Benefits of Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) and How to Do it By Dr. Himani Bisht

Introduction: 

Yoga is a spiritual practice that has its roots in ancient India. It brings about a balance between the body, mind and soul. Over the years, its popularity has skyrocketed, with the western world awakening to its benefits. 

Though developed as a spiritual discipline, it has more or less been adopted by developed countries as a form of exercise or a way to combat stress. Over the years, different styles or types of Yoga have evolved, which are modified versions of the basic yoga postures. Some of the Yoga types are: Ashtanga or power yoga, Bikram or hot yoga, Hatha yoga, Integral yoga, Iyengar yoga, Kundalini yoga and Viniyoga.¹ 

The most popular of all types of Yoga is Hatha Yoga. Origins of Hatha Yoga date back to the 11th century. This type of Yoga stresses a lot of importance on holding the various asanas (body postures) properly while performing the sequence of exercises. Trikonasana is one of the asanas of Hatha Yoga.² 

What is Trikonasana?  

Trikonasana is a standing posture of the Hatha Yoga type of Yoga. ’Tri’ means three and ‘Kona’ means ‘corner’. So, trikonasana literally translates to ‘Three-corners’. It is named so as the final posture resembles a triangle formed by the torso, upper limbs and lower limbs. 

Trikonasana mainly focuses on stretching the body sideways. It may help improve spinal flexibility. It may also have the effect of lengthening the leg muscles and reducing stiffness in the legs and hips. ^2,3 

How to do it? 

While Yoga has many benefits, it is essential to do the asana using the proper technique to avoid any injuries. The stepwise method of doing the Triangle pose is as follows:  

• Stand straight with a 3-foot distance between your feet, with the knees straight and the feet turned out. 
• Keeping your gaze straight ahead, breathe in and lift both your arms sideways, up till the level of your shoulders. 
• Now, rotate the right foot towards the right side. 
• Breathe out and slowly bend sideways onto your right, placing the fingers of your right hand just behind the right foot. If you are doing trikonasana for the first time, you may not be able to touch the right foot. Instead, try touching the right knee. 
• Your left arm should line up straight with your right arm. 
• Turn your head to the left and focus on the middle finger of your left hand. 
• Hold this stance for 10-30 seconds. Make sure that you are breathing normally while holding this posture. If you are practising trikonasana for the first time, you may find holding the pose for 10-30 seconds difficult. In such a scenario, hold the stance for as long as you feel comfortable. 
• After 30 seconds, breathe in and slowly come up. 
• Now repeat the same steps for doing trikonasana on the left side.³ 

Do You Know? 

Here are some interesting tidbits and fun facts about Trikonasana: 

• Trikonasana is a basic level asana in almost all variations of Yoga. Although, even this asana has advanced versions. They are: utthita trikonasana (the extended triangle pose), baddha trikonasana (the bound triangle pose) and parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle pose).⁴ These advanced versions can only be practised after mastering the basic trikonasana pose.⁵ 
• Trikonasana provides a sense of stability and activates the ‘Muladhara’, the ‘root chakra’ of the body.⁶ 

Benefits of Trikonasana: 

Trikonasana is a standing yogasana with several benefits which may help the overall development of your mind, body and spirit. Following are some ways that it might be helpful: 

1. Benefits of Trikonasana for Legs:  

The lateral bending in trikonasana may help lengthen the muscles of the leg, which in turn might improves the strength of the calves, thighs and the legs. It may also enhance the flexibility of the hamstrings (the muscles that are on the back of the thighs). Additionally, it may also help in relieving stiffness of the legs.^2,3,7 

2. Benefits of Trikonasana for the Spine:  

Trikonasana essentially involves bending sideways. This sideways bending stretches the spine and improves its flexibility.³ 

3. Benefits of Trikonasana for Digestion:  

Indigestion, occurring anytime in any age group, is always a discomfort. If you are suffering from an upset stomach, try trikonasana. It is said that it may be beneficial for indigestion.⁷ 

4. Benefits of Trikonasana for the Hips:  

Trikonasana may be help loosen the hips. It helps in stretching of the hips, which, in turn may help in strengthening it. It may be useful in improving the flexibility of the hips.⁷ 

5. Other benefits of Trikonasana: 

• Trikonasana may help improve the blood circulation in the entire body, thus helping to keep the organs functioning optimally. It may be beneficial in reduction of blood pressure, stress and anxiety issues and improving the lung capacity.^3,8 
• It may help strengthen the waist and the back muscles as assuming the trikonasana posture requires sideways bending. 
• It may help enhance the groin flexibility, since it involves stretching of the hips.⁷ 
• Outstretching the hands in trikonasana may improve the strength and flexibility of the arms.⁷ 

Practising Yoga on a regular basis may be helpful in the overall physical, mental and spiritual development. One must not rely on only Yoga as a treatment protocol for any kind of medical issues. Please consult a qualified medical professional for any health condition so that he/she may examine and assess your condition properly and provide appropriate treatment. In addition, it is essential to practice Yogasanas under the guidance of a trained Yoga professional. 

