The Warrior Pose

There are three generally recognized versions of the Warrior Pose, which are referred to as Warrior I, Warrior II, and Warrior III. These successive appellations suggest that one pose also follows successively after the other. Warrior III, in fact, is generally classified as a more challenging and advanced posture in comparison with the first two versions, which are usually taken up in beginning classes.

Why is this so? Visually, the three poses in succession tell a story. If you look at photos or images of the three poses side by side they seem to have a beginning, middle, and an ending. With sufficient imagination, we can almost see the yogi carefully drawing the arrow which is eventually released to its fatal target in Warrior III. Before the arrow is released though, one must take certain pains, which are the concerns of the first two variations of the pose.

This article deals with Warrior I and Warrior II.

Warrior I: Directions for practice

Stand with your feet spread out wide, creating an equilateral triangle with the three sides comprised of your two legs and the floor. Keep your toes pointing forward and your heels slightly out to the sides. Plant yourself down firmly onto the floor, taking the time to establish your balance. The same principle as in Tadasana applies, only this time your legs are spread out in a wider stance.

When you have sufficiently solidified this base, begin to pivot on the balls of your heels. Turn your left foot slightly inward, and your right foot outward at a 45 degree angle. Look at your feet and carefully arrange them so that your right heel and left heel are aligned with each other in a straight line.

From here, reestablish the triangular base. Use your hands and fingers to make small adjustments around your hip area, and carefully turn out your upper thighs. Extend strongly downward through both legs, using the small muscles of your feet to plant yourself even more firmly onto the floor. Stay here a moment or two and breathe.

With your hands still on your hips, slowly and deliberately twist your torso from your hips so that you are facing in the same direction as your right leg. As you do this, your back leg will likely want to follow suit. If this happens, carefully turn out your upper thighs and then extend your back leg strongly behind you and press the entire pad of your foot completely into the floor. Do the same with your forward leg so that both legs are active. Note again the arrangement of your hips - they should ideally be level with each other and parallel to the front of your mat (what most practitioners generally refer to as "squaring your hips"). This is not an easy feat to accomplish, and might take you several attempts before you reach the proper hip alignment, particularly if you lack sufficient flexibility in your hip joints. Don't rush it. In fact, you might want to take a few days just practicing this alone before you attempt to complete the pose. Just remember that if you feel any kind of pain, stop what you're doing immediately. You're likely doing something wrong, or your alignment might be faulty. What you're looking for is a good, resilient stretch - not a painful one.

Now, you might notice that your hips involuntary jut forward over your right leg. Bring them back carefully by reining in your abdominal muscles and mentally pushing down into the floor with your hips. Center yourself over your legs so that even with this asymmetrical alignment, you are balanced equally on both extended legs.

Extend your torso upwards from your navel, and raise your arms overhead, palms facing each other, while keeping your shoulders low behind your back. Keeping this upward extension, slowly bend your right leg so that the upper right thigh is parallel (or slightly above parallel) to the floor. Use your extended torso to push your hip gently down. Also make sure that you are not losing the downward extension of your back leg, where you will feel quite a good stretch. Again, find the center of your gravity in your navel, and keep both legs and both arms active.

This is the completed pose. If done correctly, you should be able to let your legs take most of the pressures of the pose, and keep the rest of your upper body in relative relaxation. Breathe fully in and out. When you are ready to come out, raise your torso as you extend your bent leg. Turn your legs back to center and lower your arms to your sides. Relax for a moment before performing on the other side.

Warrior II: Directions for practice

You can perform Warrior II on its own, though I have generally found that performing it in succession with Warrior I offers great advantages in refinement because of the emphasis of the difference between the two poses. If you wish to perform Warrior II on its own, follow the initial directions in the first three paragraphs in the directions above before raising your arms and bending your leg.

Generally though, from the completed Warrior I pose, you can easily shift into Warrior II. Lower your arms until you can extend them outward from your shoulder level, parallel to the floor. The right arm is extended forward over your right extended leg and the left arm is extended behind you. Keep both arms in a long straight line, and keep your gaze directed over your extended right arm.

