The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Trikonasana › Triangle Pose with long legs
The Hot Yoga Doctor – Free Bikram and Hot Yoga Resources › Hot Yoga Doctor Forum › The Hot Yoga Poses › Trikonasana › Triangle Pose with long legs
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I’m new to bikram and the only pose I’ve been really struggling with is triangle. I am pretty tall, but not abnormally so (5’8″) but I have very long limbs. It seems like my legs have to be miles apart in order for my leg to be at a ninety degree angle. Is this just a pose that will be tough for me or am I doing something wrong?
I’m editing this since my post is getting a lot of views but not any replies… When I take a step across my mat and then go into the “lunge”, I have to keep kicking my bending leg’s heel out and out and out and out in order to be able to bend my knee in a 90 degree angle without my knee going out farther than my foot. At this point, when I try to bring my arms down my legs just want to go into the splits and its hard to keep my legs where they are supposed to stay. Also, when coming out of any of the open legged positions, I almost always have to support myself with my arms on the floor to get myself out of the position, rather than just standing up. It seems hard for me because my legs are spread apart so far.
I was told that when you jump and spread your legs apart, your wrists must be above your ankles.
I found when I did this, that when I bent my legs, it would be in a ninety degree angle. I could move my arms smoothly and complete my pose without ‘tweaking’ my legs.
HTH
NIKKE
thanks! I’ll try that today and see if it works
I tried paying attention to putting my ankles beneath my hands but that seemed to make it worse! My arms and legs are so freaking long its ridiculous. I can see why that would help..but maybe I am just not advanced enough to do this pose, not to mention that when I actually get into it I can’t stay there for long because either my feet start slipping or my heart just beats so fast and I get out of breath and have to rest. Is anyone aware of any modifications that would make this pose easier. I would rather do an easier modification than just have to sit it out. Its very frustrating to me because even though I’m a beginner, I have little to no problems doing any of the other postures.
Hi Stephanie
Thanks for the extra detail. With it I learn that your question is not simply about the distance of your legs. As everybody’s proportions are different the distance you step out is something you will learn over time. Nikke has given you a formula to try and it could help you. With that you can adjust your stance accordingly. There is nothing like experience and the help of the mirror to work out your perfect stance.
Still you will notice that sometimes it will be easy and other times really difficult. The differences in the way you do the pose could be really tiny but have big effects. My guess is that you are experiencing difficulty more with weight distribution and less with leg distance and more difficulty with where your arms may be.
For the moment I would like you to try and place the upper part of your forearm against your knee and not your elbow. Most people place their arm too low. When your arm is too low the weight starts to overbalance you (forward and toward your bent leg) and you can feel a number of sensations including the feet sliding further apart. Another guess is that your weight is pressing through your bent leg toes (check into this next class). Try driving the weight through your heel. And the extended leg foot needs even weighting inside and out and not just the inside as often happens.
You should be able to get out of this pose without your arms now. Even though this pose is about strength it is also about your balance. Once you find that (and it is changeable) it should be easier. In general I believe you will progressively find all your separate leg poses easier over time as you build strength.
Let me know how you manage with these new ideas.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂I wanted to let you know that in class tonight, not only did I do triangle pose, I did both sets and didn’t have to use my hands to get myself up at all!! What really helped me was focusing on keeping the weight in the heel of my bent knee (trying to lift my toes on that foot really helped!) and I think it redistributed the weight more correctly. Also I put my arm higher up on my leg too. I felt so accomplished!! I’ve never been able to hold the pose for the whole time period, and i did both sets without resting! Anyway I noticed that my inner thighs are pretty sore after class, which is good because I think building those muscles will help me in yoga in general. Thanks so much!
Woo hoo Stephanie
I am over the moon for you. What a breakthrough. I am so happy I could help you.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂Hello there! I had the exact same problem as you!! I am 5’9, also I have very long legs. That pose gave me soo much trouble in the beginning, and I would look around and see all these small people practially on the floor, they were so low down to the ground. But the longer I practiced, the lower my hips got. All it takes is time!! I promise it’s not your long legs in the way. It is your mind. keep up your practice, build your CORE strength, and QUAD strength (this is where the posture is supported) and your long legs will be absolutely beautiful in triangle. The lower you sit your hips down in the beginning, the easier it will be once you move your arms. It is much harder to stay standing with a bent knee at 90 degrees than it is to be in the posutre, so if you can endure pushing those hips down in the beginning, you’ll be great. Just keep practicing, sounds like you’re already getting better. Soon everyone will be envious of those long beautiful triangle legs!
