parivrtta trikonasana.doc

8/13/2019 Parivrtta Trikonasana.doc

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Parivrtta Trikonasana

Revolved Triangle Pose

Yoga Journal October 2001

Benefits

Tones legs and hipsStrengthens upper back

!proves spinal fle"ibilit#

$assages organs and regulates their function

%ourishes spinal discs

&ontraindications

Back !uscle spas!s

'erniated discs

Sciatica

Positional vertigo

1( )s a #oga teacher* +hen sa#* ,Root #our feet- or ,Be grounded in #ourlegs*- a! asking #ou to find the sensation of connection to the earth(

2( .ift #our toes(

/( Separate the! ust as #ou +ould #our fingers #ou can even si!ultaneousl#

spread #our fingers to guide #ou to the right sensation( )t the sa!e ti!e* tr#

to +iden the ball !etatarsal3 oints of #our feet(

4( 5ven if #our toes see! stiff* #ou +ill probabl# see and feel that b# lifting the!

#ou engage the !uscles that support the arches of #our feet(

6( Standing on tiptoe is another good e"ercise for strengthening #our feet(

7( 8hile #our toes are lifted and separated* plant #our +eight so that it falls

evenl# on both feet(

9( Then* on each foot* root #our +eight e:uall# bet+een the ball oint of the big

toe* the ball oint of the little toe* and the center of the heel( ;istributing #our

+eight in this +a# helps support the arch and establishes a broad* balanced

link to gravit# that influences #our +hole bod#(


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each action* like oil in a bo+l* until it feels level( 8ith the pelvis in this

neutral position* #ou +ill be able to stand tall +ith out being rigid( n fact*

#our pelvis +ill float lightl# and co!fortabl#* rooted in the legs and feet(

8hen #our pelvis is free* the spine is far !ore likel# to be pliable and light*

especiall# as #our internal strength continues to gro+( To add strength in the

base of the spine and pelvis* !ove #our tailbone to+ard the floor as if a +eight+ere attached to the cocc#" tailbone3( This action is subtler than tucking

#our pelvis it>s !ore a letting go than an action( Though the pri!ar#

sensation is one of release* #ou +ill begin to feel a response in the interior of

the back pelvis as abdo!inal !uscles engage and stabili?e the lo+er spine(

Secure no+ in a grounded base* #our upper bod# +ill instinctivel# begin to let

go of chronic holding patterns( You can speed the process along b# gentl#

!oving the spine* +hich is :uite pliable( To do this* first spend a !inute

feeling the rh#th! of #our breath then deliberatel# direct that pulse into #our

spinal !uscles( &an #ou feel the !assage@ Araduall# #our spine +ill feel

lighter* as though it is gro+ing fro! #our pelvis like a vine( Arounding #our

legs and pelvis so #our spine can e!erge up+ard +ith suppleness instead ofrigidit# is crucial as #ou begin to e"plore standing t+ists(

Testing Your Roots

1( 8e>ll begin +ith a revolved version of Prasarita Padottanasana 8ide.egged

Standing Cor+ard Bend3(

2( Because the spine is attached to the pelvis* an# spinal rotation that is restricted

or forced can shake #our foundation(

/( n this first t+ist* the pelvis +ill be s#!!etrical( This position provides a

so!e+hat si!pler relationship bet+een the pelvis and the lu!bar spine than

do poses that re:uire an as#!!etrical pelvic align!ent( 8ith a s#!!etrical

pelvis* #ou can !ore easil# feel the effect of the spinal t+ist on #our roots*

gaining insight that +ill help #ou guide the t+ist !ore directl# into the spine

and carr# over into #our practice of less stable standing t+ists like Parivrtta

Trikonasana(

4( Take a !o!ent to re!ind #ourself of all our preparator# +orkD

a( active feet*

b( buo#ant oints*

c( floating pelvis*

d( grounded tail(

6( %o+* standing +ith legs +ide apart* feet parallel* and +ith #our spine light and

fluid* inhale as #ou begin to rotate #our pelvis for+ard and e"hale to continuebending for+ard until #ou lightl# place #our hands on the floor(

7( Eeep #our ar!s straight +ith #our +rists in line +ith #our shoulders and #our

head at shoulder level(

9( f #our hips are too tight to place #our pal!s on the floor* it>s fine to be on

fingertips* bend #our knees slightl#* or use blocks under #our hands(


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!ove!ent +ith both #our e"halation and the slight pause that follo+s it(

