Triangle Pose
A wide-legged lateral stretch. It opens the whole side body — a region almost nothing in daily life reaches — and teaches the difference between bending sideways and collapsing sideways.
Meaning of the name
Three angles. The body makes a triangle with the floor, and every line in it should be straight.
How to practise
- 1
Stand with the feet about a leg's length apart. Turn the right foot out ninety degrees and the left foot slightly in.
- 2
Raise the arms to shoulder height, palms down, and lengthen through both.
- 3
Exhale and reach out over the right leg before tipping down, so the length comes from the waist and not the shoulder.
- 4
Bring the right hand to the shin, ankle or floor — whichever keeps both sides of the waist equally long — and stack the left arm straight up.
- 5
Turn the head to look at the left thumb if the neck allows. Hold 30–60 seconds, then change sides.
Benefits
- Stretches the side body, hamstrings, groin and calves together
- Relieves back ache, particularly the one-sided kind
- Stimulates digestion and the abdominal organs through the lateral twist
- Opens the chest and improves breathing capacity on the raised side
- Strengthens the ankles, knees and the muscles around the hip