POW! - Pose of the Week

POW! (Pose of the Week). This week's pose: Uttita trikonasana - because we can do so much with this! Trikonasana (or Triangle pose, to just about everyone!) was one of the first, truly memorable poses for me in Yoga. I remember the instructor gently talking us through what was, for me, a seemingly simple pose. I was able to touch the ground right away, both legs straight, one arm raised, and I couldn't believe that others in the class were having such trouble. This taught me a LOT about practicing yoga. One pose may come easily to me, but be incredibly challenging to someone else, regardless of outward appearance. Likewise, other postures which are easy for some, can present huge challenges for me. Fat people can do yoga, skinny people can do it, young people can do it, old people can do it, athletes can do it, I (not an athlete, by any stretch of the term) can do it...and I love the humility this brings to my work on the mat. By the way, Trikonasana was also the first posture name I learned in Sanskrit - it just sort of sticks in your mind, once you hear it.

And now, let's get into the nitty gritty of what this pose does for us - I love the gentle hamstring stretch I get in my forward leg. You may find yourself loving the opening you get in the hips or the shoulder, maybe you'll notice a strengthening in your thighs, legs, and ankles. Less obvious is the stimulation it gives to the digestive system and the stress relief it offers. There are also lots of variations and add-ons to deepen this pose for you, and help you get the maximum benefit.

Like the seemingly endless variations, there are also endless ways to find yourself in Trikonasana. You can push up from the ground, you can spiral open from a lunge, or your could straighten out of a side angle. I'm going to bring you there simply. From Warrior 2. Your hips are already open to the side, your front foot is out, and your back foot is anchored at a 45 degree angle. Arms are stretched to either side at shoulder height. Keeping this outward openness, lean forward with your outstretched arm, and stretch your torso as far as you can over your front leg, keeping parallel to the ground. Once you've leaned as far as you can go, keep your arms in one plane, and tilt the forward arm toward the ground. If your arms are kept in line, your back arm will automatically tilt up to the sky. Reach up for the clouds with the back arm. Reach down to root into the ground with your front arm.

If you're lucky enough to practice in front of a mirror, you will see several triangles in your posture: The one with an apex at your top hand. The one with the apex at your groins. The one with the apex where your forward arm brushes alongside your forward leg. If you're a math teacher, you might find even more ;) Lose yourself in the pose, trying to find as many triangles in your posture as you can. Triangles symbolize a trinity, and you could also lose yourself pondering who is in your trinity. Before you know it, it will be time to inhale to come up and out of your Trikonasana. Until next the next posture...

Namaste.