"Asanas are a microcosm of life. They are miniature worlds filled with all the forms of the world at large. Our ability to thrive amidst those forms can be improved through the artful awareness developed in yoga practice."
(oo-TEE-tah trik-cone-AHS-anna)
utthita = extended
trikona = three angle or triangle
1. Stand in Tadasana. With an exhalation, step or lightly jump your feet 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Next, bring your parallel to the floor and reach them actively out from the shoulders, palms facing down.
2. Turn your left foot 90 degrees and align your left foot heel with your right foot arch. Firming your thighs, with your left thigh outward, bring the center of the left knee cap in alignment to the center of the left ankle.
3. As you exhale, extend your torso to the left directly over the plane of the left, bending at the hip joint (not the waist) floating the left hand to your shin, ankle or floor (you can use a block here too). Pull yours heels together and stack your hips as if you were between two panes of glass.
4. Extend your right arm toward the ceiling, in line with your shoulders. Focus your gaze at the right palm and breathe.
5. Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. As you inhale to come up, strongly press into the outer edge of the right foot. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time on your right side.
