Yoga Anatomy

Notes

In utthita trikonasana, as in utthita parsvakonasana (page 105), the weight of the torso
falls mostly over the front leg. Because the front knee is extended, the action in this pose
is shifted from the eccentric contraction of the quadriceps to keep the knee from bending
too deeply (as in utthita parsvakonasana) to the balance of actions around the joint that
create a clear pathway of support without hyperextending the knee.
Pain or pressure in that front knee can be a result of lack of mobility in the hip joints and
pelvis; whether the lack of movement is from short adductor muscles or another cause, the
next place the movement can travel is the inner knee. Sensations from within the knee (or
any joint) are important signals to stop what you’re doing and adjust your action or position.
In the back leg, the muscles that cross the side of the pelvis, the outer hip, and the outer
knee need to be actively lengthening (eccentrically contracting) to allow the pelvis to tilt
sideways (adduct) over the leg. If these muscles cannot lengthen, the pelvis does not move
as much, and the spine side bends. On the other hand, if these muscles are not active at
all, the weight of the torso can collapse into gravity and put pressure in the outer hip joint
or outer ankle joint.
Does the spine rotate in utthita trikonasana? There are many different ways utthita
trikonasana is taught, and good reasons exist for each perspective. In general, the more
articulated the SI joints, pelvic halves, and hip joints are, the less rotation is needed in the
spine for the chest to face sideways. For example, if the front leg has a tight pectineus,
which is an adductor, the pelvis may rotate to the floor, and the spine has to counterrotate
more to open the chest. The rotation of the spine can accommodate a variety of obstacles
in the legs. As in all the poses, maintaining balanced joint space is far more important than
achieving a particular range of motion in one or two joints.

Utthita Trikonasana Variation

With Longer Stance

Notes

In some approaches to yoga, the feet
are placed much farther apart than
in other approaches. The variety of
leg positions has an effect on which
joints need more mobility and which
muscles have to work at longer or
shorter ranges.
When the feet are placed farther
apart, the front leg muscles have to
work at a greater length, but the
muscles of the outer hip of the back
leg work at a shorter length. It may
actually be easier to keep the spine
from side bending when the feet are
farther apart. On the other hand, the
pelvis may rotate toward the floor less
when the feet are closer together.
There is no absolutely correct dis-
tance for placing the feet in utthita trikonasana; each distance provides different information
about the relationship between the torso and the legs.

E5267/Kaminoff/fig6.28/417656/alw/pulled-r1

Gracilis

Tensor

fasciae latae

Semitendinosus

Sternocleidomastoid