Pose of the week: Virabadrasana III (warrior 3)

This week I need to be a warrior! I have a midterm, a pile of stuff that needs to be graded, a budget that I am trying to stick to, and a final to give (its the week before fall break so all things Loyola tend to be crazy).

The battle may change, be it stress, school (are those one in the same?), a frustrating situation, but my weapons are my breath and my heart, and of course those killer abs-- after all core strength is super important in yoga.

The warrior poses in yoga are foundational for so many other poses, additionally they are used in many beginning classes, but don't be fooled these poses are challenging.

Benefits

• strengthens legs, ankles, back, abdominal muschles, shoulders, and arms (holy cow)
• helps build balance

Preparing for the pose and coming into the pose:

• Before even attempting this pose find your breath (prana) and your gaze (dristi)
• warm up with anjaneyasana (crescent lunge), uttanasana (forward fold), vrksasana (tree pose) and vira 1 (warrior 1)
• from vira 1 gently push off the back foot bringing all the weight into the front foot
• root down through the front food, keep the leg muscles activated
• begin to tilt forward bringing the chest parallel to the ground and lift the back leg
• keep your hips square-- this may mean that your foot is only six inches off the ground and thats great because you are still receiving all the same benefits
• keep the back foot active (think flexing the foot and pushing out through the heel) and the toes pointing down to the floor.
• place your hands at heart center, out to airplane, or extend you biceps up by ears reaching the fingers forwards

Props and Modifications:

• a block on the ground under your hands allows for greater stability and a longer holding of the pose
• doing the pose with the back foot pressing into the wall is a great way to help you balance and is also super challenging, this may work the body more than the pose in the center of the room
• try coming into the pose from tree pose or from tadasana

Counterposes: I always feel this pose in the hip of the standing leg, it is an aggravating tightness and it makes me want to open my hips.

• malasana (yogi squat)
• supta baddha konasana (reclined butterfly)
• balasana (devotional pose / child's pose)

Have a great day and be a fierce warrior!