The other day, I was with my 70-year-old client Christina. While she was in Warrior 1 pose, I told her to feel her strength, much like a warrior. She said to me, “But I don’t want to be a warrior, it’s too violent.” Good point, Christina, it is indeed a violent word on the surface.
Virabhadrasana I, Warrior 1, is mentioned in one of the most famous yogic texts, the Bhagavad-Gita. It’s a dialogue between two warriors, Arjuna and Krishna, on the battlefield between two great armies waiting for a battle. But what is really being honored, at the heart, is the idea that we all are warriors, spiritual warriors, constantly battling Avidya, our self-ignorance. Avidya is said to be the cause of all of our suffering.
SET YOUR INTENTION AND PRACTICE LIKE A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR
Setting an intention for your yoga practice is so important. And when this intention is set with full heart in play, it carries you not only through the practice, but throughout the rest of the day, week, year, etc… You get me. The INTENTION is what you are capable of fighting for.
When I practice Warrior poses, I set my body up properly, I feel the strength in my body from the ground up, and then I breathe into the depths of my intention. I feel as though I would stay in the pose forever in order to fight for this intention. And if anyone gets in my way, they will never knock me down, because the intention is radiating so deep in my heart and spirit.
Christina was very happy to be able to understand it like this. Her paradigm shifted into a deeper meaning of what her body was doing at that moment and the power within her. Yay!
Virabhadrasana 1 has many benefits beyond fighting for Avidya and your true intention. Try it!
Virabhadrasana 1, (Warrior 1) Step-by-Step
Step 1
Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) with your feet hips-width distance apart, toes pointing forward. Stand tall from the ground up with your spine long and straight, tailbone gently tucked in so your lower core engages up towards your navel. Now, take a step back with your left foot so there is roughly a 3-4 foot length between both feet. Leave space in-between both feet like there are train tracks in between them. (more experienced can line up the heels) Your back foot will turn slightly to angle toward the upper left corner of the mat.
Step 2
Bring your hands to your heart. The front knee will bend as much as feels comfortable, keeping the knee above the foot. (you don’t want the knee in front of the foot) The back foot will be pressing fully into the mat, from heel to toes. If the back heel doesn’t touch the mat, it’s ok, just adjust the foot and bring it a little more forward until you can comfortably press into the heel. There will be a big beautiful stretch through the calf, this is good.
Step 3 (important)
Press so firmly into the back heel, as the front knee is bending over the foot, that your INNER thigh of the back leg turns back behind you, and the OUTER thigh of the back leg turns forward. THIS will rotate your hips forward. I find that if you just force your pelvis to turn forward you have the potential to either hurt your hips or lose the integrity of the back leg. So, the pelvic turn comes from pressing into the back heel and spinning the inner and outer thigh.
Step 4
Raise your arms above your head. Keep them shoulder distance to start. If you feel your shoulders are open, you can bring your palms together to touch. Reach long and tall through your torso and relax your shoulders gently down away from your ears. The tailbone tilts forward and the core is engaged while keeping your lower back safe. This is extremely important for the lower back.
Now stay here for 3 hours and fight for your intention like a warrior! Ok, ok, not for 3 hours, maybe three full breaths to start. But I was serious about fighting for that intention like a warrior. You got it, I know it.
MORE ADVANCED STEPS
If you feel good and you want to move on there a couple of things you can do.
Bend the front knee and adjust the foot to be right below it, while the front thigh is parallel with the mat.
As your palms are together above you, lift out of your lower back, lift the chest, and start to bend gently backward from the upper back. Relax the shoulders and look up towards the ceiling.