How to do Warrior I (virabhadrasana I)

This foundational pose stretches the front side of the body and is great for building strength in the legs, core and back. While Warrior I pose is one of the main components of Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) B, there are so many beautiful and creative ways to integrate this strong, grounding pose into your practice. Of all of the warrior poses, it requires a tremendous amount of strength and flexibility to get the back foot into the right position while also maintaining the hips squared forward. If this posture is too difficult for you, there are a few modifications that you can do.

Benefits Of Warrior I Pose

Warrior I pose strengthens the legs, ankles, arms and shoulders, and stretches and opens the groins, hips, chest and shoulders. A strong standing pose, Warrior I helps to develop stamina and endurance in your legs and core, and can help to improve balance and concentration. It also encourages greater flexibility, strength, and range of motion in the feet.

Warrior I Pose Step-By-Step

Begin in Mountain pose (Tadasana) at the top of mat.
Standing with your feet hip-distance apart and your arms at your sides.
On an exhalation, step back with the left foot, hands come to hips.
Bend right (front) knee, stacking the knee over the ankle.
Right toes (front foot) pointed toward top of mat, left foot (back foot) toes turned out to the left 45.
Square your hips directly forward and side to side.
Shoulders stacked over the hips.
Inhale arms up over head. Spread fingers, energizing hands and arms.
Breath is steady, legs, abdominals and arms energized and engaged, soften tops of shoulders away from ears
To come out of the pose, use the abdominal muscles to mindfully step back to Mountain (Tadasana) at top of mat, prepare for second side.

Tips

If there is any pain or discomfort in the back knee while keeping the back heel grounded and squaring the hips forward, then the pose can be modified by lifting the back heel and pointing the toes forward, like a lunge.
To deepen the pose, try coming into Warrior I, then reaching back and interlacing your fingers together. On an exhale, hinge at the hips to come forward and down to the inside of the front knee. This creates a beautiful opening in the groins and shoulders!
While traditionally the pose is practiced with heel-to-heel alignment, the feet can be separated to be slightly wider to create a more stable foundation.
If your shoulders are tight, keep your arms shoulder-distance apart, or wider, when they are raised.
Press back firmly with the top of your back thigh before bending your front knee. This helps to stabilize and root down through the outer edge of your back foot. Keep that stabilization as you bend the front knee.
Keep your weight even across the three points of both feet: The center of your heel, the ball of your big toe, and the ball of your baby toe. This will help keep your arches actively lifting.
If you’re just starting your practice, keep your hands at your heart instead of raising your arms for more stability.
To decrease pressure on your lower back, keep your core engaged and modify how high you lift your arms.

Why it’s hard?

For many, this pose is extremely difficult for a few reasons. The most common reason is that the practitioner lacks the strength and flexibility needed to get the back foot flat onto the ground while also keeping the upper torso and chest facing forward. Another reason why this pose is so difficult is that our bodies are all made differently. Our hip sockets, hip flexors, and leg muscles are all unique to our bodies. For some, the hip sockets simply cannot open in the way that this pose requires. For others, the muscles and tendons in the lower leg are not flexible enough to get into this posture. With practice, you can learn how to get into this posture more easily, though it is simply unachievable for some.