Tip of the Week: Center Your Spine in Triangle

 Bikram Yoga SLC student
Karen Dee Tschorn at Silver Lake

Center your spine in Triangle Pose. This is a common mistake, even for Bikram yoga veterans. It’s likely a common mistake because to do this properly feels weird, really weird. I didn’t know I was doing this wrong until I had a teacher pull my arm to straighten out my torso. When you bend your knee and go into Triangle pose, it’s easy to let your torso tilt right (if you’re bending your right leg). When you’re in the set up of the posture, look in the mirror and picture someone pulling your left arm, creating a 90 degree angle with your right thigh and your torso. It takes core strength to maintain proper alignment. Then, when you tilt your body for the final expression of the pose, try to keep the same alignment (in other words, don’t let your torso shift or lean right towards your bent leg again). This will allow you to use your core, maintain a “lift” in your posture and get the proper stretch in your hips. If you do this properly your oblique and abs will thank you.

~The above written by Lindsay Dahl at lindsaydahl.com. For a great video demonstration of Bikram Choudury doing Triangle Pose, click "here".