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Week 28 - Warrior III
Warrior III is a strong balancing pose. It is a dynamic standing posture which creates stability throughout your entire body by integrating all of the muscles in your core, arms, and legs.
This pose, called "Virabhadrasana III in Sanskrit, is named after the mythological Hindu warrior, Virabhadra who embodies all the fierce power required from a man of war. Practicing Virabhadrasana III will enhance your own power by building inner and outer strength, stability, and concentration and we can also equate the practice with the spiritual warrior within each of us that fights so hard to find self-knowledge, equilibrium and peace.
Start in Tadasana.
Step your left foot back to about a 4 foot distance from your front foot and bring it down at a 45 degree angle turning inwards. Hips and shoulders are facing front.
Bend your right knee over your ankle into Warrior 1 with arms over head.
Press your weight into your into your right leg and whilst straightening the front leg, lift the left leg straight up behind as you lower the torso.
Try to bring the body parallel to the ground with the arms extended and the shoulders down away from the ears.
Be sure to reach your back heel out behind you, as though you are pressing the foot into a wall behind.
If you have lower back pain bring the hands to the heart in prayer position.
If you are finding the body is bending at the hips, do not take the torso so far forward, but try to maintain your alignment a straight line from head to toes.
Keep the muscles of both legs engaged but do not lock the knee of the standing leg or hyper-extend it.
You may need to lower the hip of the back leg to bring your hips parallel to your mat.
Stretch from your finger tips to your heel and hold for 5 breaths.
To come out, exhale as you softly lower your back foot to the floor with control and come back to Tadasana.
Posture : Warrior III
Sanskrit name Virabhadrasana III
Benefits
*Strengthens the ankles and legs.
*Strengthens the shoulders and muscles of the back.
*Engages the core and tones the abdomen.
*Improves body awareness, balance and overall spinal posture.
Avoid if: You have high blood pressure.
Beginners Tip: Start practicing with the hands in prayer position at the heart centre. When you straighten the standing leg, pushing the top of the thigh bone back, picture the calf muscle of the same leg squeezing and pushing forward against the shin. This subtle adjustment stops hyper extension and helps to stabilize.
Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.
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