Virabhadrasana 1

Virabhadrasana 1

Warrior 1 pose

Standing pose

Key Benefits

• 
  

  • helps deep breathing
  • relieves stiffness in shoulders and back, tones up ankles and knees and cures stiffness of the neck, strengthens legs
  • reduces fat round the hips
  • thyroid and parathyroid glands are massaged
  • make one active, alert, attentive and mentally firm. Ignite fire of will power

How to get into Virabhadrasana 1

1. Stand in Tadasana. Jump to Utthita Hasta Padasana. Rotate the arms so the palms face the ceiling and extend the arms up till the palms press into one another. 
2. Turn the right foot out 90 degrees, the left foot in 60 degrees. Bend the right leg till the thigh and calf form a right angle to the ground. 
3. Extend the  torso up and release the head back. Pull the arms up to come up turn to the front, keep the arms extended to the ceiling and repeat the pose on the left.

Key Point

1. Press into the back outer foot and lift the inner leg from the inner arch, inner knee and inner groin. As you Extend from the root of the thigh on the right leg towards the knee. 
2. Lengthen the torso away from the hips evenly as you press the  bottom shoulder blades into the spine and extend the sternum up towards the ceiling. 
3. Lengthen the outer arm as you press the palms into one another and release from the nape of the neck to bring the head back.

Modifications:

• if unable to straighten arms keep arms apart in line with armpits
• support front leg on a chair