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Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle)

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Yoga Techniques & Fitness Yoga Techniques and Fitness
Yoga stretch pose demonstrating flexibility and balance.
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Overview

In this lesson, we present Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose), a strengthening and opening standing pose that activates the entire body while creating balance between heating and cooling.

Objective

Become familiar with the alignment and energetic qualities of this fundamental pose, including how to maintain length in both sides of the waist and how it supports various therapeutic applications.

What You'll Get

What You'll Get: You'll discover the key to Triangle Pose—keeping both sides of the waist equally long rather than collapsing into the lower side. The lesson explores how this pose strengthens hip flexors and core while stretching shoulders, spine, hips, and legs. You'll learn how it stimulates kidneys, thyroid, and intestines, and why it's considered balancing for all seven chakras. For teachers and therapists, you'll understand how this pose can support students with anxiety, back pain, digestive issues, flat feet, sciatica, and even menopausal symptoms, plus when to modify or skip it based on contraindications.

Utthita Trikonasana

Baddha Trikonasana

Utthita Trikonasana

oo-TEE-tah tree-ko-NAH-suh-nuh

utthita = extended

tri = three

kona = angle

Extended Triangle Pose

Heart of Pose

  • Strengthening & Opening
  • Standing Pose

Utthita Trikonasana and Utthita Parsvakonasana aren’t true side-stretching poses because you’re working in them to keep length in both sides of the waist and ribs. – Julie Gudmestad

See Also

Effects / Benefits

Energy, Mood, Emotion

Effects to energy, mood or emotion may include the following.

  • Can help develop determination and be empowering
  • Said to help relieve stress
  • Balances heating and cooling
  • “Activates all seven chakras with a focus on the Heart Chakra” (Joseph & Lilian LePage, Yoga Toolbox 2005)

Inner Body

Inner body effects may include the following.

  • Stimulates kidneys and thyroid
  • Stimulates intestines

Musculoskeletal

Musculoskeletal effects may include the following.

General

  • Strengthens and increases flexibility in back, hips, legs, feet
  • Tones core
  • Opens chest
  • Elongates spine
  • Develops stamina
  • Creates balance

Specific

  • Strengthens hip flexors (psoas)
  • Strengthens and tones abdominals (rectus abdominus & abdominal obliques)
  • Strengthens spine (erector spinae)
  • Stretches shoulders, chest, spine, hips, groins, hamstrings and calves
  • Strengthens side waist (quadratus lumborum) when student contracts top side waist (not rounding it up toward ceiling)

Therapeutic Uses*

  • Anxiety
  • Backache – including in first and second trimesters of pregnancy.
  • Digestion – stimulation of intestines improves digestion and said to be helpful for colitis & constipation.
  • Flat Feet
  • Infertility
  • Lethargy
  • Menopausal symptoms and irregular menstrual cycle
  • Osteoporosis
  • Sciatica

* This pose is often associated with positive effects related to the conditions listed. But unless trained in yoga therapy, teachers are usually advised against “prescribing” particular asanas to address specific conditions.

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