Trikonasana (triangle pose) can feel totally liberating...or totally frightening. I have fallen so many times in this pose, but I always come back to it because it’s one of those poses that just has so much to offer. Supporting the pose with props can allow us to create the stability we need in the lower body in order to feel the expansion in the upper body, so don’t rush yourself to doing this pose free-standing if you aren’t ready. You can experience the same benefits with support, which include:

inner thigh stretch
lower body strengthening
core strengthening - including the obliques
improving our balance
opening the chest
energizing the body

TRADITIONAL VARIATION

We’ll start with the left side, so your left foot will be in front. Take a wide stance, much like we do for Warrior II with the heel of the front foot in line with the arch of the back foot. Experiment with the length of your stance. The wider your feet, the deeper the stretch will be for the inner thigh. Lift your arms into a T position. Cock your right hip like you’ve got attitude and reach through your left fingertips. Get as long as you can through your upper body, then windmill the arms so the left hand comes down in front of your left shin bone. The top arm extends toward the sky or you can bend it and place the right hand on your right hip. Pull the front ribs in, keep thr core strong. You may feel your obliques activate here in order to keep your upper body lifted. Keep both shoulders plugged in their sockets as you lean back, creating space in your chest. Taking the gaze up will challenge your balance, so feel free to keep your gaze straight ahead or toward the floor.

Hold for five to ten deep breaths. Then practice on the opposite side.

WITH A BLOCK

Adding a block under the bottom hand to the inside of the front foot can help with balance and relieves a bit of the core effort. Feel free to play with the height of your block, but make sure you aren’t dumping all of your weight into it. You should still experience some core activation and side-body lift.

CHAIR OPTION #1

This variation is similar to using a block, but it elevates the height, which might feel better for people with vertigo, POTS or balance issues.

CHAIR OPTION #2

This variation is something I invented, and I absolutely love it! It still allows you to engage all your muscles while the chair holds your weight and keeps you stable.

To come into this variation, be seated in a chair. Take your right leg straight out to the side, and keep your left leg bent in front of you, ankle stacked over knee. You’ll turn your body toward the right, reaching down with your left hand and up with your right hand. Open the chest as you pull your belly button in. You could add a block to this variation if desired or you could bend your bottom arm and rest your elbow on top of your bent leg. Feel free to play with the position of your top arm and with your gaze.

Hold for ten deep breaths and then practice on the opposite side.

BONUS TIP:

In any of these variations, you have the option to practice against a wall, so that your back is pressing into the wall. This allows you to fully open the chest and find extention in your spine without worrying about falling backwards (which I have done...many times).

HOW DID IT GO?

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TRIKONASANA: TRIANGLE POSE