This article breaks down the alignment and benefits of one of my favorite standing postures Triangle Pose or Utthita Trikonasana. A piece of it was published wrong so I will edit it here:

There is an element in yoga known as opposition of force. You want to resist the force of gravity by equally distributing the energy flow in opposing directions. In Utthita Trikonasana, for example, as your right arm reaches toward the ground, the left arm actively reaches up toward the sky so you don’t collapse. Also, as your hips reach back, the crown of the head stretches forward. You can also practice grounding into the feet while twisting the torso open and upward creating a perfect triangle.

Clink the link below for the full article.

By Laura Waite

http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/yoga-pose-of-the-month-utthita-trikonasana