Trikonasana - The Triangle Pose

"Tri" means 'three', 'Kona' means 'angle', and 'Trikona' means 'triangle' in Sanskrit The straight legs with the floor between the feet resemble the three sides of a triangle in this asana. Hence the name.

Sequence:

1. Stand erect. Keep the feet sufficiently apart.
2. Inhaling, raise and stretch out your arms sideways to shoulder level and parallel to the floor with palms facing downward.
3. Exhale slowly and breathe normally a few times.
4. Take a deep breath.
5. Exhaling slowly, rotate the trunk and head together from the waistline all the way around to the left without moving the feet or changing the position of the arms, and complete the exhalation. Hold this position for a few seconds while holding out your breath.
6. Hold this position for a few seconds while holding out your breath.
7. Take a deep breath again.
8. Exhaling slowly, extend your right arm downward towards the left big toe without bending the knees. While the right arm is moving downward, bend down your head and trunk slowly to the left from the waist.
9. Rest the fingertips of the right hand on the left big toe.
10. Raise and stretch your left arm straight up and bring it in line with your lowered right arm, keeping the left palm turned inwards.
11. Holding out your breath, turn your head to the left and look up quickly at the fingertips of your left hand.
12. Still holding out the breath, again turn your head downwards and look down quickly on the left big toe and look up at the fingertips of the raised hand a second time.
13. Maintain this position as long as you can comfortably hold out your breath.
14. Inhaling, release the right hand, twist the trunk and head back and rise up slowly to the erect standing position, lowering the left arm to the shoulder level and rotating the right arm sideways up to shoulder level in a wide circle.
15. Exhale slowly and take a few normal breaths.
16. Repeat the whole exercise, twisting the trunk and head to the right.


Caution:

* The movements must be very slow and rhythmical.
* Keep the knees and elbows straight throughout this asana.
* Bend only to the sides. While bending, the trunk must not sway forward. Your hips should not move so that the pull comes from your waist. Do not twist the trunk or hips.
* While bending, your feet should not slip.
* Bend the trunk little by little by sliding the palm lower and lower towards the foot, going a little further each time you practice. The movement must be continuous without interruption at any stage.
* Shift the weight of the body to the left when your left arm slides down on the left leg, and vice versa.
* If you cannot touch the ankle-joint, hold on to any portion of the leg as near to it as you can manage.



Benefits:

* It removes tension from the neck and the side muscles and opens up the chest and expands it.
* It exercises the hips and the buttocks.
* This asana reduces excess fat in the abdomen, waist and hips and massages that area of the flank where fat accumulates. It thus gives the body a graceful form with minimum effort.
* It increases the flexibility of the waist and the hip joints.
* It benefits women by slimming the waistline and giving shape and grace to the hipline besides exercising the pectoral muscles which hold the breasts in position.
* This is an excellent exercise for correcting a faulty posture and for making the body well-proportioned.
* Persons who have to sit for long periods at the workplace will find this posture invigorating, if it is practiced during the period of work.
* Practicing Trikonasana regularly improves the appetite. It also helps digestion and the assimilation of food.
* It relieves constipation by invigorating the peristaltic action of the bowels.
* It will help a person to attain full stature.