YOGA POSTURES 
ASANA YOGA POSES YOGA POSITIONS
Tadasana Downward Dog Cobra pose Headstand Shoulderstand Warrior 1 pose Warrior 2 pose Triangle pose Half Moon pose child pose Cat Pose
Urdhva Virabhadrasana II
Translation: Upward Warrior 2
Step the legs apart then turn one leg 90 degrees out and bend this knee. Position the knee above the ankle. Stretch the arm on that side up so that the side of the body is stretched. Lean back and place the other hand on the straightened leg and look up.
The fingers can be closed or open. (One creates a direct force and the other is a flared force.)
Placing the hand on the leg for some extra support can help relieve pressure form the back.
Tips
It is challenging to get the back foot flat on the mat. The more the knee is bent the more challenging this becomes. A lot of energy and force up through the body becomes lost when the back foot is not flat on the mat.
To prevent this take the legs closer together. The endurance of the pose will also increase when this is done.
This is a nice stretch to perform before Parsvakonasana. If this is done both sides of the body become stretched.
Benefits
Both legs are strengthened in this pose. It can also help the knee muscles strengthen. The shoulders are stretched and the arms are strengthened. This yoga posture will also increase groin flexibility.
Muscles involved in the external hip rotation in the back leg are the quadratus femoris, gemellus superior and inferior, obturator internus and externus and the piriformis, they are all strengthened. When they are used the inner leg muscles in the back leg become stretched. They are the pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis tendon of the psoas major and further up the pelvis the iliacus on the outer part. The adductors in the leg get a deeper stretch than in Virabhadrasana 2.
Vinyasa Yoga postures to transition from and to:
Yoga Postures Tadasana Trikonasana Parivrtta Trikonasana Virabhadrasana 1 Virabhadrasana 2 Parsvakonasana Revolved Lunge Utkatasana Uttanasana Vrksasana Virabhadrasana 3 Reverse Half Moon Pose
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.
“Try to give short quick instructions on safety. Targeting the areas that may be vulnerable to injury. This information will reduce the chances of injury from occurring or re-occurring in class. ”
