Trikonasana – त्रिकोणासन

Yoga Day 2019

21st June is celebrated as International Yoga Day. Here is today’s asana.

The triangle pose is consisted of two Sanskrit words Trikon and Asana. The meaning of trikon (त्रिकोण) is triangle while the meaning of asana is pose. 

Trikonasana is very important for health & wellness. It has greater significance and relevance in the domain of sound health. Extended Triangle pose yoga has the ability to bring stability, strength and stamina in one’s life. Therapeutically, it is good for strengthening the core and legs.

Most of us deal with back pain at some point in our lives. Causes of back pain are varied from chronic nerve pain, to menstrual cramps, to stiffness from sitting all day.

While those with more medically rooted problems will need specialized care, many of us can find great relief from our back pain with a yoga practice. The pain we feel in our lower backs is often triggered by stress and an abundance of cortisol being continually released as we navigate our overstimulated lives.

Yoga is an incredible way to relieve this stress. Triangle pose is an ideal way to pinpoint the stress we carry in our lower backs. The pose requires us to maintain proper alignment in the back, which helps to correct any curving or hunching we do during the work day.

It also opens the shoulder and extends the neck — two places where tension lives.

Moreover, Trikonasana requires focused concentration and attention to the breath to keep the ego from making us feel inadequate or unsteady. This breath, and total presence in the moment is the single most powerful tool in relieving stress.

Trikonasana can be one of the first poses that we do in our standing pose sequence whether we want the focus of our practice to be oriented towards forward bends, backbends, twists or inversions.  The work of moving the tailbone and shoulder blades forward and opening the chest tones the spinal muscles required for all backbends.  

Sri Yantra

In tantric yoga philosophy, the Sri Yantra is the geometrical representation of the creation of the cosmos. An upward facing triangle represents aspiration towards the transcendental and an inverted triangle represents the source of energy and the root of life.

When the two are connected, multiple triangles emerge signifying the web of existence.

In Trikonasana, we are seeking the yantric ideal of straight clean lines to access the union of our material and spiritual impulses. The material impulse helps us to be careful when practicing out of concern for our physical well-being whereas the spiritual impulse spurs us on to seek greater depth and intensity.  As in all asanas, we learn to balance the dualities of courage and caution.

Renowned Yoga Guru Shri B.K.S. Iyengar

When done well, Trikonasana is stabilizing and freeing.  We feel firmness in our legs, a lengthening of the spine, fullness in the chest, and freedom in the neck and shoulders. 

Trikonasana increases flexibility and strength in the legs and lower joints (ankles, knees, and hips) while extending the lower back.  It can be a panacea for backaches.

If you have tight hamstrings, forward bends can aggravate lower back pain but Trikonasana provides a safe method of stretching the legs while extending the back laterally. We also learn the movements in the upper body that prepare us for the practice of inversions, twists, and backbends.

The anatomy of Trikonasana

Benefits of Trikonasana

  • It gives Strength to your legs, feet and ankles.
  • Stretches hips, groins, hamstrings, calves and spine.
  • Opens chest and shoulders.
  • Strengthens back, neck and abdominals.
  • Stimulates abdominal organs, aiding in digestion.
  • Best therapy for stress, anxiety, infertility, flat feet, neck pain. Osteoporosis, sciatica and symptoms of menopause.
  • Give reliefs in backache, especially during pregnancy.