Dame Fortune’s Cottage Court is the setting for Karen Watson Reeves to demonstrate Fallen Triangle Pose. Photo by Fred Padilla.
[Contributor’s note: 2025 is the year we celebrate 12 years as The Yoga Place, and this calendar year, the setting for each month’s pose will be a business in our town that has exhibited “stay power.”]
By Karen Watson Reeves
The shape of Fallen Triangle Pose imitates aspects of both Triangle Pose and Side Plank Pose, since the yogi is supporting part of the body weight on one hand, but falling back on the stability of both feet on the floor. I have heard it compared to Side Plank on training wheels.
It can be a tricky pose, as the legs turn away from the body in opposite directions, the front hamstring is stretched intensely, the core muscles (including ones that you might not even be aware of) are engaged for stability, and the back foot is grounded in a position in which it is rarely placed.
So why practice such a posture? For me, it is a fun and strong pose, and even if it does appear challenging and awkward, it is pretty accessible from a playful three-legged dog. Another obvious reason for putting this pose in a class sequence is for the benefits. Fallen Triangle is an excellent posture to build strength in the core, shoulders, and arms. Balance and coordination are improved. Mental focus and concentration, as well as flexibility, are enhanced.
Specific muscles which benefit from this posture include those in the arms, shoulders, middle and upper back, biceps and triceps, abdominals, hamstrings, hips, psoas, and quadriceps. Wow! That covers a whole lot of muscles. Fallen Triangle is a less commonly practiced posture, but it is fun to include in a vinyasa style class, especially.
It is a creative arm balance, and does incorporate a slight twist; it opens the chest and the shoulders; it gives a feeling of high energy, making it a gentle heart opener.
Variations of more traditional postures keep an element of fun and surprise in the yoga practice and get into our muscles and other aspects of our anatomy in different ways. When one sticks with a regular yoga practice, the overall benefits of yoga become more apparent: strength, flexibility, balance, perseverance, and a calming effect, to name just a few. Personally, I find it much easier to continue practicing yoga over other fitness routines due to the variety of poses and ways to sequence them. You never know how your instructor will challenge you . . . maybe even a Fallen Triangle.
{Dame Fortune’s Cottage Court was built in the early 1950s, and though it was closed for about a decade, it was purchased and updated in 2017 by the current owners. It is located at 609 Park Avenue.}
Karen Watson Reeves has called Hot Springs home since 2006. Owner of The Yoga Place, at 301 Whittington Avenue, she became a registered yoga/children’s yoga teacher in 2011. When not on the mat, Karen enjoys the beautiful outdoors of the National Park, especially from her bicycle. Please find more information about her studio and her schedule of classes at www.theyogaplacehs.com.
