How Parivrtta Trikonasana works on neglected parts of your body

Yoga magazineQ archives The series is a curated collection of articles originally published in previous issues beginning in 1975. This article about Parivrtta Trikonasana first appeared in the August 2008 issue of Yoga magazine.

There’s no way around it: In the pose of standing, parivrta trikonasana (Rotating triangle pose) is one of the most difficult challenges. But it provides a wonderful opportunity to build focus and awareness, to develop the mind-body awareness that lies at the heart of yoga.

Being present in the present moment is difficult to achieve. How many times have you been in class doing physical exercises with your mind scanning – obsessing over the past, anticipating the distant future, or even just wondering what to eat for lunch? It can be nearly impossible to silence your thoughts, but in a pose like Parivrtta Trikonasana, you can focus your attention on what it takes, to harness your wandering mind. When you accept the challenging elements of the pose, you will improve your ability to practice ikagratha, or focusing on a single point.

One important technique for learning how to deal with volatility is to evenly distribute the work required. Most of us tend to twist where it’s easy and avoid twisting where it’s not. This usually means you’ll be overworking the neck, which is relatively mobile, and putting pressure on the middle and upper back, parts of the spine that in many people are as flexible and responsive as a block of cement. When you overwork an area that is already mobile and “open,” you make it more susceptible to injury. However, twists like Parivrtta Trikonasana can help you bring openness and awareness to the thoracic spine, which is often dormant. Working in an area that you might normally ignore creates the perfect opportunity to observe the body and mind in relation to the practice.

Waking the dead

While practicing Parivrtta Trikonasana, try to resist the tendency to twist the neck and torque too much in the sacroiliac (SI) joint. Instead, focus your attention more precisely on the rebellious chest area. The following modification is a great way to learn this principle.

Face the long side of your mat so that your feet are parallel and about four feet apart. Place a block between your feet and slightly in front of them. As you inhale, lengthen your spine and lift your knees by engaging your quadriceps. Continue this activity in your thighs, and as you exhale, bend forward until your torso is parallel to the floor. Place your right hand on the block, positioning it so that it is directly below your nose.

Now place your left hand on your sacrum, the triangular bony spot at the base of your spine, and adjust your hips so that your sacrum is level. Your right side may want to drop, so, using your hand as a feedback mechanism to make sure your sacrum stays level, lift your right hip by activating your right thigh and bringing it back and up. On inhalation, extend the sternum away From your navel To lengthen your spine. As you exhale, take your left hand to the ceiling and open your chest to the left (Figure 1).

Notice how much easier it is to “rotate” your hips rather than actually twist your spine. Instead, keep your right leg active so that your right hip doesn’t follow you as you twist to the left. When you create this resistance in the right leg, the twisting action moves from the pelvis and SI joint to the middle and upper back, where you want it. Keep your chin in line with your sternum when you find a twist in your chin Thoracic spine Do not turn your head until you have done so, while continuing to resist the urge to twist your neck as much as possible.

Bring your left hand in line with your right hand and direct your gaze to your left thumb, but refrain from moving your neck. Create a rhythm that makes each inhale your spine a little longer, and each exhale gives you a little more rotation. This breathing pattern is an important part of creating an expansive progression, and you’ll want to practice it in later versions as well. Take 8 to 10 breaths and then switch sides.

Don’t go along for the ride

For this variation, place your mat perpendicular to the wall and stand close to the wall with your back against it. Place a block on the front of your rug. Turn your right toes about 45 degrees, but keep your right heel against the wall. Move your left foot forward about four feet until you can draw a straight line from heel to heel (Figure 2). Place your hands on your hips and straighten your hips. If you cannot create this alignment, you may need to shorten your stance by bringing your left foot closer to the wall. Maintain the longest stance possible while also bending your hips, as this will give you the greatest extension in your spine.

Lift your knees by engaging your knees Thigh muscles As I did before. Draw your left outer hip and right inner thigh toward the wall behind you to straighten your hips (these actions pull your left hip back and roll your right hip forward), then drop your tailbone toward the floor so it doesn’t go past your lower back. Keep your left hand on your left hip to remind him to stay back, and firmly press your right thigh bone back until you get some juice in your back leg. As you inhale, straighten your spine and lift your right arm up. As you exhale, reach forward, placing your right hand on the block below your shoulder.

Raise your left arm to the ceiling and gently direct your gaze toward your left thumb.

Remember the instructions in the first edition about not overdoing it in the cervical spine. If you feel more sensation in your neck than in your upper back, lower your gaze slightly and look straight ahead. Notice how the right hip wants to stay still while riding while rotating to the right, creating a rotation rather than an actual twist of the spine. Create resistance by pressing into the back of your right thigh, creating stability in the lower back so the twist in the upper back thrives.

Refine your development

For the classic pose, take your mat to the middle of the room and place your feet and legs in the same position and distance you marked on the wall. Widen your hips and engage your quadriceps. Active legs are a crucial component of standing twists, as they create stability in your foundation which facilitates freedom in the torso.

Keeping your left hand on your hip to stabilize it in the midline, press your right femur back so the leg doesn’t collapse as you move into the twist. On inhalation, raise your right arm to the ceiling; As you exhale, lengthen your torso straight forward before finally placing your right hand on the floor to the outside of your left foot. If necessary, you can take the block to the inside of your foot, as you did on the wall.

Using your left hand, check your sacrum and make sure the right side has not sunk too low. If so, the right leg is not counteracting the tendency to rotate. Your hips won’t be perfectly square, but if they are too far apart, you’ll miss the opportunity to explore your thoracic area.

To reduce pelvic sway, pull your right femur back while pulling your left hip toward your right heel. On inhalation, lengthen your spine. As you exhale, raise your left arm to the ceiling and look toward your left thumb.

Take a moment to observe your posture with full attention. Notice how easy it is to shift from the neck, limiting twisting and your chance to break your habits. Create movement in the thoracic area so that the twist in the neck is a continuation of the rotation in the upper back and not a replacement. in Bhagavad Gita Krishna defines yoga as “skill in action.” In a pose like Parivrtta Trikonasana, you embody this idea – cultivating and acting on your awareness and intelligence together to create an evolution that expands the mind and body.