Utthlta Trikonasana
aka: triangle
Exercise: Extend your left arm directly upward from your shoulder while keeping your left and right waist evenly extended. Right hand touches the floor directly below your right shoulder. You can bend your forward knee if you have to.
Physical Benefit: Improves digestion and circulation.
Mental Benefit: Stimulates the mind.
The Triangle pose
The Triangle pose, or Trikonasana, is one of the foundational asanas commonly a part of any practice.
Advantages
The root of trikonasana, trikona, means "three angle" in Sanskrit. Like many standing poses, it is designed to root the spirit of the practitioner with the earth.
Triangle pose extends many benefits, including:
* Stretches the lower body and spine
* Activates the abdominals for ease of digestion
* Relieves menopausal symptoms, backache, and stress
Step Into the Pose
1. Begin in Mountain Pose.
2. On an exhale, extend your legs three-to-four feet apart.
3. Raise the arms parallel to the floor, palms facing downward.
4. Align your feet so the left foot is turned slightly inward, the right foot turned 90 degrees.
5. Align the body: shoulder blades down, right knee in line with right foot.
6. Inhale, and then, on an exhale, extend the torso over to the right, bending at the hip, arm straight, right hand either on the floor, on a block for support, or on the shin.
7. Breathe, holding the pose for about 30 seconds before repeating the sequence on the left side.
Beginner Tips
For more support, practice this pose against a wall. Leave your top hand on your hip, your lower hand on your shin.Make sure to keep the arms and legs "activated" - that is, you are reaching into the pose, instead of pushing into it.
Advanced Tips
Deepen the pose by stretching the top arm alongside the side of the head, and then turn the head upward.
