- Category
- Seated
- Level
- intermediate
- Hold
- 5–8 breaths per side
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale to lengthen, exhale to fold
Three-Limbed Forward Fold
Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana — "three limbs facing one foot, intense west stretch"
A forward fold with one leg straight and the other folded back beside the hip, as in Hero Pose. The asymmetry challenges your balance and asks a lot of the folded knee, so props are your friend here.
Step by step
- 1From Staff Pose, bend your right knee and fold the leg back so your right foot rests beside your right hip, toes pointing back.
- 2Keep your right knee pointing forward, close to the straight leg.
- 3Press both sitting bones toward the floor — the folded side will want to lift.
- 4Inhale and lengthen your spine over the straight left leg.
- 5Exhale and fold forward, holding your left shin, ankle, or foot.
- 6Keep your weight leaning slightly into the folded-leg side so you don't tip away from it.
- 7Rise up after several breaths and change sides.
Benefits
- ✓ Stretches the hamstrings of the straight leg and the front of the folded leg's thigh and ankle
- ✓ Teaches you to keep weight even when the base is lopsided
- ✓ Builds hip and knee mobility gradually
- ✓ Deepens seated forward folding one side at a time
Make it yours
- · Sit on a folded blanket or block under the straight-leg hip to level your pelvis.
- · Loop a strap around the extended foot.
- · Place a blanket under the folded ankle if the top of the foot is tender.
Take care
- Skip the folded-back leg and do Head-to-Knee Pose instead if your knee protests in any way.
- Sit on extra height if your hip on the folded side lifts far off the floor.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Props that help here
- Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one
- 8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one
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