THREE LIMBS FACE ONE FOOT POSE
Triang mukhaikapada paschimottanasana can feel awkward and off balance. One knee is flexing alongside the body and the other leg extends forward, so that tipping to the side of the straight leg is nearly inevitable. How did the ancients come up with this pose?!
The main story here is a stretch of the back of the body, including the straight leg. However, there is a complex build-up to this main plot. In Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana, obtaining evenness in the pelvis precedes stretching the back side of the body. In any event, maintaining balance can be a struggle. This often leads to using a prop, such as a block or blanket, under the straight-leg buttocks. Props, like teachers, are bridges to working on your own. For example, place support under the straight-leg buttocks to push the body weight toward the bent-leg side, shifting the center of gravity. Then analyze how to create the same force of the prop using biomechanics and muscles alone. Begin by engaging the hip and knee flexors of the bent leg to draw the torso toward that leg. Then contract the abductors of the straight leg to synergize this action and push the body toward the midline. The cue for engaging these muscles is to fix the heel on the mat and attempt to “scrub” it to the side. The heel cannot move, so the force of the scrub shifts the body back toward the midline, preventing you from falling over. Once you attain balance in the pose, squeeze the knees together and bend forward.
BASIC JOINT POSITIONS
Link the hands to the foot with a belt and bend the knee as shown. Use caution with the knee that is fully flexing. Sit on a block or a blanket to take some of the bend out of the joint if necessary. If you have pain in the knee, don’t practice this pose. Activate the quadriceps to straighten the leg, and draw the body forward. As you gain flexibility, toss the belt aside and grasp the foot. Then straighten the knee to draw the trunk forward. Brace yourself to ease out of the pose: bend the straight leg and allow yourself to shift to the side while unfolding the bent knee.
STEP 1 Flex the knee by contracting the hamstrings. The cue for this is to squeeze the lower leg into the upper one. Engaging these muscles also aids to protect the knee because the hamstrings are muscular stabilizers of that joint and draw the cartilage surfaces into congruency. Activate the psoas and gluteus minimus to flex the hip. A useful cue for engaging these muscles is to put the palm of the hand on the knee and press down while you attempt to raise it. You will feel the psoas contract. This closed chain contraction moves the origin of the psoas and tilts the pelvis forward. Notice how engaging these muscles draws the body toward the bent-leg side and grounds the pelvis. When the pelvis tilts forward, the ischial tuberosities (the origins of the hamstrings) move backward. This action augments the stretch of these muscles on the straight-leg side.
STEP 2 Activate the quadriceps of the straight leg to extend the knee. Evert the foot by engaging the peroneus longus and brevis along the side of the lower leg. The rectus femoris of the quadriceps crosses the hip and aids to flex it. Contracting the quadriceps also aids to release the hamstrings due to reciprocal inhibition.
STEP 3 Push the body toward the bent knee by pressing the heel of the straight leg into the floor and attempting to drag it to the side. This cue activates the abductor muscles of the leg, including the gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata. The internal rotation component of the abductors counters the tendency of this foot to roll out to the side, bringing the kneecap to a neutral position, facing upward.
STEP 4 Contract the supinator muscles of the forearms to turn the palms and lock the grip. Bend the elbows by activating the biceps and brachialis muscles. Note that the biceps also aid to turn the palms. Grasp the feet and attempt to lift the hands straight up by engaging the anterior deltoids. Because the hands do not move, this action draws the torso deeper into the pose. Externally rotate the humeri while bringing the arm bones parallel to the floor. Draw the shoulders away from the neck with the lower third of the trapezius. All of these actions indirectly flex the trunk further into the stretch.
STEP 5 Engage the adductors to draw the knees together. Contract more forcefully on the bent-leg side to synergize the actions of the psoas and hamstrings in shifting the center of gravity away from the straight leg.
SUMMARY As with other forward-bending poses, Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana stretches the back of the body. It is an asymmetrical pose, with the back muscles on the bent-leg side stretching more deeply. The gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius on the straight-leg side stretch in a manner similar to Janu Sirsasana. The bent-leg quadriceps also lengthen, except the rectus femoris. This muscle crosses the hip and is released in this pose.