Beating back pain with Trikonasana

Copyright 2016, Simona Z. )
Full or partial reproduction of this article requires permission from the author.

Trikosana (or Triangle pose) is an effective antidote to back pain caused by long hours of sitting. It is obviously an all favourite among office workers!
If correctly performed,  this pose will gently but effectively lengthen the spine sideways and release any tension in the muscles that support it.

Respecting the correct alignment and the correct balance of muscular contraction-release is absolutely essential to achieve the desired effect. An experienced yoga teacher will be able to guide you through the anatomy of the pose and ensure that feet, hips and shoulders are in the optimum position for the spine to lengthen.

As Trikonasana lengthen the spine sideways, it does not put pressure on the lower back as forward bends do. Also, the stretching effect can be felt from the upper back  all the way down to the lower back and into the hips, upper thighs and groins, thus acting on other tight areas that may be contributing to the back pain.
Feet, legs and hips play a key role in the correct execution of the pose, thus highlighting the importance of a strong stance that supports the spine, on and off the mat.

Different versions of Trikonasana exist and they present different levels of difficulty. Make sure you practice the one that is most suitable to you current ability.

Yoga students demonstrating a basic variation of Trikonasana