beginner · Trikonasana
Triangle Pose
Trikonasana
Animated Triangle Pose
Scroll to move from a neutral stand into Triangle Pose. With reduced motion, the final shape stays still.
Alignment cues
- Step the feet wide and turn the front foot forward
- Reach the front arm forward, then lower the hand toward the shin or block
- Extend the top arm toward the ceiling and open the chest
- Keep both legs straight with soft knees if needed
- Gaze forward or up only if the neck feels comfortable
Variants
- Block under hand. Bring the floor closer with a block inside the front ankle
- Back hand at hip. Rest the top hand on the hip to reduce side bend depth
Triangle pose (trikonasana)
Triangle is a wide-leg standing shape with one hand reaching down and the other skyward, torso between two planes.
Why it helps
NCCIH mentions balance in healthy adults in the context of yoga research broadly, not this side-bend shape alone (Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (NCCIH)).
How to do it well
Open the feet wide, turn the front foot out and back foot slightly in. Extend through both legs and hinge over the front leg from the hip, not the waist. Place the bottom hand on shin, block, or floor outside the ankle while the top arm stacks over the shoulder. Spiral the chest open, lengthen both sides of the waist, and gaze where the neck stays comfortable.
A common mistake and how to scale it
A common mistake is collapsing the bottom side waist to touch the floor. Scale by raising the bottom hand to a block at the highest height that keeps both sides of the torso long.
When to use caution
Avoid hyperextending the front knee. Side bends may need modifications when you have balance issues, glaucoma, severe high blood pressure, lumbar spine disease, or knee or hip injuries—conditions NCCIH flags for clinician guidance (Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (NCCIH)).
Practice with the atlas
Trace the atlas triangle for four breaths per side, then step back to mountain and notice whether the legs feel evenly worked.