How to do a Warrior Pose?

By mark GIUBARELLIYoga Teacher Training

The Warrior Pose, or Virabhadrasana in Sanskrit, is one of the best-known asanas of Yoga.

The Sanskrit name means:

-“Vira” means warrior or hero.

-“Bhadra” means friend.

-“Asana” means posture.

So we can understand the yoga posture Virabhadrasana as an asana in honor of a mythical warrior, Virabhadra, who is created by the God, Shiva, to avenge the death of his wife. Virabhadrasana is a valuable stretch that increases confidence, promotes self-esteem, and combats nervousness and fatigue. There are some variations for Virabhadrasana, specifically I, II and III, so let’s see in this article how to do Warrior I or Virabhadrasana I.

How to do Warrior I Pose correctly?

Virabhadrasana I represents Virabhadra’s arrival, raising the sword.

This asana transforms the intensity of this deity into an extremely dynamic pose that requires all our concentration.

  1. Start in mountain pose (Tadasana).
  2. Walk your legs apart to the side, so that they are 1 to 1.2 meters apart.
  3. Keep your back straight, pelvis lifted, but not bent forward, and tailbone down.
  4. Turn left foot 90 degrees and right foot 60 degrees to the left. As you breathe out, bend your left knee to a 90-degree angle so that your left thigh is horizontal to the ground.
  5. Breathe in as you raise your arms above your head and press your palms into a prayer position. Hips, chest, and face turn to one side.
  6. Keep your head in a neutral position, facing forward, or tilt it back facing up. Lower your pelvis.
  7. Hold for 30 seconds and breathe evenly. Repeat the same on the other side.
  8. Keep this pose from 30 to 1 minute each side.

You have to understand the Warrior Pose as a combat itself. This pose involves a large number of movements that push you in contradictory directions: You have to rise and at the same time, anchor to the ground and you have to stretch forward while leaning backward.

Even so, the mastery of the technique is very satisfying, and by practicing it, you will become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses. This awareness will allow you to accept the limitations of your body and, with time and practice, you will acquire the ability necessary enough to explore deeper into this powerful asana.

Benefits of Warrior Posture I:

Warrior Pose I is very beneficial to your body. It’s a complete posture as it requires the whole body. There are many benefits including:

  1. Stretching the upper body: back, chest, shoulders, neck, abdominal muscles, and arm muscles.
  2. Opening of the chest.
  3. Strengthening the feet, legs and buttocks muscles.
  4. Good for slimming and toning.
  5. Improving posture.
  6. Good for balance and stability.
  7. It is excellent for relieving pain in certain parts of the body.
  8. Building core, strength and flexibility.

Please, do not perform the Warrior Posture if you are pregnant, nor if you have neck pains. Also, since it is a hard asana, do not make it if you have heart problems. In that case, it’s better that you do simple postures so that you can improve from that point.

Finally, if you want to see in detail how to do this asana, check this video to see the full sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5rxxzkdbr4

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