The Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II yoga pose belongs to the standing Warrior yoga pose that have already been discussed. Warrior II represents a strong warrior who stands firmly on the ground with his thousand legs and has a thousand arms to defend himself. This is exactly what we need to feel in this position—strength and stability.
- Stand at the foot of the mountain.
- Breathe in and step with the right foot in front of the left.
- The right foot is placed straight, and if you draw a line from the heel, it would cut half of the left foot, which is turned 90 degrees to the right.
- Expiration.
- Bend the knee of the right leg so that the angle between the thigh and lower leg is ideally 90 degrees, never less.
- If you can’t go down so much that the angle is 90 degrees, it’s okay to keep it bigger. The hands are next to the body.
- The torso is turned to the left.
- A breath.
- Then raise straight arms so that they are parallel to the floor, palms facing the floor.
- Turn head to the right and look at the fingers of the right hand (the head turns towards the leg that is in front).
- Breathe.
- Stay in this position for at least 5 inhalations and exhalations.
- After the fifth breath, with exhalation, lower your hands, straighten our right leg, look back in front and bring your right leg back to the left.
- Let’s repeat everything on the other side.
Image by yanalya on Freepik
Remark: In order to perform this yoga pose as well as possible, here are a few things that we must pay special attention to.
- When we first enter this position, the gap should not be excessively large. The more we strengthen and stretch our leg muscles; we increase the gap, trying not to spoil our form.
- When we enter the Warrior II yoga pose, imagine that there is a wall behind our back that keeps our body level.
- It often happens that exercisers unknowingly stick out their buttocks in this position, or arch their lower back. Pay attention to the position of your pelvis, you should neither push it backwards, nor try to twist.
- To ensure the correct position of the pelvis, squeeze and retract the muscles of the lower abdomen, as well as the urogenital muscles.
- The hips should not be facing forward, but in the direction in which the foot of the leg behind is facing.
- You shouldn’t blame yourself in the profession. This is another very common mistake in this position. The spine should remain straight and elongated.
- The angle between the thigh and the lower leg of the leg that is in front should not be greater than 90 degrees.
- We lean firmly on the ground with both feet.
- The shoulders should be parallel and the arms should go straight from them. Neither up, nor down, but straight.
What do we feel in Warrior II Yoga Pose?
First of all, in this position, we should feel the strength of the whole body. The spine should be straight and stretched. The feeling through the hands is as if someone is pulling us from both sides. The entire upper part of the body should not hang on the hips, but we consciously tighten the abdominal muscles that hold our torso. We feel the weight both through the leg that is in front and through the leg that is behind. The groin and both legs are stretched.
What does this yoga pose do for me?
- Strengthens and stretches both legs and ankles.
- Â Stretches the groin, chest, and shoulders.
- It stimulates the work of the abdominal organs.
- It affects the increase in endurance, Recommended for sciatica and back problems.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Due to the weight, this yoga pose can affect the increase in blood pressure. It can be challenging for people with balance disorders. People with neck injuries should not look at the fingers of the hand in front of them, but at the side their torso is facing.
Read more: Warrior 2 Pose – Virabhadrasana II by ekhartyoga.com
