Yoga Journal : For Beginners: Utthita Trikonasana

Yoga Journal : For Beginners: Utthita Trikonasana: "For Beginners: Utthita Trikonasana
Not just for beginners, Extended Triangle Pose can unlock tension in your legs, hips, and spine.
By Denise Benitez

In most yoga traditions, standing poses are some of the first poses taught to beginners. Even though Trikonasana is thought of as a 'beginning' standing pose, it is one you will probably always include in your yoga repertoire. In my own practice, there is hardly a day that goes by when I don't practice Trikonasana. In my classes, I usually throw it into the mix no matter what our focus is—it extends the spine and opens the hips in preparation for backbends; lengthens the hamstrings and opens the hips in preparation for deeper forward bends; teaches the connection between legs, hips, and spine in preparation for inversions; and lengthens the spine and strengthens the back in preparation for deeper twists.

You can think of this pose as a teacher of basic movement principles that apply to many other poses. You can also explore, as we will here, the play of opposites in this pose—establishing a solid foundation in order to fly, standing firmly on your feet in order to grow away from the earth, and finding muscle support and strength in order to expand and become lighter and less serious.

Have you ever noticed how much of the day you spend drawing into yourself and becoming contracted? Have you observed the effects of traffic, noise, deadlines, and fear on your physical state? In the city, where most of us live, there is often a tendency to unconsciously retract our physical selves in toward the center as a protection tactic. This is not inherently unwise, but over time it takes a toll on our psychospiritual state. I am constantly reminded of...

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