trikonasana
"triangle pose"

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last updated: 30.5.2003
name: trikonasana
trivial name: triangle pose
level: A
classification .
classically: standing pose
psychomentally: . _
physiologically: . sideway hip opener
effects:
preparations:
  • protraction of the shoulder blade: to be able to stretch the arms out more sideways from the body, practice
    1. elbowstand
    2. rectangular elbownstand
    3. dog elbowstand
  • The thoracic spine tends to kyphosis in this pose, preparatory against practice:
    1. "desk"-variant of uttanasana
    2. rectangular uttanasana
    3. warrior pose 3rd
    4. upavista_konasana variant "pulling on the feet"
  • One element of the pose is the lateral stretching (non-sideways-curving) of the back. Preparatory are:
    1. ardha vasisthasana
    2. "vasisthasana
    3. trikonasana
    4. ardha chandrasana
  • This pose tends to put the muscles of the lumbar spine region under tension, if it is known that this can take on unpleasant proportions, prepare them stretching beforehand with:
    1. parsva uttanasana
    2. virasana forward bend (child's pose)
    3. parsva upavista konasana
    4. parivrtta trikonasana
    5. parsvottanasana
    6. half lotus forward bend
    7. karnapidasana
  • the extensors of the hip have to be used on the side of the exorotated lateral abducted leg against the tension of the adductors and possibly also hip flexors in order not to let the pelvis fall into the flexion opposite the same leg and thus the lumbar spine into the hollow back.
    1. caturkonasana
    2. parsvakonasana
    3. bar pose
    4. warrior pose 2nd
    5. purvottanasana
    6. urdhva dhanurasana
    7. eka pada-variant of urdhva dhanurasana
    8. setu bandha sarvangasana
    9. eka pada-variant of setu bandha sarvangasana
    10. warrior pose 3rd
    11. backward against the wall"-variant" of warrior pose 3rd
    and various other back bends
  • The leg to which the upper part of the body is moving must be exorotated in the hip to the maximum until forther notice, also to enable the pelvis to tilt to the side in the best possible way. Prepare with
    1. baddha konasana
    2. supta baddha konasana
    3. half lotus forward bend
    4. hip opening at the edge of the mat
    5. hip opening 3rd
    6. warrior pose 2nd
    7. caturkonasana
    8. parsvakonasana
    9. bar pose
  • Also on the side to which the upper body moves, the hip until forther notice is in maximum exorotated abduction, which requires a lot of flexibility of the ischiocrural group. Preparations:
    1. uttanasana as a generally effective and efficient stretching of the ischiocrural group for preparation of flexion in the hips in this pose
    2. prasarita padottanasana very similar to uttansana
    3. parsvottanasana as an extension beyond the uttanasana
    4. pascimottanasana
    5. janu sirsasana
    6. tryangamukhaikapada pascimottanasana
    7. downface dog as well as good preparation of the ischiocrural group when the pelvis is powerfully tilted
    8. hip opening 5 als sehr wirksame, über die uttanasana hinausgehende Dehnung der Ischiocruralen
    9. Kriegerstellung 3
    10. trikonasana
    11. parivrtta trikonasana
  • The exorotated lateral abduction prepares with:
    1. baddha_konasana
    2. warrior pose 2nd
    3. parsvakonasana
    4. bar pose
    5. caturkonasana
    6. upavista konasana
    7. forward bend of upavista konasana
    8. ardha chandrasana
    9. hip opening 4
  • The required extension of the ankle joint can also be prepared:
    1. baddha padasana as probably the most precise exercise for dorsal flexion in the ankle joint
    2. virasana virasana achieves this if attention is paid to the extension of the ankle joint
    3. supta virasana does this also, if you pay attention to the extension of the ankle joint, but has other, bigger challenges.
  • post practice poses:
    similar asanas:
    diagnostic hints (Nos.):
  • (880) overstretching the knees: Overstretching the knee is the ability to reach or the current state of an angle of more than 180° in the knee joint. To a certain extent, this is considered normal for the anatoms and is on average more widespread and pronounced in the female sex. However, it can also indicate a weakness of the quadriceps. Furthermore, unphysiological sensations often occur in overstretching, which do not originate from stretching or exertion of the musculature and should be avoided, see also FAQ.
  • (721) (724) ischiocrural group: In forward bending movements (flexion in one or both hips), but also under load in the muscles of the back of the leg, various disorders can be detected:
    1. Shortening of the ischiocrural muscles, see FAQ