;uring the pause* consciousl# release #our abdo!en #ou !a# feel it

spontaneousl# lift into the front of #our sacru! and lu!bar spine( Rel# upon

that strength and support* reinforced b# #our e"halation* to feed length into

#our spine so that #ou feel it gro+ to+ard #our skull( 8hen #our spine gro+s

to+ard the skull +ith support at its base* the upper bod# beco!es light andspacious* ripe for the deeper !ove!ent of a spinal t+ist(

=( $ove #our left hand to the right* centering it under #our torso( Aentl# place

#our right hand on #our sacru!* pal! do+n if possible( This hand gives #ou

tangible feedback on the position of #our pelvis* helping #ou keep #our hips

level( The !ore level #our pelvis* the !ore the t+ist +ill target the spine so it

receives the greatest benefit(

10( 'o+ever* be careful not to !ake #our pelvis rigid* gripping the !uscles too

tightl# can irritate #our lo+er back(

11( n this position* tune in to the stead# rh#th! of #our breath and the cal!

environ!ent of #our bell#( )s #ou e"hale* press #our left ar! and hand into

the floor* feeling #our torso rebound up+ard in response( Corgo the urge toturn #our chest further than it is carried b# action of the left ar!(

12( 8hile turning the chest is not necessaril# +rong* leading +ith that action can

hide and even di!inish trul# deep !ove!ent of the spine(

1/( Observe in #ourself an# resistance #ou have to this last instruction( t !a# not

have occurred to #ou to hang back( )fter all* +hen #ou look at a photo or

de!onstration of an asana* +hat #ou usuall# see is the !a"i!u! e"pression

of the pose( 8hat a photograph cannot reveal is the internal and often length#

process that guided the pose to full flo+er( t is understandable that #ou !ight

si!pl# tr# to !i!ic +hat #ou see( nstead* go inside* even close #our e#es*

and let this t+ist be a discover#(

14( You have alread# spent so!e ti!e !aking #our spine consciousl# pliable and

adaptable no+ tr# to feel the e!ergence of the t+ist as #our spine rotates

slightl# each ti!e #ou e"hale and press #our right ar! to the floor(

16( )s #ou inhale* begin to raise #our right ar! and turn #our head to the right(

Fse #our e"halation to full# e"tend #our ar!* feeling the rotation deepen(

&ontinue to e"plore the +a# #our breath>s rh#th! resonates through #our

spine* helping to a+aken core sensitivit# and !ove!ent( 8ith each

inhalation* rela" a+a# fro! the edge of #our !ove!ent +ith each e"halation*

e"tend #our ar!s farther* letting their action turn the spine(

17( &oordinating breath and !ove!ent in this +a# co!pels #ou to slo+ do+n and

+ait for the asana to unfold naturall#(19( )s #our !uscles rela" +ith this breath !assage* the spine beco!es !ore

adaptable and #our ar!s can e"tend !ore strongl#* facilitating a !uch deeper

spinal rotation(

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pelvis rigid* since this can stress #our sacru! and lu!bar spine( The pelvis

continues to float* as #ou practiced earlier* over a cal!* controlled bell#(

20( )s an e"ploration* drop #our left hip and feel ho+ !uch !ore easil# #our

spine turns to the right(

21( %o+* tr# to keep that turn as #ou e"hale and raise the left hip again( Though

lifting the hip +ill !ost likel# pull #ou slightl# out of that enticing t+ist* #ou+ill feel in the second position that the !uscles directl# along the spine

beco!e !ore involvedGespeciall# in the area of #our back that !ost needs

the attention of the !assaging breath(

22( &ontinue to refine #our t+ist until further visible progress is not possible(

