Asana · Practise on your own
Utthita Trikonasana
Extended triangle pose
Extended triangle pose. A wide-legged side stretch that keeps both legs straight and the chest open.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
- Meaning
- utthita = extended, tri = three, kona = angle, asana = seat or posture
- Family
- Standing
- Level
- Beginner
- Gaze
- Upward hand
Take care
Keep a soft front knee if it tends to lock backward. Look down rather than up with neck pain or dizziness.
How it is done
- 1
Breathe in
Step the feet about a leg's length apart. Turn the right foot out and the left foot slightly in. Spread the arms at shoulder height.
- 2
Breathe out
Reach out over the right leg and take the big toe, or rest the hand on the shin.
- 3
Breathe freely
Lift the left arm straight up and turn the chest toward the sky. Stay for five breaths.
- 4
Breathe in
Come up with straight legs. Turn the feet and repeat on the left.
Holding it
Five breaths on each side.
Making it easier
Rest the lower hand on a block or the shin, and look forward or down if the neck is tired.
What the tradition says it does
- Stretches the hamstrings and the side of the body
- Strengthens the legs
Variations
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, p. 4
- Ashtanga Primary Series as commonly taught in the Mysore style; sequence order and counts await subject review