Published on July 5, 2026 at 05:22 AM
Yoga magazineQ archives The series is a curated collection of articles originally published in previous issues beginning in 1975. This article on Rotating Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana) first appeared in the March-April 1990 issue of Yoga magazine.
The Rotating Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana) provides us with a way to explore the many facets of cosmic existence. We can: open ourselves to the spiraling nature of the force of gravity (ananta) (i.e. experience communion with the universe); Exploring its influence on physiology and consciousness (penetrating the intrinsic self of cells and body systems); And clarifying the situation in a way that reflects our uniqueness and the uniqueness of the present moment (the experience of differentiation). As we become more sensitive to the cosmic presence, the universe enables the healing process.
Yoga postures are designed to open the body, free the respiratory and circulatory systems, and awaken and empower the higher self through cosmic presence. But many contemporary students of Hatha Yoga approach this art through pathologies of mechanical mentality, imposing mind and willpower on the body without sensitivity to the deeper needs of cells and organs. We cannot “control” the body, just as we cannot “control” Mother Nature. But we also cannot distance ourselves from and perpetuate our culture-induced status pathologies. It is necessary to think intelligently about the body’s habits to know the extent of their impact on breathing, blood circulation, and awareness. Our cultural ills at all levels must be recognized, studied and transformed.
How to practice the rotating triangle pose
In Figure 1 we see a tight yoga student trying to get into the Rotating Triangle Pose. Restrictions in the thighs and feet bind the spine and compress breathing.
As the law of universal differentiation explains, every body, every being, and every moment of time is unique. There is no mold into which we have to cram ourselves. The question for the asana practitioner is, how can this body, this atman, express the essence of the asana, in light of the physical reality of the present moment? How can we begin to explore form while allowing the breath to flow freely, the blood to circulate fully, and the mind to quietly observe? As BKS Iyengar says in: Yoga tree:
“One should not adjust the asana to suit his body structure, but rather shape the body according to the requirements of the asana. Then the asana will have the right physical, physiological, intellectual and spiritual effect.”*
The rotating triangle pose is primarily a standing pose, which means that the legs should be firmly on the mother earth. in Mountain pose (Tadasana), the first standing pose, in which the legs learn to work directly under the spine and torso. In Rotating Triangle Pose, the legs are separated three to four feet apart to create a triangular base for the torso and spine (Figure 5). The heel of the front foot should be in line with the heel or arch of the back foot.
Second, the rotating triangle is a forward bend asana, in which the pelvis is flexed through the hip joints over the stable legs, bringing the spine away from the upright position and toward a position parallel to the floor. Third, it is a twisted position, where the pelvis rotates over the hip bones and the entire spine rotates around the ceiling and upward.
In Figure 1, we see that in this body, today, the legs cannot support the torso when the hand is placed on the floor. Restriction of the hip joint holds the pelvis in an awkward position, which in turn distorts the spine and collapses the abdomen. Both breathing and circulation are diminished.
In Figure 2, the student made a modification Tight hamstringsIn forward bend by raising the hand, and for tight groin and outer hips in twist by moving the hand away from the inner thigh. The first action frees the pelvis to reattach the legs to the spine. The second modification releases the breath into the abdomen and pelvis, opens blood circulation, relaxes the sense organs, and calms the brain. Because the legs provide lift to the spine, the student can stay in the pose, developing strength and stability.
As the breath flows softly, the student can feel the subtleties of the pose and begin to open the body further. This is communion, where all the different cells, nerves, organs and muscle fibers begin to work together consciously. As tight muscles release the bones, the bones become stronger, the body grows taller, and the range of freedom increases. The hand position can gradually (over years for many of us) reach a full position (on the ground and off the leg; Figure 5).
In Figure 5, we can look more closely at the spirals that underlie this Twisting asana. The basic twisting action comes from the legs. (See “Yoga for the Hips and Thighs” (May/June 1989) for a more complete description of the double circles in the groin area.) The muscular action of the legs includes a downward, or floor, spiral and an upward, or lifting, spiral. Kinematically, the downward spiral involves internal rotation of the leg (femur and tibia) and pronation and dorsiflexion of the foot.
Ascending spirals include their antagonists: external rotation of the leg, supination, and plantar flexion of the foot. When both occur simultaneously (actually a very rapid oscillation between the two, the bones of the feet and legs stabilize and carry both grounding and lifting energy. (Feel the contact of the feet with the ground and adjust and balance to maintain equal contact through the big toe, little toe, and inner and outer heel.) Grounding the legs creates a lifting force that is received by the spine and turns into an extended vortex that flows in a wave motion from the coccyx bone across the top of Skull.
As in Mountain Pose and all other poses, the skin moves up the front of the body (with the anterior spine lengthening in the same direction) and down toward the coccyx at the back of the body. This procedure is difficult in the lower shoulder area, as the lower shoulder blade is often pulled toward the front of the body. In Figure 4, we see the dynamic action required in the scapula as it moves toward the tailbone and presses firmly against the rib cage to help open the chest.
In Figure 3 we see an interesting difference in pose. In this pose, the back leg is now rotated inward, with the toes inward and the heel outward, exactly the opposite of the standard way of performing the pose. This procedure gives a completely different feeling to the hips and spine. In the normal position, the front spine (especially on the side of the back leg) receives more twisting, while in Figure 3, the back of the spine receives more twisting.
In the depths of a well-performed asana, we experience the emergence of awe in the face of a mysterious and infinitely powerful world. This innocent, childish state, filled with reverence for the amazing reality of pure being, must be carefully nurtured and developed until it begins to permeate all aspects of our lives. In this way we become the universe, open to the creative spontaneity of the present moment, no longer full of ourselves like isolated egos. Brian Swimme says it this way:
“I sum up our contemporary scientific cosmic story about reality by saying that the universe is a green dragon.”
Green because the entire universe is alive, an embryonic formation that begins with the cosmic egg of the primordial fireball and culminates in the present emergent reality. And dragons too, no less. Dragons are mysterious, powerful, emerging from obscurity and disappearing into obscurity, ferocious, benign, and known for teaching humans the deepest realms of wisdom. And dragons are filled with fire.
Although there are no dragons, we are dragon fire. We are the creative, sparkling, burning, healing flame of the wonderful and magical universe.
