Step by Step

  1. From Mountain Pose (Tadasana), step or lightly jump your feet 3 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down.
  2. Turn your left foot in slightly and your right foot out to 90 degrees. Align the right heel with the left heel. Firm your thighs and turn your right thigh outward, so the center of the right kneecap is in line with the center of the right ankle.
  3. Exhale and extend your torso to the right, directly over the plane of the right leg, bending from the hip joint, not the waist. Anchor this movement by strengthening the left leg and pressing the outer heel firmly to the floor. Rotate the torso to the left, keeping the left and right sides of the torso equally long. Let the left hip come slightly forward and lengthen the tailbone toward the back heel.
  4. Rest your right hand on your shin or ankle or the floor outside your right foot—whatever is possible without distorting the sides of the torso. Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling, in line with the tops of your shoulders. Keep your head in a neutral position or turn it to the left, eyes gazing softly at the left thumb.
  5. Stay in this pose for 30 to 60 seconds. Inhale to come up, strongly pressing the back heel into the floor and reaching the top arm toward the ceiling. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time on the other side.

Benefits

  • Extended Triangle is good for lengthening the spine and strengthening and stretching the thighs, knees, ankles and torso. This pose also stretches he hips, groin, hamstrings, and calves; shoulders, chest, and spine.
  • This posture improves digestion by stimulating the abdominal organs and also helps relieve stress.