    2. Damage to the ischiocrural musculature, which causes pain or functional limitations, can also be found well easily, from simple tension and strain to ruptures. Damages would lead to a reduction in strength when leaving the pose quickly
    3. Irritations of the n. ischiadicus: especially in forward bends, irritations of the n. ischiadicus, which innervates the leg and foot can become symptomatic, even if they are otherwise rather quiet. See also the FAQ
    4. Irritations of the ischiocrural group's origin at the sitting bone (tuber ischiadicum) will clearly become apparent in this pose and need to be protected from intensive stretching, as this pose induces.
    5. Baker cysts create a feeling of tension or foreign body, see FAQ
  • (293) Excessive tension in the trapezius : if the trapezius has a tendency to cramp despite stretching the upper arm clearly towards the ceiling, this indicates an excessive tonus. It is probably one of the most tense muscles of Western civilization. attitude and posture including today's widespread work at computer workstations, make a significant contribution to this.
  • (217) neck: Holding the head means working for the cervical muscles, endurance deficiencies and hypertension can be detected in this pose, e. g. by a tendency to cramp.
  • (511) Pectoralis: A shortened pectoralis may lead to a reduced ability to stretch the arms sideways away from the body. It also limits retroversion in a lateral abduction of 90°.
  • (644) lumber spine: in this pose, problems of the lumbar spine or its musculature may become apparent, see also the FAQ
  • (751) adductors: in this pose, the adductors are stretched. This makes it possible to detect damage caused by it:
    1. muscular shortenings
    2. irritating states of the tendons of the origins and insertions, which can be felt as an elongated dragging pain extended along the course of the tendons.
    3. tensions that cause a tormenting sensation in the musculature that goes far beyond normal stretching.
    4. partial or complete ruptures of adductors which, in the event of a complete rupture will impress with a loud noise, followed by haematoma and maybe swelling.
    5. lateral differences in flexibility that can cause pelvic obliquity and consecutive scoliosis
  • (721) (724) ischiocrural group: Various disorders can be found in the extensive flexion in one hip and under a certain load in the muscles of the back of the leg:
    1. shortening of the ischiocrural muscles, see FAQ
    2. Damage to the ischiocrural muscles, which causes pain or functional limitations, can also be found here easily, from simple tension and strain to muscle tearing. Ruptures would lead to a reduction in strength when leaving the pose quickly.
    3. Irritations of the n. ischiadicus: especially in forward bends, irritations of the n. ischiadicus, which innervates the leg and foot can become symptomatic, even if they are otherwise rather quiet. See also the FAQ
    4. Irritations of the ischiocrural group's origin at the sitting bone (tuber ischiadicum) will clearly become apparent in this pose and need to be protected from intensive stretching, as this pose incudes.
    5. Baker cysts create a feeling of tension or foreign body, see FAQ
  • (886) knee: This pose reveals knee problems associated with far stretched position under load. For example, traumatic or degenerative damage to the meniscus, arthrosis, arthritis, subluxations, ligament damage, plica syndromes and others, see the FAQ
  • (880) overstretching the knee: overstretching the knee is the ability to reach or the current state of an angle of more than 180° in the knee joint. To a certain extent, this is considered normal by the anatoms and is on average more widespread and pronounced in the female sex. However, it can also indicate a weakness of the quadriceps. Furthermore, unphysiological sensations often occur in overstretching, which do not originate from stretching or exertion of the muscles and should be avoided, see also FAQ
  • variants::
    hand in the hip
    hand on a brick
    hand on the floor
    hand on the inner knee
    outer foot on the wall
    outer foot oblique on the wall
    back at the wall
    foot on a brick
    brick in the hand
    turning the chest with the bent arm
    not supported
    hand on the inner foot
    standing against the wall
    turning the head
    with pressure sideway against the lower leg
    transition to parsvakonasana
    transition to parsvakonasana and back
    maximum chest back bend
    shifting the inner leg forward
    belt around the thigh
    pushing the balls of the foot
    stretching from bent knee
    (P) turning the chest
    (P) testing lower butt
    (P) at the wall
    (P) pulling on the lower arm
    (P) turning the the thight with a belt
    (P) pressure against the fingertips
    (2P) with two supporters and belt
    (3P) with 3 supporters

