slipping and sliding feet

Hello Jill and Jacquie

Triangle is an amazing pose. It does indeed highlight your inner thigh or adductor strength. There are things you can do. Because thankfully it is not just about how strong your legs are. Body geometry, how you set it up makes a great difference.

As Jacquie says, you can feel successful some days and others not. My experience is that it takes sometimes very small differences in set-up to have you feel strong, or even collapse or slide.

Foot position. Weighting the feet. Hip position. Arm positions. All of these are going to determine your ability to stay up and feeling strong.

The feet:
Feet will determine how your legs work. Bent leg shin is vertical. And if you can, thigh is parallel to floor. Heels parallel to mirror. And TURN the foot of your straight leg in a little to make it a bit pigeon-toed. This definitely helps you plant the outside of your foot while also allowing you to ground the big toe. This will also allow you to lock that leg. AND if you can, see if you can squeeze your butt cheek on that side (magic).

Weighting feet:
You are trying to weight them evenly. When you are sliding you will probably notice that the bent leg is taking most of the weight and the extended one is moving away. You could have your elbow BELOW your knee (wrong) which is making you fall toward the floor. Or your straight leg hip is starting to rise.

Arm position:
Most people bring the upper arm to the knee instead of the elbow. This may be one of the biggest mistakes if not the biggest. Try the point of the elbow at the knee. PUSH the knee back. Recommit the locking of the straight leg (and butt cheek if you can).

Hip positions:
A big and common mistake is to roll the straight leg hip down toward the floor. How can this be a hip opening exercise if you are closing them? Moreover, when you recommit to seating your hips down, lock out the leg (and butt) and push the knee back with the elbow you will feel your weight even out between your feet toward your center. And you feel a pleasing opening sensation where it is needed.

I have not given you ALL the distinctions because I don’t have enough room here. AND I don’t want to bamboozle you.

First just do what you normally do (maybe out of class) and notice where the weight is. What you do with all these parts of the body. Then try the above adjustments.
And also take a look at the other Trikonasana post: What should I be trying to accomplish in Triangle pose?

I would love to hear how you go and if we need to we can delve even deeper…

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Hi Jill

It sounds like you are on your way. With so many things to pay attention to, you will find little distinctions reveal themselves to you each time! Before you know it you will be feeling invincible in Triangle.

Thanks for reporting back. :cheese:

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