TRIANGLE POSE

Triangle pose provides a nice combination of balance, strengthening, stretching and challenge, making it an overall beneficial pose for mind, body and spirit and a great pose for combatting stress! 

In order to get into the pose, step one foot back about the distance of the length of your leg.  Spin the back heel to the floor at a 45 degree angle and point the front toes towards the front of the mat.  Hips, chest and shoulders are facing towards the side of the mat.  From this position, begin to hinge over the front leg, sending your hips backwards while you reach your chest forward over the leg.  Imagine that you are between two panes of glass and want to stay right in the middle.   Once you feel a stretch in your legs and hips, spiral the front hand towards the earth and the back hand towards the sky.  You can support the front hand on the earth, your leg or a block for more support.  Once you are in the pose, root down through your feet to stabilize your hips, draw your belly button back towards the spine to engage your core and lengthen through your spine and then gently spin your heart towards the sky.  Your head can either look up to the sky or stay in a comfortable position for your body.  You only want to move into the pose as far as you can keep the spine long and straight, so that you are creating crisp triangles throughout the different bends in the body.

Once you find your way into the pose and settle in, it is nice to visualize yourself radiating in all directions from the center of your body (the core) like a big sunshine. 

This can be a challenging posture, but also can feel very satisfying.  The deep stretch in the hips helps to release emotional tension which tends to accumulate in this area due to the central role the hips play in mobility (fight or flight) and bearing weight, hence the benefit of combatting accumulated stress.  It is also very strengthening for the legs, core and back which equals a feeling of empowerment over time.  Finally it involves a good deal of mental and physical focus which leads to a sense of presence.

The myriad benefits of the pose make it a go to posture for almost any day.