    instruction details/hints
    1. from a nearly leg wide straddle with parallel outer edges of the feet turn the left foot about 20° inwards, the whole right leg (from the hip) about 90° outwards.
    2. make sure you stand firm with equal distribution of pressure in all parts of the feet (inner-/outerfoot, frontfoot/heel). Turn out the right leg to the maximum
    3. stretch both legs by use of their quadriceps muscle. Keep the kneecaps lifted
    4. stretch the spine straight from the pelvis (to the ceeling) and keep the stretch
    5. in the right hip bend to the side keeping the stretch from of the spine from the pelvis. Keep the spine strictly strechted without allowing any sidebend. If no further side bending in the right hip is possible, get support for the trunc putting the right hand on the right lower leg just where it reached to. Stretch the left arm to the ceeling. Move off the body both arms as much as possible and turn out both arms, what means both inner ellbows face the head.
    6. stretch the chest off the pelvis on both sides of the body (left and right) in order to have equal length on both sides. Keep the back just above the right leg.
    7. turn the trunc off the right leg any amount: the upper (left) side goes back und the lower (right) side moves forward.
    1. this position ist NOT meant to be a side bend of the trunc but a side bend in the hip ! Thus it is necessary to turn out the right foot 90° beginning with the exorotation of the right leg. A minor rotation of the foot would result in a minor possibility to exorotate the leg an therefore result in a minor ability for lateral abductionof the right leg from the hip and - with same point of support for the hand on the lower leg - would result in a trunc side bend, which in some cases can result in ugly lower back pain. Following rule holds for the (turned out) right foot: if unsure, turn out 2° more rather than less ! There are even cases in which it ist advised to turn out the foot more than 90°
    2. stretch both legs completely; keep the quadricepsactive and the kneecaps lifted, esp. in the right leg. Encountering tendency to overstretch the knees proceed as usualy in those cases.
    3. mind the distribution of pressure in the feet: inner part - outer part as well as front foot - heel:
      1. it probably feels difficult to keep same weight in the inner foot than in the outer foot; therefore almost always more weight has to be brought to the inner foot. Furthermore many student have too much weight on the heel compared to the front foot so that this needs more pressure. Both corrections help to avoid the constant toggeling from the inner foot to the outer foot and back again which is seen very often.
      2. many student hang on the left inner foot which tends to give shakiness as well and leaks helpful work in the outer lower leg.
    4. as in all compareable standing poses push the feet apart against the friction of the ground. That helps with regard to the corrections mentioneds above. Furthermore useful work of the left m.glutaeus max. comes up
    5. stretching the spine is more important than a deeper support on the lower leg with the hand. Stretch the spine powerful off the pelvis so that hardly any side bend is achieved. For ease of that the right hand can push against the right lower leg horizontally.
    6. keep on turning out the right thie to the maximum constantly. That eases side bend in the hip und reduces side curve of the spine - which in the beginning will prove almost unevitable. Turn out the left thie as well but only that much that the exorotation of the right one ist not offended by that. Certainly the left hip bone sticks out a little bit, in some cases even remarkable. Turning out the right thie seems to conflict pushing down the inner foot. This is due to restrictions which are to be overcome by exercies.
    7. avoid overstretching the legs esp. in the right leg. Helpful for this are:
      1. trying to push the feet apart (sideway)
      2. lifting the kneecaps
      3. beginng with bent legs try to push the feet apart while pushing the front foot down and attentivly and powerfully stretch the right knee by use of the right quadriceps until 180° angle is reached
    8. the distance inbetween the feet is signifficantly smaller than in virabhadrasana II (2. warrior pose) or parsvakonasana. In some cases a stitching pain in the right Archilles' tendon occurs which i.g. is caused by minor flexibility in the right foot joint in direction of plantar flexion. Decreasing the distance inbetween the feet for 5 to 10 cm will show helpful, in some cases even more than that.
    9. turn the chest any amount (upper side backward), even if the shoulders or sternum exceed perpendicularity. Usually the trunc escapes to the front, mostly beginning with a pelvis escaping to the front on its upper parts (SIAS) as well. Instead try to keep the pelvis in line with the right thie and the back just above the right leg.
    10. watch out not no drop the head but keep it in elongation of the spine ! That means esp. that you do not overstretch the neck by bringing the keck to the back but - unsure about that - rather move the chin to the sternum
    11. in trikonasana the head should rotate in order to look to the ceeling. If you are not used to that you should gently start rotating a few degree only. Otherwise you might run into heavy muscle pain disabling you to rotate the head during the next days. Strictly avoid tilting the head towards the back. If you are not sure about the position of your head and no one to correct you is around then move the chin to the sternum rather than off the sternum.
