Tightrope Trikonasana Got You Down?

I often hear teachers say that my front heel should line up with my back heel in Triangle and Revolved Triangle Pose, but this makes me feel like I am on a tightrope. I feel very unbalanced and I find myself putting everything I have into just trying not to fall over.  Does my alignment have to be this way to really be in these poses?

Consider this…within every posture there should be the possibility of spaciousness, expansion, stability and evenness.

Chances are, if you are “putting everything you have into just trying not to fall over” you are probably gripping and holding on very tightly, closing off, collapsing to some degree and, most likely, losing the connection to a deep, rhythmic and stable breath.

There should be no constriction, no closing off.  For Trikonasna, instead of imagining that you are between two panes of glass, Rusty likes to encourage us to grow and open, to create space and a deeper connection to the breath.

The poses are tools that allow us the opportunity to expand, to open and to feel a sense of spaciousness.  If creating this exact alignment of heel to heel is preventing these things from happening, then, yes, definitely, modify.

You can modify by simply widening your stance slightly and bringing your front foot just a few inches closer to the edge of the mat.  Feel for what is right for you.  This will eliminate that “tightrope” feeling and will, hopefully, allow you to feel more stable, more grounded and more expansive.  Notice the difference and continue to modify as you need.  It might change over time and perhaps one day you may find it much more accessible to establish that heel to heel alignment.  Perhaps not.  But, that doesn’t really matter.  What matters is that you are breathing while maintaining stability, evenness and expansion.

Much Love,

Jennifer