Triangle Pose

Utthita Trikoṇāsana

Triangle Pose
⇄ both sides
CategoryStanding TypeStretch LevelBeginner Hold30 sec MusclesLegs, Hips, Back, Core BreathingEven breathing that opens the ribs

Triangle Pose, or Utthita Trikonasana, is a classic standing pose with a side bend: legs wide, torso over the front leg, arms stacked in one vertical line. "Trikona" means triangle and "utthita" means extended. The app rates Triangle beginner level; you practice it on both sides, and it's included in 5 sequences, Classic Full Practice among them.

How to do it

  1. EnterFrom a wide stance, turn your front foot forward. Exhale, tilt sideways over your front leg and lower your hand to your shin or a block, reaching your other arm up.
  2. HoldBoth legs straight, torso in the same plane as your legs. Open your chest toward the ceiling, gaze at your top hand or straight ahead.
  3. ExitInhale, use the strength of your core to rise up and turn back to center.
More detail

Start your alignment at your feet. Space them about one leg's length apart, turn your front foot out 90 degrees and your back foot slightly in. The heel of the front foot lines up with the middle of the back foot.

Your pelvis and chest open to the side, as if your torso were sandwiched between two panes of glass. Put your lower hand wherever it lands without your torso bending: on your shin, a block or the floor. Your front knee points the same direction as your toes.

Benefits

Stretches the side of the body and strengthens the legs.

Triangle stretches the side of your body, the back of your front leg and your inner thighs, while your legs work to hold you steady. It teaches you to bend sideways without twisting, and in the sequences it leads into Side Angle Pose.

Cautions

  • Flare-up of lower back pain
  • Low blood pressure — come out slowly

This site is for general information and is not medical advice. If you have pain, an injury, a chronic condition, or are pregnant, check with a qualified professional before practicing.

Common mistakes

  • Reaching for the floor at any cost. Your torso tips forward and the lower side of your waist gets crunched.
  • Chest turning toward the floor. Roll your top shoulder back and stack your arm above it.
  • Hyperextending your front knee. Keep it slightly soft and your thigh muscles engaged.
  • Pushing your hips back. Your buttock tucks under the line of your shoulders instead of sticking out behind it.

Modifications & variations

Triangle Pose with Arm Overhead Triangle Pose with Arm Overhead Intermediate

Where it appears

Similar poses

Low Lunge Low Lunge Beginner High Lunge High Lunge Beginner Half Forward Fold Half Forward Fold Beginner Goddess Pose Goddess Pose Beginner Reverse Warrior Reverse Warrior Beginner Mountain Pose Mountain Pose Beginner

Questions

What does alignment mean in Triangle? It's the precise placement of your feet, knees, pelvis and shoulders. The main guideline: legs and torso sit in a single plane, and the side bend comes from the hip joint rather than the lower back.

How long do I hold Triangle? The pose card says 30 seconds, and sequences hold it for 35 to 55. Come up on an inhale and repeat on the other side.

Who should be careful? During a flare-up of lower back pain, the pose is contraindicated. With low blood pressure, come out of it slowly and avoid sudden head movements.

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