As you do this, shift and open your left hip and slightly turn out your upper left thigh so that your hips are no longer "squared" but are instead following the same alignment as your arms. Press down strongly on both legs again, keeping your right leg bent. Small outward movements in your right hip and right leg can help you find greater comfort in the pose. Keep your abdominal muscles reined in and your hips pushing down. Find the center of your gravity in your navel, with your legs strongly supporting your weight. This is the completed posture. Stay here a moment, breathing fully.

When you're done, try shifting back into Warrior I by reversing the process, using the difference in alignment in your hips and the position of your arms as a guide. You might be surprised at the greater range of motion in your body space from even just a few moments spent in both poses. You can even try shifting back and forth from the two poses - which is easy enough to do if your legs are suitably strong and grounded.

When you are ready to come out, raise your torso as you extend your bent leg. Turn your legs back to center and lower your arms to your sides. Relax for a moment before performing on the other side.

What it means to be a Warrior

The Warrior Pose in Sanskrit is called Virabhadrasana, which is derived from the name of a mythical figure in Indian mythology - the frightful and fearsome Virabhadra, whom the Lord Shiva created by dashing a lock of his hair upon the ground. From this was created the dark and terrifying Virabhadra, who had a thousand arms carrying all sorts of weapons, and who then led an army and set out to execute Lord Shiva's orders. It is said that Virabhadra is the warrior aspect of the Lord Shiva himself, and thus personifies the expression of divine wrath. It might be interesting to note that the consort of Virabhadra is the goddess Kali, who is a terrifying and formidable personality herself, as she also came into being in order to be the decisive factor in a battle where she vanquished scores of demons.

There is, therefore, no need to engage in fancy metaphors to understand the central concept of the Warrior Pose. The Warrior Pose revolves around the context of waging war and doing battle. Despite the general peace-loving emphasis of most yoga asanas, it does not detract from the reality that life as we know it is just as much about conflict as it is about peace. And in the same way that we strive for peace, we must also learn how to deal with conflict. By tapping into this universal symbol of a warrior, we are given to understand that dealing with conflict means not running away from it, but facing each one squarely in order to find the best means of resolution. There is no moral judgment in this - it is neither "good" nor "bad" - it is merely life as it is.

Every yogi soon learns that the yoga poses are archetypes of universal symbols, and that each pose has the capacity to open up our understanding on a far greater level to these universal themes. In fact, many of the difficulties of the poses can be addressed by first mentally aligning ourselves with their underlying symbolisms. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Warrior Pose has generally not been quite popular among practitioners who prefer to prioritize inner peace and calm. To them, the Warrior Pose might be a trifle unpleasant, if not outright disturbing. In such instances, it is well to emphasize the point that conflict in itself is neither "good" nor "bad" but simply life as it is. Of course, one cannot force another to deal with conflict, but each practitioner can test their own capacity for dealing with conflict in the relatively safety of the Warrior Pose. The first real battle, which is emphasized by the first two versions of Warrior I and II, is entirely internal. That is, are you capable of being a warrior when circumstances call upon you to be one?

Warrior I can sort of be described as a state of inner preparation. You know you are probably going to be embroiled in battle, or at least in a conflict of some kind. The first thing you do is to keep yourself in check, in a way that will not dissipate your energy. At the same time, you resolve to commit yourself to seeing through your course of action to its conclusion.

Warrior II, on the other hand, involves balancing the felt necessity of the circumstances, from which you draw strength, and looking forward towards what ultimately needs to be done. Think of the archer drawing his bow and aiming at the target.

In both instances, there is as yet no forward movement - that is, no commencement of assertive activity. It can sometimes be surprising how just these preparatory poses can already provide a host of benefits - physically providing a good workout, with emphasis on strengthening the abdominal area (around which, incidentally, is also the seat of the chakra for personal power), and it gives one a grounded, mental clarity not only to see life and reality for what it is, but also to recognize necessary courses of action without being swayed too much by emotions (i.e., self-possession and self-control). In a very real sense, it is the pure mindset of warrior engaged in self-preparation.