SANSKRIT NAME
- Utthita Trikonasana
ALIGNMENT & VARIATIONS
- Beginning in Warrior II, straighten the front leg, keeping a micro-bend in the knee to avoid hyper-extending
- Ground down through the big toe and all four corners of the front foot to help balance
- Imagine someone pulling the front arm forward and out, sliding the whole upper body forwards from the hips
- Hinging from the hips and keeping the upper body upright and side-on, tip forwards, bringing the bottom hand to rest gently on the shin OR back of the hand resting against the inner calf
- Bring the top arm up, reaching towards the sky OR keep the top arm on the hip
- Draw the belly button back towards the spine, keep rotating from the navel centre, stacking the hips
- Draw shoulder blades down the back, top shoulder back, opening up the chest and shoulders
- Avoid dumping weight into bottom waist – lengthen and pull up through the bottom waist, engaging the core
- Gaze up towards the top arm, shoulders relaxed
- Options for tight hamstrings: Place a block near the inside calf of front leg, directly underneath the shoulder. Rest fingertips lightly on the block – avoid leaning too much weight on block.
- Options for stiff or tight neck: Keep gaze down towards bottom foot or straight towards the side. Keep shoulders relaxed, neck neutral.
- Options for tight shoulders: Keep top arm on top hip.
BENEFITS
- Stretches and opens neck, arms, shoulders, chest, waist, upper body, hips, groin and hamstrings
- Strengthens arms, shoulders, core, thighs and calves
- Challenges balance
Option to use a block underneath the shoulder if the hamstrings are tight, and keep gaze down to avoid straining the neck.
