Utthita trikonasana (pronounced oo-TEE-tah, tree-ko-NAH-suh-nuh; commonly referred to simply as “triangle”) is one of those wonderful poses that’s do-able for many beginners and is, at the same time, challenging to perfect for more advanced students. Adding triangle to your regular practice helps to open the hips, create space in the chest cavity, lengthen and align the spine, strengthen the muscles of the legs and feet, and release tension in the lower back. From a body/mind perspective, it gives the yoga student a taste of how delicious the feeling of openness, expansion and freedom can be.

If you’re new to yoga, make sure you invest in a “sticky mat” and a couple of blocks. Holding this posture while your feet are slipping on the carpet is frustrating. And you’ll be glad you made the investment in the yoga blocks. They’re the perfect prop for this asana, and will help you to enjoy it more without as much struggle.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet wide apart (3 to 3 ½ feet apart). Turn your right foot out toward the right, and turn your left foot in to a 45 degree angle. The heel of your right foot should be aligned with the arch of your left foot. Make sure your legs are straight, and that you’re not hyper-extending your knees.
2. Lift your arms up so that they’re parallel to the floor. Extend your fingertips out, away from your torso, while at the same time squeezing the shoulder blades in snug against the ribs.
3. Engage the muscles on the tops of both thighs. Inhale deeply as you reach your torso out over the right leg, bending at the hip, right leg straight. Then exhale and place your right hand either on your leg, on a block or on the floor. Your left arm points straight up toward the ceiling. Imagine that you’re holding triangle pose in between two vertical walls and rotate the hips and shoulders accordingly so that you fit into that tight, vertical plane.

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If you use a block, place it on the pinky-toe side of your leg, not the big toe side. Start with the block in the tallest position, and as you’re able, you can turn the block so that it becomes lower to the floor. Eventually, with practice, you’ll be able to rest your hand on the floor next to the outside edge of your foot.

Take a few long, deep breaths while holding this posture. With each inhale think about lifting your left hip and shoulder up toward the sky, opening the heart area and expanding the chest. With each exhale try to lengthen the spine away from the hips. Try to keep your spine in a straight line, no matter how deeply you’re able to go into the stretch. If it feels good to do so, turn your head so that you’re looking up at your left hand, and lengthen the neck away from the shoulders. Breathe!

To come out of the pose, engage all the leg muscles so that you have a strong foundation, and lift your torso upright. Walk or jump your feet back together and let your arms rest at your sides. When you’re ready, repeat on the other side.