Just wanted to add that I’ve been doing a 60 day challenge (going 6 days a week for 10 weeks) and am about to finish my 5th week..halfway there! I’ve improved a LOT but of course still have trouble, especially with triangle. I have worked to get my legs far enough apart and get my hips low enough, and sometimes I can hold the pose for the entire time and other times I can’t do it at all. I don’t know if it is an issue with my strength or my stamina. It’s probably both.
My biggest problem is that once I get to this pose in class my heart is usually beating so fast and my breathing gets very hard to control, so I go into the pose and then feel really nauseous and like I’m going to pass out, throw up or both. I start to worry that if I push too hard I won’t be able to get through the rest of class (the spine series especially) so I back off or take a break. I always tell myself that I will push as hard as I can in this pose, but once I get there my body (or my mind) can’t seem to take it. I have noticed, however, that when I go to the 6am class I seem to have no problem with this pose stamina-wise and can push myself through it. I don’t know if it is that the room is less hot and humid, my body is not digesting food since I haven’t eaten for 8 plus hours, or just a mental block, but it is a lot easier in the mornings and I can often go the entire class without taking a break at all.
One of my issues in life is that I’m a perfectionist, and I’m also naturally good at yoga (or so I’ve been told), so having this much problem with a pose is very frustrating for me. I’m sure this is a good thing because it will make me let go and not always strive or even care about being the “best”. I’m not a type A person at all, but I internalize a lot of things and judge myself harshly. Any advice or comments?
Hi Gummisteph,
I am also 5’8″ and have long legs. I was having trouble with my feet sliding apart in the beginning, but I have followed all of Gabrielle’s advice and the issue has corrected itself over time. I do find that this is a pose in which I have to play mind games with myself sometimes. I usually do the following:1- when I step to the side of my mat before moving into the pose, I meet my eyes in the mirror, take a deep breath and take that instant to completely and consciously relax every part of my body. I take two breaths if the instructor allows that much time, but that is rare.
2- I have a few instructors who have us hold the initial lunge for a few beats before tilting into the pose. (sometimes I think that I don’t like them–just kidding). When we move into the pose, I tell myself what a relief it is. I do think that the intial lunge when you are upright is harder than the pose itself.
3- Once in the pose I do a mental inventory from front to back– heel pressed down, knee not past toes, elbow at knee, elbow pushing knee back, not slumping forward but lifting towards ceiling, hip down, spinal twist going, extended leg straight and foot flat on the floor.
4- I count my breaths ensuring that they are always at least 4 counts in and out.By the time this is all done the pose is over! My point is that I am focusing my brain on everything EXCEPT for the fact that I am really tired and about ready to fall over, throw up, pass out, whatever. At the same time I really talk the pose up to myself. Stuff like–wow, this pose feels great, I love the way my spine feels in this twist, my legs look really powerful today.
Anyway–these are things that have worked for me. Good luck and keep us posted re: your progress!
Namaste,
CindyGummie Steph-
First, congrats on your 60 day challenge! Keep up the good work. I have the same problem sometimes. When I go to class at 6:30 pm, after my day is done, I have trouble focusing, trouble balancing, I am worn out and sometimes I feel so defeated. But 6 am I am alert, and I can do every posture with poise and focus. I think the reason why 6 am is so great, is because you are starting your day with yoga. You have nothing else in the way to wear your mind out. Starting out your day with meditative yoga is the best thing you can do for yourself. After we have had a full day of work, school, family, friends, meetings etc, your mind is not necessarily in a great place to focus and meditate. This is why it is much easier to succeed at yoga when your mind is clear and fresh. Bikram says your body is strong, but your mind is weak. This is so true. Your body is a capable, amazing piece of machinery, but your mind convinces you otherwise. Keep up your practice, Acknowledge your yoga, praise yourself when you do things well. One day, all your day’s stresses will completely melt away when you walk into the heat and it will be like 6 am. (Be sure to drink LOTS of water–atleast half your weight in ounces a day, probably more). Good luck!
