The Right Triangle

No two styles of yoga teach the same pose the same way, and nowhere is this more evident than with Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). So who's right? We asked five instructors to show us their approach to Triangle and compared their methods.

By Todd Jones

"Among the other first instructions we give are to press the outer edge of the back heel down into the floor and to press the base of the big toe mound on the front foot. From that alignment and that foundation, you begin to work upward."

Iyengar Yoga is famous (some might say infamous) for its detailed attention to alignment and specific actions, building every pose through precise, step-by-step instruction. (Iyengar yogis are also noted for creatively modifying poses, using props like walls, ropes, blocks, and chairs so that every student, no matter how weak or inflexible, can start to grasp the actions of the pose.)

Continuing up through the body, Peters emphasizes "drawing the flesh of the outer right leg up and rotating the entire thigh outward while lifting the inner left leg from the inner knee up to the tailbone."

A crucial idea in Iyengar Yoga, says longtime teacher John Schumacher of Unity Woods Yoga Center near Washington, D.C., is the difference between a movement and an action. "Raising or lowering your leg is a movement; in Iyengar Yoga 'action' implies the energy that's generated by countervailing forces—like trying to plant the inner edge of your front foot while turning the thigh outward in Trikonasana."

Both Peters and Schumacher point out that the correct hip actions are especially difficult in Trikonasana. "The back of the head, the ribs, and the buttocks, especially the front-leg buttock, should be in one plane," Peters explains. "But there's a tendency for that front leg buttock to drift back, so you have to take it strongly forward. Of course, as soon as you do, the left thigh tends to pop forward too, and you don't want that to happen. You have to take that thighbone back."

The correct actions in the legs and hips, Schumacher says, set up the rest of the pose: The torso extends parallel to the floor; the right hand moves down to the floor or the shin (depending on your flexibility), the left hand straight up in the air; the shoulder blades draw down the back to maintain freedom in the neck and shoulders; and the torso and head turn so you can gaze straight up at your left thumb.

The point of all this detail—not just in Trikonasana, but in virtually every pose—is to lengthen and articulate the spine. In addition to this overall goal, Trikonasana is used to communicate many of the most basic principles in Iyengar Yoga. "The form is simple," Schumacher points out, "yet it's so rich that it contains just about all the actions ever involved in any pose. It especially teaches grounding and proper actions in the legs. It also balances the nervous system, promotes circulation in the abdominal organs, tones the diaphragm, and opens the rib cage, which makes it a good long-term preparation for pranayama."

According to Peters, "When Mr. Iyengar is asked about his focus on physical detail in poses, his response is to ask 'When you sit in a chair, what sits? Your body, your mind, or your spirit?'" These questions draw a laugh—but, Peters notes, "That's not to say that doing poses is inherently spiritual. Your intention determines the fruit of your practice. The point of yoga isn't to tie your body in a knot; it's to use the body to purify and study yourself, beginning with what you can see—your leg in Trikonasana—and progressing to what you can't see—your breath and the movement of your mind."

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