Virabhadrasana 1
Translation: Warrior 1 Pose
Raise the upper body stretching the arms above the head. The hands can be in prayer position, interlocked or shoulder width apart. The fingers can be closed or open. (One creates a direct force and the other is a flared force.)
The chest faces forward. The heels are in line but you can also perform this pose with a little width between the heels. This will slightly change the alignment of the hips and can improve the alignment.
The navel area will naturally stick out. To engage lower core abdominal muscles pull the navel up and back. This will reduce pressure on the lower back.
Aligning the shoulders horizontally is desired. There are many ways to do this. Shown opposite is a method of lifting them. Sometimes this is not done because of blood flow interference or nerve impingement. It is quite nice to have all the muscles, skin and cells around the arms and shoulders moving in an upwards direction. The energy forces of the pose feel better.
Tips for Warrior 1 Pose
It is very hard to get the back foot flat on the mat if the legs are too wide apart. It also makes it harder to face forward correctly with the chest. Therefore adjust the legs to a distance apart that allows both the back foot to be on the mat and the chest to be forward.
Benefits of Warrior 1 Pose
Both legs are strengthened in this pose. It can also help the knee muscles strengthen.
Injuries
This pose is quite hard on the lower back. It will be hard to perform on one side if a disc is slightly inflamed or bulging. This can be avoided by reducing the distance of the stance. Taking the legs closer together will greatly reduce the amount of pressure in the lower back.
Vinyasa Yoga Sequencing for Warrior 1 Pose
Vinyasa Yoga postures to transition from and to:
Virabhadrasana 2 Yoga Postures Tadasana Trikonasana Parivrtta Trikonasana Virabhadrasana 1 Urdhva Virabhadrasana 2 Parsvakonasana Revolved Lunge Utkatasana Uttanasana Vrksasana Virabhadrasana 3 Reverse Half Moon Pose Downward Dog Pose, Eka Pada Adho Muka Svanasana Parivrtta Parighasana Parsvottanasana
From Tadasana step the legs apart. Turn one leg out and bend the knee over the ankle.
From Uttanasana step one leg back and externally rotate it until the heel touches the mat.
From the Downward Dog Pose step one leg forward between the hands. Externally rotate the back leg until the heel touches the mat.
Yoga Teacher Tips
It can be hard on the back if injury is present and this yoga position is entered too fast or too deep. It can also be a vary therapeutic yoga position when done mildly.
VINYASA YOGA FLOW WITH WARRIOR 1 – 2 and 3
The first posture is adasana.
This posture can be done many different ways if the position of the hands and arms change.
This variation is done as a sign of strength and faith. In Sanskrit faith is called Sradha. This would be Sradha Hasta Tadasana.
Exhale all the air leaving only a little in the lungs.
Inhale stretch the arms up and tilt lightly forward with the pelvis.
If your back is healthy and it feels good tilt more than shown but it is not necessary and sometimes it can hurt the discs. If the abdominals are engaged the tilt will be lessened and the discs have more protection. For this reason engage the lower abdominal muscles.
Exhale down into a forward bend. Enter a mild boundary when bending down. Bad Karma will occur
if a boundary is entered that is too deep. Save the oxygen and use just a little force. This will ensure smooth movement for the next pose.
Inhale step the left leg back.
The step back is a little tricky. Not so much because of the flexibility needed but more so because of the breath. Inhaling is hard with the step back and even harder with the step forward. Try inhaling just a little at the start of the motion then inhaling more fully when the leg passes the halfway point.
Exhale back to Downward Dog.
Inhale forward to Plank pose.
Exhale down to Eight Limb Pose. (If the arms, wrists or shoulders are weak or injured modify this pose. Try lowering less and then transitioning to Cobra.)
Inhale up to Upward Facing Cobra. (Enter a
mild boundary at first. Then progressively open the spine. This is a harmonious and gentle way to approach spine flexibility.)
Exhale back to Downward Dog.
Inhale step the left leg forward. This step forward is tricky. As explained earlier this is quite hard to do with a smooth large breath. A good tip is to wait till the leg is forward quite far before breathing in deeply.
Exhale straighten the left leg. This will provide a good hamstring stretch and can be a great way to have some breath recovery. Thus making the transition into Warrior one smooth.
Flow one time and then enter Warrior 1 with an inhalation.
Exhale to Warrior 2.
Inhale place both
hands together above the head.
Exhale into Warrior 3.
If this is too hard try placing both hands down in front for support.
Inhale take the leg down and stretch the arms up.
Exhale back to standing.
