honest. We have all seen photos on social media with people doing Triangle Pose with one palm resting flat on the ground. The yogis in the picture look so peaceful. The pose seems so easy to attain. And even though you are trying to listen to your yoga teacher and be one with where you are, you can’t help it. You want your hand to touch the ground. So you creep a bit lower, and a bit lower, and a bit lower. And even though you’ve now lost proper form, you’ve finally arrived triumphantly with your palm flat on the mat. 

Victory! Or not?

Let Go of Your Ego in your Practice

Have a look at the first picture above for an idea of what this kind of thinking actually looks like on the mat. It’s a pretty typical illustration of how your mind can play tricks on you and get in the way of doing what is best for your body. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali calls this false perception.  

Many yogis confuse the look of Triangle Pose, as it is most often shown in pictures, with the actual function of the pose. Ego drives us to achieve the form. Then suddenly, we are out of our bodies and our breath and catapulted into a mentality of hand-to-floor-or-die when, in fact, the function of the pose has absolutely nothing to do with where your hand is.

Many Benefits of Trikonasana

The actual benefits of Triangle Pose are multifold. They include both stretching and strengthening of different parts of the body. 

• Stretch: The hamstrings and adductor muscles of your front leg will be put in a stretch position as you move into Triangle Pose. On the side of the torso facing the ceiling, Trikonasana provides a deep lateral stretch within the musculature. There’s a corresponding stretch to the muscles that link the shoulder girdle and spine, the latissimus dorsi, and intercostals. The deep psoas, quadratus lumborum, and oblique muscles will also lengthen. Then, you rotate your chest open and reach your top arm to your hip or all the way extended toward the ceiling. Here, the pectoral muscles of your chest will open, as will the biceps side of your top arm. 
• Strengthen: Your lower body will gain strength in Triangle Pose. Most notably, the quadriceps muscles of both legs, hamstrings, gluteal muscles, tensor fasciae latae, hip rotators, and intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the foot will also engage. The calves and ankle muscles also work as stabilizers. The spinal extensor and flexor muscles must work to stabilize the spine. The obliques, part of your core muscles, activate as you rotate your torso open. 

Listen To Your Body To Reveal The Best Triangle Pose for You

If we look at the first picture above, in my desire to get my palm to the floor, I have lost the length in my side waist. I’ve also lost the strengthening effect gained from holding my spine extended. The photo shows just how far off my alignment I has come, all because of that pesky fixation on the floor! In order to optimize the stretch, I want to find the best alignment for my individual body, Instagram photos notwithstanding.

Depending on the day, the temperature, the time, and, of course, my body, I may want to explore a number of different variations to get that wonderful, therapeutic stretch from this pose. It’s all about making the pose fit your body. Then, you can receive all of the myriad benefits Triangle Pose offers.

 article concept by Breanna & the Itinerant Yogini