Utthita Trikonasana

Chattanooga yogis trikonasan by the river

Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle) - Utthita means extended. Tri means three and kon means angle, so Trikon = triangle. Extended triangle pose. Triangle is ubiquitous in yoga classes across the borders of yoga brand, and many of us practice it almost every day. It is a very grounding pose, connecting the practitioner to the strength of his or her legs and feet. It is a hip opener and a heart opener as well.

It is easy to create arm variations in utthita trikonasana. Have you ever tried wrapping your top arm around your back and grabbing the front hip or even the inner front thigh? This variation allows for more of a backbend and allows the practitioner to self-adjust a more open heart. For core strength, you can lift the bottom arm up toward the front of your mat and hold it parallel to the floor, palm up. Then, you release the top arm toward the bottom arm as though you were holding a giant beach ball between your hands… and let your core do a little work!

Grounded and expansive, all at once

According to Iyengar in Light on Yoga, Utthita Trikonasana strengthens the ankles. It tones the legs, removing stiffness, and allows the legs to develop evenly. It also opens the chest and relieves backaches and neck sprains. Erich Schiffman adds in his book Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness that the pose improves digestion and elimination. Perhaps my favorite effect of all, Baron Baptiste writes that triangle pose “allows you to open up and infuse life through your whole body, working out any kinks or compressions… allows you to be expansive in your body.” (40 Days to Personal Revolution) Yum.

Since March is the third month of the year, we thought we’d be sure to include this 3-pointed posture in our practice. And if the March winds are blowing where you are like they were in Savannah today, practice some triangle pose and get grounded while you get expansive y’all!