Trikoṇāsana, the triangle pose

Sanskrit

त्रिकोणासनTrikoṇāsana

Meaning of the name

Triangle pose: tri, three, koṇa, angle, and āsana, posture; also called utthita trikoṇāsana, extended triangle

Level

Beginner

Family

Standing

In the texts

Modern posture, absent from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita

Three angles, three lines: the two legs and the floor, the trunk and the front leg, the arms opening upward. Trikoṇāsana teaches width. In most postures we lengthen up or fold forward; here the body extends sideways, the chest stays open, and the two sides of the waist learn to be equally long. It is one of the twelve basic postures of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta tradition and part of nearly every standing sequence.

Steps

1. Stand in mountain pose at the centre of the mat, then step the feet about a leg's length apart.
2. Turn the right foot out 90 degrees and the left foot in slightly. The right heel lines up with the arch of the left foot.
3. Inhaling, raise the arms to shoulder height, palms down.
4. Exhaling, reach the trunk to the right over the right leg, as if sliding along a wall behind you, then tilt the arms: right hand down to the shin, the ankle or a block, left arm up towards the ceiling.
5. Turn the chest open. Look up at the left hand if the neck is comfortable, otherwise forward or down.
6. Hold three to five breaths, the legs firm, the breath free.
7. Inhaling, press into the feet and come up with the arms wide. Turn the feet and repeat on the left side.

Alignment

• The trunk moves sideways, not forward: the upper shoulder stacks above the lower one as far as comfortable.
• The front knee points over the middle toes and is not locked.
• Both sides of the waist stay long; the lower side does not crumple.
• The outer edge of the back foot presses into the floor.

Variations

• Gentle version with a block: place a block on its highest side outside the front foot and rest the hand on it. The chest can then open without strain.
• Shorter stance: bring the feet a little closer together to reduce the stretch in the hamstrings and the effort for balance.
• With a chair: rest the lower hand on the seat of a stable chair placed beside the front leg; useful for seniors and stiff backs.
• Against a wall: stand with the back of the body close to a wall to feel the sideways line.
• Revolved triangle (intermediate): the twisting form, learned later.

Contraindications

• Neck pain: keep the head neutral and look down or forward.
• Low blood pressure or dizziness: come up slowly, and keep the upper hand on the hip.
• Hamstring or groin strain: shorten the stance and use a block.
• Knee that hyperextends: keep a small bend in the front knee.
• Pregnancy: wider and shorter stance, hand on a block or chair, with your midwife's or doctor's agreement.

In the texts

Trikoṇāsana is a modern posture. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika contains no standing pose at all, and the only standing posture of the Gheranda Samhita is the tree on one leg (2.36). The triangle belongs to the standing poses developed and named in twentieth-century India, and it is one of the twelve basic postures taught in the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres founded by Swami Vishnudevananda, a disciple of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh. The word trikoṇa itself is old: the Monier-Williams dictionary cites trikoṇa, "triangular", from the Mahābhārata, and from Varāhamihira's sixth-century astronomy.

Related postures

The triangle follows mountain pose and combines well with Warrior I; a forward bend such as the seated forward bend or a calm śavāsana can close the session. For a first sequence, see the basic poses for beginners. All the cards: the asanas chapter.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā, Sanskrit text, chapter 2 (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 16, 2026
2. Svātmārāma, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Sanskrit text (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 16, 2026
3. Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), entry trikoṇa, Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries checked October 16, 2026

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