Namaste
KateYogaLifer- Thanks so much for your advice! I’ve put your tips to use in class and while of course it doesn’t make it easy by any means it has helped me a lot! Definitely the counting of the breathing helps me, because most of the difficulty with this pose for me is that I’m in it and all I can think is, “when is this over, when is this over, say change! say change, please!!” So it is helpful for me to have something else to focus on.
Kate- I totally agree with you about morning classes. The heat and humidity MAY be an issue but it is not cold or cool in the room by any means, so I think it is mainly mental as well. I have noticed a lot of times when I go to afternoon or night classes I go in thinking about how hard it is going to be, but in morning classes my mind is much more clear and less “monkey-minded”.In other news, today a teacher that is starting an advanced class once a week at my studio asked me to come. I told her I couldn’t because I had only been practicing for a month and a half (it was said that you should have 6 months of practice under your belt to come to advanced class). Her eyes sort of bugged out for a second and then she said, “oh, you can come.” It was a huge boost to me and underlined my progress in my mind. It came at a really good time, too, because I had been steadily improving but felt like I had hit a mini-plateau last week, so this is very good for my self-esteem.
I am glad to hear that this technique helped. I learned to use breathing and counting my breath as a means of maintaining control and focus 27 years ago when my first son was born. When my second son was born a few years later, I rejected the Lamaze breathing method and found a book with breathing techniques that are quite similar to some pranayama techniques that I am just now encountering officially. Over the years, I have found this to be a very powerful tool when dealing with physical pain, emotional distress or other types of discomfort.
The comments that I receive the most frequently from instructors or other students is that I have a very calm and focused practice. I mostly attribute this to the focused breathing.
That’s great that you are progressing so fast. Enjoy the advanced class, I hear that they are quite challenging.
Well, here we go again. My seeming never-ending struggle with triangle pose. I started going to a newer, nicer studio closer to my house and work and that is when the trouble began. I was doing so well at the last studio, I swear! Anyway, the carpet in this new studio is VERY slippery. I’m not one to blame things on the carpet because it just helps you build more muscles, and I don’t know if that is the sole problem here. Anyway I have been going to this studio for almost a month now and STILL have not been able to hold the pose for the duration, not even once. I’m getting very frustrated, and have even been almost frustrated to tears in class before. I get my hip down low enough, keep my back leg straight, try to keep my body weight balanced and properly aligned, I keep my ulna at the knee, stretch arms opposite directions…..but i can’t hold it!! Either my feet slide apart so I’m almost in the splits, or my bending leg muscles just can’t hold any longer, they burn and shake and eventually I give up and have to stand while everyone else in the room continues to hold it. I am really really frustrated about this and I’m not sure what to do. Also, one of the stranger things I’ve noticed is when I am bending the right knee, my fingers don’t easily touch the foot, but when I’m bending the left knee my fingers automatically, easily touch the foot. Is it possible that my legs are just not strong enough yet, and I should just hold it as long as I can, and build from there? Is it more correct to have the alignment and set-up correct (i.e. bent leg at 90degree angle, hips low enough, etc) and not hold the pose the whole time, or is it better to modify by not getting hips low? I am really at a loss at this point and feel like a weirdo, because it seems like everyone else, no matter what their level, can do it, and I can’t.
hi gummisteph
i know exactly why you are struggling with the triangle. i have the answer. ready? the answer is: “Because it is freakin’ hard!” 😉 that pose works every part of our body, all while demanding complete attention to the breath. another words, good times.
apart from your struggle with triangle, it sounds as if you are doing great with the series. so much so that you were asked to participate in advanced after just a month and a half.
maybe triangle will be tough for a while – sounds like you are already doing the right thing. keep working on it, but maybe let go of the judgment and expectation? you are doing great as is, even more so through this struggle. there is no “there” there…
chris
Hi gummisteph
I want you to try something for me! I want you to try and lift the toes of your bent leg up off the floor. It helps bring the center of gravity back towards the hips. Try that a few classes. Also see if the outside of the foot of your straightened leg seems to slide away and when it does do you find it hard or easy to plant your big toe and inside of your foot?
Get back to me and then if that doesn’t work I have another 2 slightly more unorthodox approaches WHICH WORK quite quickly.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂My gosh, its been over 3 years since this thread started and what do you know, I still count triangle pose as the bane of my existence and still the only pose in the bikram series that I just can NOT hold the entire time. Gabrielle, I would love to hear your 2 unorthodox approaches.
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