Revolved Triangle Pose

Revolved Triangle Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions

Revolved Triangle Pose, also known as Parivrtta Trikonasana, is the counterpose to Trikonasana. This pose opens your hamstrings and loosens your hips to prepare you for advanced forward bends.

Aspect	Details
Sanskrit Name	Parivrtta Trikonasana
Pose Level	Level 2 (Intermediate)
Primary Focus	Spinal rotation, hamstring opening
Hold Duration	30 seconds to 1 minute per side
Key Props	Yoga block, yoga belt (optional)

Parivrtta Trikonasana

(Pronounced as "par-ee-vrit-tah treek-CONE-AHS-anna") The Sanskrit word parivrtta means "revolved or rotated," and trikona means "triangle."

Sanskrit Term	Meaning
Parivrtta	Revolved or rotated
Trikona	Triangle
Asana	Pose or posture

In this pose, you rotate your torso to face the opposite direction that you would normally face in Trikonasana.

How to Do Revolved Triangle Pose

Step	Action	Key Cue
1	Stand in Tadasana, jump feet apart, extend arms	Feet less than 4 feet apart; heels aligned
2	Rotate torso, bring opposite hand to floor or block	Press back heel firmly; keep legs straight
3	Extend top arm upward, gaze at thumb	Tuck shoulder blades; expand chest
4	Modify gaze if balance is challenging	Look at the floor instead of the raised hand
5	Hold 30 seconds to 1 minute; repeat on opposite side	Exhale to untwist; inhale to rise

Step One

Stand up straight on your yoga mat in Tadasana. Take a breath. As you exhale, jump your feet apart as wide as you can. Straighten your arms and lift them up by your sides so that you form a straight line from one hand through your shoulders and toward the other hand.

Your palms should face downward. Keep your feet less than 4 feet apart from each other and turn your right foot 90 degrees to the right. Turn your left foot 60 degrees to the right. Straighten your legs and press your left heel firmly into the floor. Make sure your heels are in line with each other.

Step Two

Exhale as you turn your torso to the right from your pelvis, stretching your left hand up high in the air and gradually bringing your left hand down on the floor next to the outside of your right foot. You can place your hand on a yoga block if you cannot reach the floor.

Press your left palm into the floor, or press your left palm on top of your yoga block if you are using one. Press your back heel down harder into the floor for stability. Keep both legs straight.

Step Three

Now as you continue to rotate your torso to the right, stretch your right hand up high in the air so that your right hand is directly above your shoulders. Keep your right arm straight and look up at the thumb of your right hand. Tuck in your shoulder blades and expand your chest.

While you are twisting your torso across the front leg, do not let too much weight shift forward over the front leg. Keep pushing back through your left heel to maintain your balance and twist your hips to the right as much as possible. Do not hunch your back.

Step Four

If you lose your balance while trying to gaze up at the right thumb, you can keep your head down and look at the floor instead. Stretch your arms out and away from each other as much as you can.

Step Five

Hold this pose for at least 30 seconds. Gradually increase the duration to one minute as you continue practicing.

Exhale as you untwist yourself. Inhale as you come up. Then repeat these steps while twisting to the left side and holding the posture for the same amount of time.

Beginner's Tip:

Pose Information

Category	Details
Sanskrit Name	Parivrtta Trikonasana
Pose Level	Level 2 (Intermediate)
Pose Type	Standing twist
Therapeutic Uses	Constipation, digestion, lower back pain, sciatica
Key Contraindications	Low blood pressure, pregnancy, back injuries

Sanskrit Name:

Parivrtta Trikonasana

Pose Level:

Level 2

Contraindications and Cautions:

1. Below-average blood pressure.

2. Abnormal, excessive bowel movements like diarrhea.

3. Do not practice if you have headaches due to excessive neck strain.

4. Do not practice this pose during pregnancy.

5. For women during menstruation: Only practice this pose on days when you have a lighter flow. Do not practice if you feel dizzy, nauseous, or overtired.

6. For back injuries: Do not attempt this pose without the supervision of an experienced yoga teacher.

Modifications and Props:

At first, one of the hardest things to do is to keep your back heel on the floor while you rotate your torso up toward the ceiling. You can practice the pose with your legs slightly closer together, which makes it easier to press down firmly through your back heel.

Then as you practice the pose more, you can start working with your feet further apart as intended. You can also brace your back heel against a wall so that only your heel makes contact with the wall. As you perform the pose, push your back heel firmly into the wall for added stability.

Deepen the Pose:

To achieve a deeper twist in your torso, push the forearm of your bottom hand against the outer shin of your bottom leg. The momentum from this push gives you extra leverage to turn from your hips and lift your torso further.

Therapeutic Applications:

• Inconsistent bowel movements

• Digestive difficulties

• Lower back pain

• Sciatica symptoms

Benefits:

Benefit	Description
Hamstrings, thighs, and calves	Tones and relieves tension in the lower body muscles
Hip flexibility	Relieves pain and tightness in the hips
Chest expansion	Opens and expands the chest for deeper breathing
Back tension relief	Releases tension in the back muscles through spinal rotation
Abdominal circulation	Boosts blood flow to the abdominal organs, aiding digestion

• Tones and relieves tension in your hamstrings, thighs, and calf muscles

• Relieves pain from tight hips

• Expands the chest

• Releases tension in the back muscles

• Boosts circulation to the abdominal organs

Partnering:

Partner Role	Action
Belt assistance	Wraps yoga belt around front hip; pulls to deepen groin crease and shift weight to back foot
Heel stabilization	Presses ball of foot into practitioner's back heel to keep it grounded

Ask a partner to help you stabilize your legs while twisting. Take a yoga belt and wrap it around your front hip right at the root of your thigh. Give the ends of the yoga belt to your partner, who should stand behind your back foot.

As you come into the pose, your partner should pull on the ends of the yoga belt to tuck your front groin muscles deeper into your pelvis and help you keep most of your weight on your back foot. Your partner can also press the balls of their foot into your back heel to help you keep your back heel pressed into the mat.

Variations:

Variation	Description	Hold Duration
Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana	Revolved Half Moon Pose; lift back leg parallel to the floor while balancing on the front leg	30 seconds to 1 minute per side

After you come into the full Parivrtta Trikonasana, you can continue from there into Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana, also known as Revolved Half Moon Pose.

For example, once you have performed Parivrtta Trikonasana while twisting to your right side, bend your right knee on an exhalation as you reach your left hand forward about a foot in front of your right foot on the floor. Place your hand on a block if you cannot reach the floor. Keep your left hand on the floor in line with the big toe side of your right foot.

As you inhale, straighten your right knee and simultaneously raise your left leg up off of the floor as you shift your weight onto your straightened right leg. Hold your left leg in the air, keeping the leg straight and parallel to the floor.

Stay in this posture for 30 seconds and gradually increase the time up to a minute as you continue practicing. Exhale as you lower your foot back down to the floor. Reverse these steps to come out of the posture. Then repeat this pose while twisting to the left side, holding the pose for the same amount of time.