Warrior ISave PDF
Virabhadrasana I
VEER-ah-bhah-DRAH-sah-nah one
Strengthens arms and back, stretches hip flexors
Stretches lungs, stimulates digestion
Increases stamina, improves balance
How to perform Warrior I
- Begin standing. Step your left foot 3 ½ to 4 feet back with an exhale. Keeping your heels in one line, point your left foot 45 degrees to the left. Face your torso forward.
- Reach your arms toward the sky with an inhale, palms facing each other.
- Bend your right knee with an exhale, bringing the thigh parallel to the floor. Align knee over ankle.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Straighten your leg with an inhale, then exhale and step your feet together. Release your arms. Change sides.
Alignment cues
- Lengthen tailbone toward floor
- Anchor outer edge of foot to floor
- Draw shoulders away from ears
- Keep heels in one line
- Align knee over ankle
Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or heart problems.
More yoga poses to discover
Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the standing category. This asana targets glutes & hip flexors, hamstrings, middle back / lats, quadriceps and upper back & lower traps, and also involves calves, obliques and shoulders muscles. Warrior i stretches lungs, stimulates digestion; strengthens arms and back, stretches hip flexors and also increases stamina, improves balance. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
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