    12. turn out both arms with means rotating the inner ellbow towards the head. For the lower arm this is easy for due to the resistance of the lower leg you have set the hand to, you can initiate that movement from the lower arm muscles which are used to do such rotation. For the upper arm this is less easy for the rotation has to come from the shoulder area only. Even more difficult is the quest to not move the hand. The answer to this riddle is performing an exorotation from the shoulder at same time and amount as an endorotation of the hand in the wrist from lower arm muscles. In trikonasana both palms face the same direction as the sternum: ventral. Keep the upper arm vertical - not to the front and not to the back, even if rotation of the trunc exceeds perpendicularity. Only in special cases, where streching fo the pectoralis muscles is neccessary, you can take the arm more backward. Make sure to stretch both arms esp. the upper arm off the trunc in the direction of the ceeling. Otherwise leaking stretch off the trunc may result in cramping trapezius muscles.
    13. the certain point an the right lower leg where the right hand is set to has to be chosen in such a way that
      1. the lower (right) arm ist vertical and
      2. no or hardly any sideway curving of the spine occurs.
    14. spread th toes of the right foot in order to stand firm, eventually with the help of your fingers. In this way the balls of the foot become more broad which increases the base of support and enables for more calmness in standing
    15. leave the toes soft, do not push them down nor lift them from the ground. Any thing you can co with your toes except spread will disturb the firm and steady pushing of the balls of the feet and lead to a less calm stand
    16. the angle of endorotation of the left foot is given as 20° expecially for beginners. Smaller endorotation is possible for advanced students but bigger endorotation would decrease the base of support, which decreases the ability to balance in for/back direction and therefore increases shakiness. Of course the ability to balance depends nonlinear from the angle of that foot.
    17. as mostly entering the pose shows how you will stand in the pose. Furthermore the way you leave the pose shows how you stood !
    18. very seldom trikonasana produces painful camping of lower back muscles even if performed in correct manner. This is or feels and behaves like a ((hexenschuss)). Read more on the FAQ
    19. in the case of cramp tendency in the trapezius of the upper arm, which cannot be controlled by turning out this arm to the maximum ond by lateraliseing the mxaimal shoulder blade of the arm to the maximum, the variant "hand on the inner leg" should be practiced, in which the lateralization of the the shoulder blade immideately should remove the cramping tendency. To reduce the tension of the trapezius in general and its tendency to cramp, it is a good idea to practice "lying on rolls more often.
    20. the variant "pulling on the lower arm" reminds strongly of a possibility to take the pose (not performed as a partner exercise) taught in some schools, by first stretching the later on lower arm upwards in extension of the body side before the pelvis with the upper body is tilted to the side of the 90° turned out leg. Stretching the arm inelongation of the trunc's side is supposed to extend that same body side in the best possible way, before the arm is dropped to support on the lower leg. However in both, trained students as well as their teachers and their respective publications regularly you see a more or less pronounced lateral curve of the spine which makes a mockery of the described manouever, as impressive and intelligent as it may seem. Despite its suggestive value for the audience, this procedure does not replace the body awareness and work - in taking the pose and especially while in pose - to work with the related lateral flexor musculature against the anything but low resistances to ensure the straightness of the spine. Possibly the construction error of this manouevere lies in the fact that the dropping of the arm for a support of the upper body on the lower leg inevitably represents a fracture that renders the entire construction void since straightness of the upper body is perceived as given and granted and awareness for this important item is given up and thus any further work for it won't happen. It seems that in some schools the lateral curve of the upper body (including the lumbar spine) is even seen as an item of of the pose, which is argued with a resulting stretching effect on the m. psoas major. This muscle indeed is capable of performing lateral flexion of the lumber spine in one-sided innervation (and is stretched in counterlateral lateral flexion, of course), however, in contrast to the autochthonous back muscles, which also act as lateral flexors, no differentiation between fibres or innervation for lateral direction (i.e. a movement in the frontal plane) and for movement in the sagital plane (in the case of the psoas major flexion in hip and lumber spine, in the case of the autochthonous flexion of the lumber spnie only) is possible for this muscle and so the value of this aspect in the face of far more powerful poses to stretch the psoas (like the class of the hip extending "back bends") may be doubted. In addition, if one wanted to follow this side-bending interpretation, a clear maxim would have to be stated to which parts the gravitational force of the upper body should be used for lateral flexion of the spine or for flexion of the hip joint carried out in a (then not maximal) flexed exorotated lateral abduction. If however, any clear maxim applicable by the student is missing, he would necessarily ad infinitum depend on an inscrutable assessment of his asana by any given teacher and his respective subjective view. And of course, that's the opposite of what we aim for.
     
