Triangle Pose

Triangle Pose is a foundational standing pose found in almost every style of yoga. From a wide stance, you extend sideways over a straight front leg, reaching one hand toward the floor and the other toward the sky to form a clear triangle shape. It looks simple but rewards patience — a steady pose that stretches the whole side body while building strength and focus through the legs. 

Utthita Trikonasana comes from "utthita" (extended), "trikona" (triangle), and "asana" (pose) — "extended triangle pose," named for the triangle your body and legs form in the shape. It's one of the best-known poses in yoga, alongside Downward Dog and the Warriors, and a staple of most beginner classes.

1 · How to enter safely

Start in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) in the middle of your mat.

• Step — or lightly jump — your feet wide apart. Step rather than jump if you have a sensitive lower back or a knee injury.
• Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height, reaching strongly from the shoulders to the fingertips.
• Turn your left foot slightly in and your right leg fully out to the right, so the whole leg faces the short end of your mat. (Start on the right side.)
• Reach actively out over your right leg, then lower your right hand to your shin, ankle, or a block, and extend your left arm up.

2 · How to hold the pose

Keep the work in your legs: lift your kneecaps and draw your top hip back so both sides of your torso stay long. Aim to bring your torso parallel to the floor, hips open and both arms straight, forming a clear triangle. Keep a micro-bend in your front knee rather than locking it, and don't rest your hand on the knee joint. Gaze straight ahead, or down toward your foot if balance is tricky; if your neck feels comfortable, you can turn to look up at your top hand. Hold for several breaths, then repeat on the other side.

3 · How to exit safely

Press the soles of your feet firmly into the floor.
Inhale and lift your torso back up to centre, relaxing your arms if you need to.
Pivot your toes to face forward and step, or lightly jump, your feet back together into Mountain Pose.
 

Triangle Pose stretches the inner thighs, hamstrings, calves, spine, shoulders, and chest while strengthening the legs and back. It opens the hips, stimulates the abdominal organs, and helps improve focus and balance — an energising pose that lengthens the whole side body at once.

Triangle Pose appears in most beginner classes, but it's famously easy to do and hard to do well, so give yourself time with it. No special flexibility is needed — a block under your lower hand makes it accessible from the start, and you can deepen gradually. Step rather than jump into the stance if your lower back or knees are sensitive, and see the safety notes below for a few conditions to work around

You'll find Triangle Pose across most standing sequences — it's a staple of Hatha, Vinyasa, Iyengar, and Ashtanga, where it's often held with precise alignment and used to build strength and steadiness early in a class.

The two best-known variations deepen the pose. Bound Triangle (Baddha Trikonasana) wraps the arms to bind behind the body, and Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana) twists the torso to bring the opposite hand down for a stronger rotation. For more support, a block under your lower hand is the most useful variation of all — it keeps both sides of the body long while you build the pose.

A block is the key prop here: rest your lower hand on it, placed inside or outside your front foot, whichever keeps both sides of your body evenly long. A wall behind you can help you learn the alignment without worrying about balance. A non-slip mat matters too, since a stable, wide stance is what keeps the pose safe and steady.

• Knee injuries — keep a micro-bend in the front knee, and never rest your hand directly on the knee joint.
• Lower-back sensitivity — step into the stance rather than jumping, and use a block to avoid over-reaching.
• Neck issues — gaze down toward your foot rather than up at your top hand.
• High or low blood pressure — keep your head level (look ahead, not up) and come up slowly.
• Pregnancy — widen your stance, use a block, and avoid deep twisting variations.

If full Triangle Pose isn't right for you today, there are gentler ways in. Supported Triangle with a block under the lower hand gives all the benefits with less strain. Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana) offers a similar side-body stretch with a bent front knee, which many find more stable. It also helps to be comfortable in the basics first — Mountain Pose, Forward Fold, and Warrior II all build the strength and alignment that make Triangle feel steadier.