Trikonasana
Trikonasana ( Sanskrit : त्रिकोणासन, IAST : trikoṇāsana ), German triangle , is one of the 84 main exercises of Hatha Yoga . The Sanskrit name trikoṇāsana is formed from the words tri "three", kona "corner" and āsana "seat" or more generally translated "posture".
Preliminary remark
Within the different yoga styles, Trikonasana is sometimes performed differently. These differences can already be seen in the foot / leg position chosen at the beginning, which subsequently has an influence on the distribution of tension in the body and ultimately causes a different experience in the asana. It is therefore advisable to differentiate the physical execution according to the criterion of the position of the feet and legs.
All yoga traditions agree to always perform the triangle on both sides. In the following, only the movement to the left is described.
According to Swami Sivananda , Trikonasana concludes the Rishikesh series. André Van Lysebeth , on the other hand, did not include the asana in the sequence of exercises that he calls the Rishikesh series .
The triangle is not mentioned in the Hathapradipika and the Gherandasamhita .
Physical execution
Position of the feet / legs slightly spread outwards
Swami Sivananda instructs the asana as follows: “Stand up straight and spread your legs 60–90 cm apart. Then raise your outstretched arms sideways to shoulder height, the flat hands parallel to the floor, the inside of the hands down. Slowly bend to the left at the hips until the left hand touches the toes. ”On an attached photo, a few pages further in his book, it becomes clear that the right arm is led to the left in the horizontal position. The palm is facing down.
Swami Vishnudevananda describes the execution of the triangle with almost identical wording.
The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center recommends slightly spreading the feet outwards (do not position them parallel to each other) and slightly bending the pelvis forwards when bending to the left. The left hand slides down the left leg to the “lowest point you can reach”.
The left foot is rotated 90 ° to the left
BKS Iyengar starts the exercise with a wide triangle stand and then turns the left foot 90 ° and the right foot slightly to the left. Now the trunk is bent sideways to the left and actively stretched. The left hand seeks proximity to the left ankle or touches the floor. The right arm is stretched upwards. The gaze goes to the thumb of the outstretched right hand. BKS Iyengar calls this position Utthita-Trikonasana, utthita means "spread out, stretched out".
In Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga , too , the triangle has the expanded name Utthita-Trikonasana. The foot position is assumed similarly to BKS Iyengar, also the following sequence of movements. A finger on the left hand encircles the big toe of the left foot.
In Bikram Yoga , which calls the position “Trikanasana”, the left foot is turned 90 ° to the left from the triangular position. The performer then bends the left knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor. Initially, the arms remain stretched to the side. Then the upper body is bent to the left until the fingertips touch the floor. The right arm points to the ceiling and forms a vertical line with the left arm.
Position of the feet parallel to each other
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Heinz Grill starts the position with the feet in a parallel position. An imaginary line between the feet forms an equilateral triangle with both legs. The right arm is brought up along the head and the left arm points horizontally outwards. “Finally, bend to the left exactly in the plane and take your right arm stretched out at the head with you in the movement.” Heinz Grill points out to pay attention to the threefold structure of the various physical levels: “The stance remains stable. The dynamic is exactly in the area of the solar plexus and the shoulders and head remain as relaxed as a leaf in the air [...]. "
In the tradition of Yoga Vidya, founded by Sukadev Bretz, a direct student of Swami Vishnu Devananda, the triangle completes the so-called basic row and is taught as follows: “Bring your legs about 1 to 1.2 m apart and keep them exactly parallel. Keep your arms against your sides, next to your legs. On the next inhalation, raise your right arm and bend your trunk to the left. Hold your arm straight at the ear and remain in Trikonasana. "
Erling Petersen, a student of Swami Narayanananda, also emphasizes that the feet are parallel in the starting position and the toes point forward. He gives the advice: "When moving sideways, the body must not move forward and the legs must not bend." The physical sequence of the exercise is like Heinz Grill. The palm of the right hand points downwards.
Mental meaning of the exercise
“If a risky activity takes place while preserving the different levels in which life moves, that is, while preserving a free space for fellow human beings and a sensitive connection, it leads to a harmonious expanse and health as well a classification and relaxation. "
Reports on healing effects
BKS Iyengar says the triangle position strengthens the leg muscles as well as removes stiffness from the legs and hips . "It heals back pain and neck dislocations, strengthens the ankles and develops the chest."
Swami Sivananda mentions that this asana strengthens “the back nerves and the abdominal organs” as well as “increases the peristaltic movement of the intestines” and stimulates the appetite.
According to Erling Peterson's findings, the practice of the triangle has a positive effect on breathing: “The muscles are contracted, twisted and relaxed; that helps breathing [...]. "
Web links
- Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series: Utthita Trikonasana , with Maria Villella
- Yoga: trikonasana - triangle - the threefolding Part 1 , execution and correction by Heinz Grill
- Triangle Trikonasana - Practical Guide , Yoga Vidya, instructed by Sukadev Bretz
Individual evidence
- ↑ Search results for "trikoNa". In: spokensanskrit.org . Retrieved April 28, 2020 .
- ↑ Search results for "Asana". In: spokensanskrit.org . Retrieved April 28, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Swami Sivananda: Hatha Yoga . 2nd Edition. Heinrich Schwab Verlag, 2nd edition, Gelnhausen, p. 44 f .
- ↑ Swami Vishnu-Devananda: The Great Illustrated Yoga Book . 6th edition. Aurum Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-591-08183-3 , p. 201 ff .
- ↑ Sivananda Yoga Center (ed.): Yoga for all stages of life . 11th edition. Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, 1997, ISBN 3-7742-6200-4 , p. 64 f .
- ↑ a b B. KS Iyengar: Light on Yoga . 7th edition. Nikol Verlag, 2017, ISBN 978-3-86820-175-8 , pp. 55 f .
- ↑ Bikram Choudhury & Bonnie Jones Reynolds: Bikram Yoga, Das Praxisbuch . 1st edition. Lotos Verlag, TB 1, 2005, pp. 85 ff .
- ↑ a b c Heinz Grill: The soul dimension of yoga . 5th expanded edition. Lammers-Koll-Verlag, 2018, ISBN 978-3-941995-48-2 , pp. 176 .
- ↑ Trikonasana. In: Yoga Wiki. Retrieved November 11, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Erling Petersen: The yoga exercise book . 4th edition. Heyne Ratgeber 08/9299, ISBN 3-453-04104-6 , p. 270 f .