Parivrtti Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle)
How to do it
Begin standing with your feet wide apart, feet parallel, arms extended out.
Exhale: Contract your abdomen, twist while bending forward and bring your right hand down to the ground equal distance between your feet.
Inhale: Return into standing, arms out.
Continue, alternating sides. After several receptions, stay in the pose
Breathing in Jathara Parivrtti one leg
Inhale: Lengthen along your spine.
Exhale: Progressively engage your abdomen and gently deepen the twist by turning your upper body. Try to stack your shoulders on top of each other. Look up or down, depending on how your neck feels. Keep your feet firmly grounded.
TRICK: Always initiate the rotation from the center (core), rather than the extremities. If your hamstrings feel too tight, put your hand on the block or chair. Your pelvis might displace a bit in the direction of the twist–this is OK, as long as it is kept to a minimum. To control the position of the pelvis, try lifting your pubic bone up and pressing the outer edges of your feet into the floor.
Pose adaptations
Arm forward
Parivrtti Trikonasana: Arm forward is one of the best moves for releasing neck and upper back tension. This is such a great movement combination that has you work with gravity and arm positioning to alternately stretch your neck muscles and contract them to increase circulation to all the tight spots. When you do not feel like challenging your hamstrings, put your hand on a chair instead of the floor. That way you focus on what’s happening in the upper body.
Arm folded behind back
Parivrtti Trikonasana: Arm folded behind back works great for stretching the neck while releasing tension in the upper back. You achieve that by turning your head and your upper body in the opposite directions while holding the twist. This move becomes even more effective if you first look up for several breaths, and then look down.
Hand to opposite foot
Parivrtti Trikonasana: Hand to opposite foot shows progression into a deeper version of the pose. The closer your bring your hand to the opposite foot, the deeper your twist will be. This means stronger muscular activation in the upper and lower back, but it also means bigger challenge for you sacroiliac joints. If your sacrum is feeling sensitive, it is better to skip this version of the pose.
Hand to foot, arm folded
Parivrtti Trikonasana: Hand to opposite foot, arm folded is the deepest version of the pose. Bringing the hand to the opposite foot intensifies the twist and pulls harder on the hamstrings. Turning your head to look down while folding the top arm behind the back increases the stretch in the upper back and neck. Because of the intensity of the pose, it is easy to lose proper alignment and begin to round the upper back and place the head in awkward positions. This pose is not recommended for beginning students or those who find spinal rotation challenging.