After my post breaking down the sun salutation I was wondering where to go with pose breakdowns and thought why not begin to break down the key standing poses so here we are with the warriors. The warrior family comprising of the warrior 1 and warrior 2 which are rarely out of a class and the less often taught warrior 3. Warrior 1 and 2 are accessible to most and are brilliant for creating strength and raising the heat in the body as pretty much every single muscle group in the body is being worked. Warrior 3 is slightly less accessible in it’s full expression but is brilliant as it brings the element of balance into the practice and can be easily modified, working the body and the mind!
Always remember though self practice is a great part of a practice but I always think getting the guidance from a teacher in class is invaluable so these guides are just that, guides, not prescriptive for everyone and you should always consult a doctor before trying a new form of exercise and listen to your body while carrying it out.
Virabhadrasana I – Warrior 1
The first of the warrior family, often cued very quickly as part of vinyasa sequences it’s actually quite a complex posture. So how do you get into it?
- Taking a big step backwards, setting the front foot to point towards the short end of the mat. Ideally heel to heel alignment but it depends on comfort and balance
- Turning the back foot to a 45 degree and setting the hips to face towards the short end of the mat. Keep the hands on the hips to help feel which direction they are facing in
- Bringing the arms up above the head, rolling the shoulders back and down and taking a bend in the front knee so it is over the ankle
Modifications
– If the shoulders are creeping up around the ears then take the hands wider to be able to depress the shoulder blades more. If that still doesn’t rectify the bring the hands back down to the hips and work on the leg action instead
– If turning the back foot to 45 degrees and squaring the hips creates strain in the lower back and pelvis then lift the heel of the back foot and come into a high lunge variant
– If by bringing the arms up you are flaring through the ribs (arching the back as well) then bring the hands wider or down
– Tight hips may make this pose quite uncomfortable, in order to make it more comfortable then don’t take as much of a bend in the front knee
Contraindications
– High blood pressure – bring the hands into a prayer position at the chest or onto the hips
– Back and/or knee problems – take the modification of lifting the back heel
Virabhadrasana II – Warrior 2
A posture I include so much in classes and is a great transition to poses such as extended side angle, reverse warrior and triangle. So how do you get into it?
- Stepping feet apart into a wide leg position turn the front foot towards the front of the mat and the back foot out at 45 degrees
- Taking arms out straight with the hands over the feet and at shoulder height
- Keeping hips facing towards long edge of mat take a large bend in the front knee working towards the thigh being parallel to the floor but ensuring the stance is long enough that the knee does not overshoot the ankle
Modifications
– Tight hips may make this pose quite uncomfortable, in order to make it more comfortable then don’t take as much of a bend in the front knees
– This pose is really strong in the arms but if they are hurting more than actually working then bring the hands down to the hips and remain strong in the legs
Contraindications
– High blood pressure – bring the hands onto the hips
– Respiratory issues/asthma – bring the hands into the chest in order to help regulate the breath
– Lower back – engage the core muscles to support the lower back and do not arch through here
Virabhadrasana III – Warrior 3
The most ‘advanced’ looking of the warrior family, warrior 3 is actually still surprisingly accessible. Above is the full expression (although my leg could be slightly higher, one day!) but it can be practised with the leg at any height. So how do you get into it?
- Bring your awareness into the standing leg and taking a slight bend in the knee with hands to hips begin to lift the back leg 2.
- Using the fingertips to guide the hips so both are facing towards the floor settle here
- Then if feeling balanced reach the arms forwards and reach back with the back foot and heel. Straighten the standing leg if this is comfortable
Modifications
– If by lifting the leg high the hips are not able to face the floor and they open to the side then just lift the leg to a comfortable height and keep the torso at the corresponding height. The main thing is to ensure that there is a straight line from fingertips through the back to the leg and the heel
Contraindications
– Lower back – be very careful practising this. Stay at a 45 degree angle rather than the full 90 degrees and really engage through the core. The hands can also be kept at the chest in prayer rather than extending which will lessen the strain on the back
– Knee problems – play around as to whether a bend in the knee is more comfortable or a straight leg. Do not lock out the knee, keep it a little bit soft
So there we are, the warriors, a quick guide to give you an idea of where to go in your next class when one of these poses is called out. I love these and if you’re coming to one of my classes soon I can pretty much guarantee you’ll come across at least one these!
I hope these little guides are interesting and useful and if there’s any particular poses you want covering please do drop me a line below.