How To Do Warrior I (Virabhadrasana 1)

The first of the triad of power-yielding standing postures which are known as the Virabhadrasanas in yoga includes an intense leg lunge and the squaring up of the torso. The Virabhadrasana 1 is known for its strength building and flexibility enabling capacities.

The integrated practice of three Warrior posture variations is recommended for cultivating enhanced stamina, perfect balance, coordination, and mindfulness.

Step-By-Step Instructions on How to Perform This Asana:

1. Station yourself on the mat, strong and erect. Move your feet slightly apart but not as wide as hip-distance.

2. Coordinated with a yawning exhalation, step to the front, maybe with a light jump and thus widening your feet horizontally apart by 3 1/2 to 4 feet. In this stance, one of your feet should be in front of the another. At the same point, raise your arms overhead, keeping them perpendicular to the floor and more or less parallel to each other. Extend outwardly through your little fingers towards the sky.

3. First, make your shoulder blades solid and pushed to the back against a strong spine. Next, draw them towards the ground aligned towards your tailbone.

4. Rotate your left foot to the right. Extend to roughly a 45-60 degree angle. At this point, your right foot should be turned to a 90-degree in the right. Mindfully, the alignment should be maintained thus between the precisely angled feet.

5. Next, release a deep exhalation and revolve your torso now, to the right. This should be a near-twist, squaring up the front of the pelvis. Alignment should be maintained between the pelvis and the front edge of the mat.

6. When the left hip point is turning forward, bear down with the top of the left thigh femur bone into the ground, the force passing strongly through the heel. Keep your tailbone elongated. Align the elongation of the coccyx with a gentle curve of the torso.

7. Your left heel is now rooted into the floor. At this point, give out a long exhalation and stack your right knee perfectly over the right ankle, keeping your shin perpendicularly against the floor. Extend your arms, and with it comes a chest lift. Your rib cage has now gone perceivably higher up and away from the pelvic floor.

8. Now, bear down with force, the down current passing through the left foot heel. It also makes for a stretching sensation running in the back of the legs. Slowly, the stretch will run up across the belly and chest. The tingle of stretch can even be felt along into your raised arms. It will help to bring your palms together at this point. Joining the palms together will give you the leverage to lunge a little higher with the joined together pinky fingers of your hands. And more the stretch, the better.

9. Let your head hang loose. Keep the neck neutral and relaxed. The gaze should be clear and fixed forward. Alternatively, if it helps your neck then tilt your head to the back and look in the direction of your thumbs. Tune in this posture for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

10. The release must be cued with an inhalation. Coordinate this with a down pressing of the left heel and reaching upward with the arms. Your arms must be aligned and straightened with the right knee.

Exhale, and with it, rotate your feet to the front and let your arms loose.

Alternatively, if you prefer not raising the arms before doing the motions of Virabhadrasana 1, the releasing step is the time to hoist them up. You can keep them stretched upwards for a few seconds before slowly putting them down again at the conclusion. Allow yourself a few deep breaths and go on repeat with feet interchanged.

Benefits & Advantages:

An Upsurge of Stamina- One of the Virabhadrasana 1 benefits is that it lets you hold back and reserve your energy. There is no rapid burn-out and more inner stamina building.

Balance Restored and the Center Realigned- An innate intelligence and sense of balance are grown through the posture. The posture can be good for realigning your center of balance during pregnancy when the body and its structuralism is going through change.

Chest Opening and Better Breathing-The Warrior 1 is good for breathing because it can really throw the chest open.

Core Strength and Core Flexibility Virabhadrasana 1 absolutely exercises the core. Strength building and enhancement of flexibility are simultaneous and complimentary in this practice.

Modifications & Variations:

The Warrior II Pose– The second in the set of Warrior, this pose makes you keep your arms extended out in opposite directions to the front and back of your head. Keep them just shoulder level, no drooping or hoisting. The torso-hip alignment here is forward tilting. Now, turn your head to the foot of the bent leg (as in Warrior 1), and at the same time, your back foot must rotate 90 degrees.

The Warrior III Pose-Semblances to Warrior I returns with the position of the arms. The difference being the posterior angled leg lifts from the ground and the torso is bent. The torso and leg are now positioned parallel to the mat.

The Reverse Warrior– Create the leg stance same as in Warrior II. However, the back arm is extended to get the rear thigh and the arm of the front is stretched up over the head.


Stay out of harm’s way by keeping some contraindications of Virabhadrasana 1 in mind.

Medical conditions of chronic spinal disorder, neck injury, and high blood pressure go against yoga safety concerns. Arthritis and pregnancy are other risky conditions when you must stay on your guard doing this posture. Slow, careful, and supervised steps would help!

To Know more about Virabhadrasana 1, join yoga teacher training in India.

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