Ask any yoga teacher and they'll probably all tell you how to do the same pose differently. This can be confusing if you are trying to figure out who is right (or more right.) It may be that everyone of them is right but for different reasons which doesn't really help.

What does help is knowing your body well enough that you can sense it and control it so that not matter what a teacher asks you to do (within reason) you can do it. Plus if you are able to feel the affects each time you do a pose you can develop your own idea of how to do the pose. You can figure out what works for you. If you are practicing by yourself you can vary the way you do a pose based on what you sense at the time.

To make it easier to do any pose we can break the body down into elements and actions. Here are some possible elements and actions for Revolving Triangle.

Elements of Revolving Triangle

In revolving triangle one idea is that of trying to twist your ribcage in such a way that you bottom shoulder ends up directly over the hand of the same arm, said hand being ideally positioned on the floor outside the opposite foot.

This can be challenging to do if all you are focused on is twisting the ribcage (while at the same time keeping the pelvis level from left to right.)

One route towards this idea of the pose includes tilting the pelvis forwards, bending the ribcage to the side (bending the waist sideways) and then twisting the ribcage on top of all that.

The Forward Bend Element

When I teach this pose to beginners usually the first step is to have them do a forward bend with one leg forwards and the other back. In this position they can then focus on using their front leg to push their pelvis back. Meanwhile they can reach their head and ribs forwards, away from their pelvis.

So that they can get comfortable in this position I have them reach the front of their ribs (and head) forwards while inhaling and then when they exhale to simply relax downwards. They can have their arms on the floor (or on blocks) but to add strength to the back as well as the legs I sometimes also have them lifting their arms and reaching them back with each inhale.

Reaching the Ribcage and Bending the Waist

Keeping the forwards bend I then have them move their arms and ribcage to the side. If their right leg is forwards then they reach their ribcage to the right so that their waist bends to the right. They keep their chest facing downwards and they also continue to push their hips back but at the same time they also reach their ribcage forwards and to the right.

In this position they can focus on getting their left shoulder directly over their left hand even without the twist.

Twisting the Ribcage

When it comes time to twist they can reach their right arm out to the side and they can then cause it to lift by turning their ribcage to the right. They can continue to support their left hand with a block if necessary. In addition, if their flexibility is extremely limited they can also place their hand at the inside of their foot.

From there they can then pull the left side of their ribcage to the right so that their shoulder is over their hand. They can reach the right side of their ribcage upwards, lengthen the neck and then from there reach the ribs on the right side of their ribcage towards the front of their mat (in the same direction that the toes of the front foot are pointing.) They can also reach through both shoulders.

Clear Ideas

While all of these actions don't necessarily make the pose easier they do have the advantage of giving the doer a clear idea of what they are trying to do and how to go about doing it. It gives them something to focus on instead of "When do I get to come out of this pose?" They can then expand their consciousness into what they are doing.

Not only do they want to press their hips back and tilt their pelvis forwards, they also have to bend their waist to the side, twist and turn the ribcage and reach with both arms.

While holding the pose, each time they inhale they can lengthen the spine by pushing the hips back and reaching the head and ribs forwards. They can twist deeper at the same time. Each time they exhale they can relax a little so that they have room for the next inhale.