Yoga | Virabhadrasana 1 – Warrior 1 Pose

Now that I am back in New Delhi, I cannot help but miss my yoga-time on the beaches of Goa. Still in the process of unpacking 2 months worth of stuff (yes I’m hating it THAT much), I have re-started with my Yoga after taking a short break (which mostly constituted consoling myself of no more being in Goa).

I am still going to keep sharing with you my love for Yoga nonetheless and show you the asanas that I usually performed in my regular routine back in Goa and even here in Delhi. Today I will be sharing ‘Virbhadrasana I’ or ‘Warrior I Pose’ with you. You can take a look at all the Yoga poses that I have previously shared on the blog HERE.

Virabhadrasana { vīrabhadra: “warrior” + asana: “posture” } is literally the first aspect of Virabhadra (a warrior from Hindu mythology) which marks his arrival with swords in both his hands, thrusting his way up. which is quite what the asana looks like in itself.

The Virabhadrasana strengthens the shoulders, arms, thighs, ankles and back muscles while stretching the abdomen. Performing this asana regularly improves body coordination, balance and concentration. It helps your mind to focus while expanding the chest cavity and providing a sense of liberation. This pose also engages the core which further adds to the improvement in balance.

How To Do It:

~ Stand straight with your arms up, palms touching.
~ Inhaling spread your legs sideways.
~ Exhaling, turn your trunk to your left, rotate your left foot 90 degrees so that it is facing forward and the right foot must be rotated slightly (45 degrees) to the left.
~ Both your hip joints must also be facing forward.
~ Arms must be straight up, perpendicular to the ground, palms facing inwards
~ Always try to keep your shoulders down and away from your neck.
~ Slowly bend your left knee till your left thigh is parallel to the floor.
~ The knee must be above the ankle straight.
~ Keep the pressure & balance on the left heel rather than the toes in order to minimize the force being applied to the knee joint.
~ Keep your core engaged at all times
~ You can either look straight ahead keeping your head in a neutral position or you can tilt your head back and look up at your palms (this requires slight more concentration and balance)
~ Hold the asana for around 4 – 10 breaths
~ Exhale to lower your arms and come back up
~ Repeat for the other side

Note of Caution: Avoid doing this asana if you have any heart problems or high blood pressure. At no point should you let you bent knee go further ahead of the ankle. The bent leg must be firm and strong to centre your balance.

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