You’re flowing through vinyasa class, moving to the rhythm of your breath, lengthening and strengthening your entire body with each pose. But in the midst of a feel-good flow, it can be all too easy to forget about form cues that make the moves so beneficial.
That’s why I created a series of 60-second yoga fixes for Greatist. In less than one minute, I’ll give super-simple, step-by-step tips to improve your alignment and body positioning to help you get the most out of each pose. Just remember, no one’s perfect and everyone’s body is different, so make sure to do what feels best for your body.
This week we’ll tackle triangle pose, which stretches your hamstrings, groin, and hips, while strengthening your legs and core. Check out the video and four quick fixes below that’ll help you reap all the mind-body benefits of this insanely therapeutic pose.
Fix 1: Make sure your back foot is pointing to 45 degrees, or 11 o’clock, and not toward 9 o’clock or 6 o’clock.
Fix 2: Don’t just hang out in your legs. Pull up through the soles of your feet and feel your kneecaps lifting and your quads firm.
Fix 3: Make sure your torso is long on both sides by using a block if necessary.
Fix 4: Glide your shoulders down your back, stack your top shoulder over your bottom shoulder, and spiral your heart to the sky. This is the part that’s a half-spinal twist.
Brett Larkin teaches vinyasa flow yoga at top San Francisco studios and on her YouTube channel, where thousands of students have studied with her for more than 5 million minutes. Find free yoga playlists, yoga teacher training tips, and free dance, yoga, and meditation classes at BrettLarkin.com.
