How long should I hold Triangle Pose on each side?

Five to eight breaths per side, two rounds, with the hand resting wherever the legs can stay straight. Progress by lowering the hand a little at a time across sessions, from thigh to shin to a block, rather than dropping it to the floor and paying for it with a bent knee. Hold both sides for the same count even though one will feel longer.

How can I make Triangle Pose easier or harder?

To make it easier, set a block or a low stool under the bottom hand, or bring the hand to the thigh and shorten the stance so the hamstring is not the limit. To make it harder, take the hand lower, widen the stance slightly, or turn the gaze up to the top hand once the chest is genuinely open.

What is Triangle Pose good for, and when should I avoid it?

It lengthens the front-leg hamstring and inner thigh while the top-side waist and shoulder work to hold you off the floor, which builds hip mobility and awareness of the side-to-side plane. It is a poor choice with an acute hamstring strain, since the straight front leg puts the injured tissue on stretch under load, and it is not the pose to force if your low back is already sore from hinging work earlier in the day.

Intermediate

Triangle Pose

Triangle lengthens the front-leg hamstring and inner thigh while the top-side obliques and shoulder work to keep the torso from collapsing toward the floor. Straight legs and an honest side bend make it more demanding than it looks. It builds hip mobility and a strong sense of the frontal plane.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Hamstring, Thighs
Type: Balance, Stretching, Yoga
Browse by muscle: Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus

How to do it

1
Take a wide stance with the front foot pointing forward and the back foot slightly turned in.
2
Extend both arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
3
Reach the front hand forward, hinging from the front hip.
4
Lower the front hand to the shin, a block, or the floor while keeping both legs straight.
5
Stack the top shoulder over the bottom and extend the top arm toward the ceiling.
6
Lengthen through both sides of the waist, breathe, then switch sides.

Tips

Do not dump into the bottom ribs; keep both sides of the waist equally long.
Rest the bottom hand higher up the leg rather than forcing it to the floor.
Keep a firm lift in both kneecaps so the legs stay active, not hyperextended.

Variations

Common mistakes

The torso tips forward toward the floor instead of sideways over the front leg, which turns a side bend into a forward fold you cannot see happening.
Weight slides onto the front leg as the hand travels down, unloading the back foot that anchors the whole shape.
The top shoulder rolls forward so the raised arm ends up hovering over the chest rather than stacked above the bottom shoulder.
The back hip drifts backward out of line, leaving you in a shallow twist rather than a flat side bend.
The neck cranes to look up at the top hand before the ribcage has turned, which is exactly where the soreness shows up the next day; keep the gaze forward or down until the chest has opened.

Frequently asked

How long should I hold Triangle Pose on each side?: Five to eight breaths per side, two rounds, with the hand resting wherever the legs can stay straight. Progress by lowering the hand a little at a time across sessions, from thigh to shin to a block, rather than dropping it to the floor and paying for it with a bent knee. Hold both sides for the same count even though one will feel longer.
How can I make Triangle Pose easier or harder?: To make it easier, set a block or a low stool under the bottom hand, or bring the hand to the thigh and shorten the stance so the hamstring is not the limit. To make it harder, take the hand lower, widen the stance slightly, or turn the gaze up to the top hand once the chest is genuinely open.
What is Triangle Pose good for, and when should I avoid it?: It lengthens the front-leg hamstring and inner thigh while the top-side waist and shoulder work to hold you off the floor, which builds hip mobility and awareness of the side-to-side plane. It is a poor choice with an acute hamstring strain, since the straight front leg puts the injured tissue on stretch under load, and it is not the pose to force if your low back is already sore from hinging work earlier in the day.

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