5ven then* notice the breath>s pulse reverberate through #ou* a subtle !otion

that connects #ou to #our core and persuades #ou to sta# in the pose(

2/( )t a certain point #our enduranceGand this does re:uire enduranceG+ill

begin to +ane( Fse that as #our cue to co!e out of the pose( On an

inhalation* begin to lift out of the pose* rela"ing #our ar!s and letting #our

head and spine !elt out of the t+ist( .ift fro! the abdo!en and use #our

e"halation to help bring #ou full# upright(24( Repeat these first t+o positions t+isting to #our left and then rest for a !inute

or t+o in a passive Fttansana Standing Cor+ard Bend3 before proceeding on

to+ard Parivrtta Trikonasana( Re!e!ber to pace #ourself(

Squaring Your Hips

1( Begin as in the previous pose* +ith #our feet +ide apart and parallel +ith each

other( Then turn #our left foot and leg and pelvis about 20 degrees to the

right( Pivot #our right leg and hip so the thigh* knee* and foot turn =0 degrees

out fro! their original position line #our heels up +ith each other for

stabilit# and place #our hands on #our hips(

2( Once #ou have established #our standing position* direct #our attention to the

left leg( Though #ou can no longer see the leg* #ou can feel it( Eno+ing bod#

!ove!ent and position b# sensation rather than b# vision is an essential skill

in hatha #oga( )s #ou did earlier* spread the ball oints of the foot* rooting

#our big and little toe oints as +ell as the center of the heel( 8hen +ell

grounded* #ou +ill feel an internal lift flo+ up #our leg* bringing space and

inner support to #our oints( 8hile #ou !a# need to encourage this rebound a

bit b# lifting the front ankle or knee* the point of an# such e"ternal action is to

facilitate inner !ove!ent(

/( %o+ that #our back leg is grounded* rotate #our hips farther to the right until

the# are as close to being side b# side as possible(4( f #our hips easil# !ake this rotation* #ou>re all set(

6( Fsuall#* though* the left hip hangs back(

7( ;on>t turn #our hips b# rotating #our left leg in !ore(

9( This +ill disturb the grounding of the back leg* and keeping the pose rooted is

essentialD t helps #ou resist the lure to do the t+ist fro! the hips instead of the

spine(


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10( $oving deeper +ith #our right hip not onl# opens that hip and !oves it back

beside the left* it also generates a s!all rotation in the sacru! and s:uee?es

the abdo!inal organs(

11( %o+ inhale and again plug #our left leg into the earth e"hale to rotate #our

pelvis for+ard over the right leg until the torso is parallel to the floor* placing

#our left fingertips on the floor as close to #our right big toe as possible( f#ou can>t reach the floor* place #our hand on #our leg or a block or bend #our

knees slightl#(

12( f #our hand rests easil# on the floor* !ove it to the little side of the foot(

1/( Take a !inute to stabili?e #our base(

14( B# this point #ou have probabl# reali?ed that Parivrtta Trikonasana is not ust

a t+ist but also a balancing pose* +hich !akes it even !ore necessar# to think

about #our roots(

16( The !ore grounded #our left leg* the lighter* !ore spacious * and !ore !obile

#our right hip +ill be* !aking it !uch easier to find inner s#!!etr# and avoid

unco!fortable pressure in #our right hip(

17( )t the sa!e ti!e* keep the inner environ!ent of #our pelvis fluid and stead#b# focusing on the rh#th! of #our breath* letting the e"halation and the pause

that follo+ it create internal support for the sacru! and lu!bar spine(

19( Recall the sensations of the s#!!etrical pelvis #ou e"perienced in the

Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana( !agine that #ou have a second pair of legs

positioned as the# +ere in that pose let these i!aginar# legs stabili?e #our

pose(

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/1( Persist in +orking +ith the head !ove!ent if #ou don>t turn #our head*

rotation is reduced not ust in the cervical spine but also in the thoracic region*

depriving #ou of the chance to restore !ove!ent in this notoriousl# tight area

of the spine(

/2( Sta# in Parivrtta Trikonasana for a fe+ breaths(

//( &lose #our e#es to better sense the subtle !otion that free breathing sustainseven +hen the outer for! of the asana appears static(

/4( .et this internal !otion help #ou beco!e !ore co!fortable(

/6( identif# and release an# nagging pockets of holding along the spine until #our

chet bloo!s full# fro! the inside out(

/7( Rel# on subtle internal !ove!ents and #our breath to tell #ou +hen to leave

the pose(

/9( )s the abilit# of the structural !uscles to support #our asana +eakens* #ou

+ill feel strin in #our breathing( )t that point* inhale and rela" #our ar!s*

letting he spine uncoil then e"hale and dra+ #our torso up to a standing

positin* initiating the !ove!ent fro! #our pelvic floor(

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parivrtta trikonasana.doc

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