    known issues that may occur even when practicing correctly
       

      variants

      hand in the hip

      instructions details
           
          known issues that can occur even when running correctly
             

             

            hand on a brick

            instructions details
                 
                known issues that can occur even when running correctly
                   

                   

                  hand on the floor

                  instructions details
                       
                      known issues that can occur even when running correctly
                         

                         

                        hand on the inner knee

                        instructions details
                             
                            known issues that can occur even when running correctly
                               

                               

                              outer foot on the wall

                              instructions details
                                   
                                  known issues that can occur even when running correctly
                                     

                                     

                                    outer foot oblique on the wall

                                    instructions details
                                         
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                                          back at the wall

                                          instructions details
                                               
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                                                foot on a brick

                                                instructions details
                                                     
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                                                      brick in the hand

                                                      instructions details
                                                         
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                                                          turning the chest with the bent arm

                                                          instructions details
                                                               
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                                                                not supported

                                                                instructions details
                                                                     
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                                                                      hand on the inner foot

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                                                                            standing against the wall

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                                                                                  turning the head

                                                                                  instructions details
                                                                                       
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                                                                                        with pressure sideway against the lower leg

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                                                                                              transition to parsvakonasana

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                                                                                                    transition to parsvakonasana and back

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                                                                                                          maximum chest back bend

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                                                                                                                shifting the inner leg forward

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                                                                                                                      belt around the thigh

                                                                                                                      instructions details
                                                                                                                           
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                                                                                                                            pushing the balls of the foot

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                                                                                                                                  stretching from bent knee

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                                                                                                                                        (P) turning the chest

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                                                                                                                                              (P) testing lower butt

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                                                                                                                                                    (P) at the wall

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                                                                                                                                                          (P) pulling on the lower arm

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                                                                                                                                                                (P) turning the the thight with a belt

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                                                                                                                                                                      (P) pressure against the fingertips

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                                                                                                                                                                            (2P) with two supporters and belt

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                                                                                                                                                                                  (3P) with 3 supporters

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