Risks of Exercise 

Some precautions that must be taken while performing trikonasana. They are as follows: 

• One must not overstretch while bending sideways. Do not push beyond your limits. 
• If in the final posture, your hands don’t reach your heels, do not over strain. Try to just touch your knees instead. 
• Patients suffering from slip disc and sciatica should not practice this asana. 
• People who have had any surgery in the abdominal region in the recent past should not do trikonasana.³ 

The guidance of an experienced Yoga teacher/Yoga expert is valuable as he/she can assess your risk factors and decide whether it is safe for you to practice trikonasana.  

Conclusion  

Trikonasana or the triangle pose is a standing Hatha Yoga asana that helps the entire body. It has many benefits for the hips, legs, calves, lungs, arms and spine. While practising this posture, certain precautions must be taken. To gain maximum health benefits, one may practice this asana on a regular basis under the supervision of a qualified Yoga teacher. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

1) What is Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)? 

The name Trikonasana is a posture of the Hatha Yoga style of Yoga. It is formed from the words ‘Tri’ meaning three and ‘kona’ meaning ‘corner’. It is so named as the final posture of the body resembles a triangle with the torso, upper limbs and lower limbs forming the sides of the triangle.³ 

2) What are the steps of Trikonasana? 

The steps for trikonasana are: Stand erect with a 3 feet distance between your legs. inhale and lift both your arms till the shoulder level. Turn the right foot towards the right side and breathing out, slowly bend laterally on to your right side. Place the fingers of your right hand behind the right foot. The left arm should now be in a straight line aligned with your right arm. Turn your head to the left side and gaze at the middle finger of your left hand. Breathe normally and hold this posture for 10-30 seconds. After 30 seconds, inhale and come up slowly. Repeat the same steps on the left side.³ Some people doing trikonasana for the first time may find 10-30 seconds too long a time to hold the pose. Instead, they can hold the posture for as long as they may be comfortable. 

3) How many times should one do Trikonasana? 

Trikonasana should be practiced under the able guidance of a qualified yoga teacher, who can advise you on the number of times that this asana may be done.  

4) Is Trikonasana helpful to increase lower body strength?  

Trikonasana may help in relieve stiffness and enhancing flexibility of the legs especially the back muscles of the thigh (hamstrings). This sideways bending pose may help to elongate the leg muscles to possibly improve the strength of the thighs, calves and the legs.^2,3,7 

5) Can Trikonasana be done by someone having high blood pressure? 

While Trikonasana is said to reduce blood pressure, it is recommended that you consult a qualified medical professional before beginning to practice this yoga pose.⁷ 

References: 

1. Health Y. Yoga for health: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia [Internet]. Medlineplus.gov. 2022 [cited 6 September 2022]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000876.htm 

2. Omkar S, Kumar A, Kapse R, Paul N, Vanjare A. Musculoskeletal modeling and analysis of trikonasana. International Journal of Yoga [Internet]. 2018 [cited 23 August 2022];11(3):201. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134746/ 

3. 21 June INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA Common Yoga Protocol, Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) [Internet] 4th Revised Edition, May 2019. [Cited: 2022 Aug 23] Available from:  http://mea.gov.in/images/pdf/common-yoga-protocol-english.pdf  

4. TRIKONASANA – Revolved, Extended, Bound, Bikram – TRIANGLE [Internet]. Yogateket. 2022 [cited 6 September 2022]. Available from: https://www.yogateket.com/blog/how-to-trikonasana-variations 

5. Sahoo P. Trikonasana. 1st ed. Hari OM Yoga Vidya School; 2018. Available from:   https://www.academia.edu/37528951/Trikonasana 

6. 10 YOGA Poses for Morning energy boost – Yoga From Home [Internet]. Wpstudents.towson.edu. 2022 [cited 24 August 2022]. Available from: https://wpstudents.towson.edu/ljohns50/pose-2/ 

7. Jerin CM, Prasanna TA, Chandrasekhar JA, Senthikumaran MS. An Influence of Yogic Practices on Selected MotorfItness Variable among Men Kho-Kho Player. Journal-Xi’an University Of Architecture & Technology. 2020. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arun-Prasanna3/publication/342281832_AN_INFLUENCE_OF_YOGIC_PRACTICES_ON_SELECTED_MOTOR_FITNESS_VARIABLE_AMONG_MEN_KHO_KHO_PLAYER/links/5eeba043a6fdcc73be85c485/AN-INFLUENCE-OF-YOGIC-PRACTICES-ON-SELECTED-MOTOR-FITNESS-VARIABLE-AMONG-MEN-KHO-KHO-PLAYER.pdf 

8. How Yoga Can Help Boost Immunity| Ayush Next [Internet]. Ayushnext.ayush.gov.in. 2022 [cited 6 September 2022]. Available from: https://ayushnext.ayush.gov.in/detail/post/how-yoga-can-help-boost-immunity 

Disclaimer: The information included at this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, the reader should consult their physician to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.

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