VIRABHADRASANA II: WARRIOR II

We call ourselves chronic WARRIORS for a reason! Even when we may not feel strong in body, our spirit is strong 💪🏼 For this week’s #poseoftheweek we are channeling our inner warrior with Virabhadrasana II. 

BENEFITS:

➕Energizing

➕Grounding

➕Empowering

➕Strengthens the entire body

➕Stretches the inner thighs and opens the hips

➕Improves balance

TRADITIONAL VARIATION 

From standing, take the feet wider than hip distance apart. The wider your stance, the more intense the pose will be, so keep that in mind. Line up the heel of your fromt foot with the arch of your back foot. Bend the front knee so that the knee is directly over the ankle. This will protect your knee and also give you more stability. You may need to shorten your stance to achieve this, and that’s okay. Safety is more important than going as deep in the pose as possible. Activate your legs, press firmly into the feet. Engage the glute of the bent leg to open the hip and keep your knee over your ankle. Pull the belly and front ribs in. The hands come to the hips, or you can extend the arms to a T position. The gaze is over your fromt shoulder or straight ahead, whichever feels best for your neck. Hold this pose for five to ten breaths, then practice on the opposite side. 

CHAIR WARRIOR 

If you are experiencing lower body weakness as a result of injury, illness or deconditioning, supporting this pose with a chair will allow you to rebuild your strength safely. This is also a good option if you have balance issues. All of the elements of warrior II are present here. All of the same muscles are activated. The only difference is that you’ve added a chair under the front thigh. To come into this pose, sit side-ways in your chair. Firmly plant the front foot, then swing your other leg behind you. Find your stable base, then extend your arms if desired. Hold for 5-10 breaths and practice on both sides.

FLOOR VARIATION 

This variation is a bit easier to balance in than the traditional variation and requires less muscle engagement. Only do this variation if you have happy knees! Padding the knees with a blanket can help, but keep in mind that most of your weight is on one knee in this pose.

To come into this variation, kneel on the floor. Keep your left knee directly below your left hip, and swing your bent right leg out to the side. Engage the right glute to open the hip and plant your right foot below your right knee. Engage your core. The hands find your hips or the arms extend to T position. 

HOW DID IT GO?

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