A few things I have learned from practising Utthita Trikonasana:
- To find the foundation in the feet and then work up through the legs
- To try practising the pose with the feet wider to feel a sense of more openness
- To watch the alignment of the knee
- To spread the toes
- To soften the top shoulder
- To watch out for tension in the neck
Common misalignments
Often students lock the knee of the front leg, the arch of the foot collapses and they grip with the toes. All of this produces instability in the legs.
Some students go too far into the pose and the torso comes forward in front of the leg. The chest collapses forward, the lower ribcage drops towards the leg and so the breathing becomes shallow.
Sometimes people forget to extend through the top arm so there’s no life in it. Or they push too much: the top arm gets very tight and tense and the shoulder hunches forward.
Some extra practice tips for Uttitha Trikonasana:
Try using a block under your bottom hand and keep the torso over the line of the leg. This will keep both the side waists long and the breath free.
Keep the knee of the leading leg soft. You should be able to bend it easily.
If your shoulder is very tight and it’s difficult to raise your top arm, take your hand to your hip and open the chest by lifting the elbow to the sky.
Read more:
Click here for full step-by-step instructions, beginners’ tips and the benefits of Utthita Trikonasana / Extended Triangle Pose.
Practise the pose with me in class: Ashtanga lab – Trikonasana
Breaking down Trikonasana/ Triangle Pose and using the wall to find stability and opening in this asana.
