Focus Post Triangle - or Ninja Skills Training

Triangle pose, a.k.a trikonasana, is a fundamental pose in the library of yoga postures. It's a tricky one in the sense that it is tempting to cheat the pose and not gain it's maximum benefits. It requires an honest approach and a strong internal focus.

To set yourself up for Triangle take a wide stance facing the long edge of your mat. Turn out your right foot to point to the short edge of your mat, leaving your left foot, the back foot, where it is. Take a moment to solidify your legs- meaning they are going to remain straight so think of pulling up your kneecaps to activate your thigh muscles and stabilize your legs.

Now take a full breath in and open your arms out to the sides. As you begin to exhale reach your right fingertips out past your right toes by leaning from the waist - not by bending the knee. This reach will get the length on the sides of your torso established and then you can rest your right hand on to your right leg. This is the point where utmost honesty is required! If your knee desperately wants to bend, do not take your hand so far down your leg. Perhaps rest on your upper thigh, or mid thigh, or knee, or if you can reach your shin or a block or the floor! There are tons of options as you can see. The hard part is being patient and kind enough with yourself to recognize where you should be without letting your ego dictate for you. Now, once you have settled where you can reach your hand to (for this moment - of course it could always change) the left arm reaches straight to the ceiling. This upper arm needs as much attention as the bottom, don't let your shoulder sag into your ear. Keep imagining space between your shoulder blades.

If you have an injury or issue with your shoulders however, do NOT take your hand to the ceiling. Just bend your elbow and rest your hand on your hip paying attention the space between the shoulder blades. You also have options with your head. Usually the eyes gaze up to the thumb but if you have neck injuries or issues, stay looking straight out or even down at your foot.

Now, Triangle is not only a fantastic stretch and release for the torso, inner thigh and hamstrings, but it is very strengthening for the hip rotators and thighs. To get this maximum benefit of the stretch and strengthening you must find your inner ninja. Say what? Yup. Once you are in your triangle pose imagine you are a ninja trying to sneak your way through two walls, or for the modern day ninja, between laser sensors. Your butt can not stick out. Your chest can not fall forward. So avoid those walls or sensors, roll your top hip (in this case the left one) back as you send your bottom hip forward and line up your torso over your leg. You want to feel as if you are attempting to flatten yourself out.

And there you have it, some ninja training, some side stretch, some hip and leg strengthening, some ab tightening, some shoulder stabilizing and - breathing! Right! Of course right.

This pose can also be used for warming up in a flow or vinyasa sequence. If you want to make the pose dynamic set up your legs, inhale your arms out, exhale leaning all the way down to your triangle shape and inhale yourself back up to standing. Keep the legs as they are and just repeat the body action. Lower on exhales, rise up on inhales. To make a longer sequence alternate between triangle pose and warrior two. The set up of the feet is exactly the same so you could inhale the arms out, lunge into warrior two on the exhale, inhale to standing, and exhale leaning out and down into triangle, inhale to standing and repeat.
This combination is great for building some heat and getting circulation going if you are feeling particularly stiff or cold before attempting to hold the posture alone. Once you feel warmed up work up to holding your triangle for 5 easy breaths. Easy meaning not gasping and not rushing the breath. If you have difficulty making an easy breath that's the sign that your ego took over and made you go farther than is right for you. Always make sure you can breath. It may be effort but it should not be gasping.