July 2024

Warrior III

Virabhadrasana III

From our teaching team · Jen Villegas

Virabhadrasana III (veer-ah-bah-DRAHS-anna). Virabhadra is the name of a fierce warrior, an incarnation of Shiva. Warrior III is a standing posture for full-body strength — it improves balance and strengthens the core. On the standing leg it stretches the hamstring and glute while strengthening the quadriceps and ankle; on the lifted leg it stretches the hip flexor (including the psoas) and strengthens the hamstring and glute. It also helps counteract the effects of sitting too much.

Practice safely

These guides are for general education and are not medical advice or a substitute for in-person instruction. Yoga is physical, and every body is different: practice at your own risk, move within your own limits, and stop if something hurts. Talk with your physician before starting any new physical practice, especially if you are pregnant, injured, or managing a health condition. The safest place to learn any of these poses is in the room with a teacher who can see you, and our teachers adjust for every level in every class.

Cueing

  • Cue buoyancy in the standing knee. Locking the knee can strain it; slightly bending it helps. Cue students to feel stretching sensations in the centers of the hamstrings / backs of thighs.
  • If you see people rolling their torso to the standing-leg side, cue them to internally rotate the lifted thigh and rotate the whole torso to be parallel to / directly facing the floor.
  • Watch low backs: overarching in the lumbar spine is a common mishap. Cue students to protect the low back by extending from the back leg to the crown.
  • Option: bring palms together at the center of the heart instead of extending arms in front.
  • Cue one long line of energy from head to back foot. Keep the lifted foot flexed to engage the leg.

Variations

  • With blocks: adds stability; bring hands to blocks at any height rather than the floor.
  • With hands against a wall: stand facing a wall, place palms on the wall, lift the leg behind.
  • With foot against a wall: stand facing away from the wall, place the bottom of the lifted foot on the wall, cue to press into the heel.
  • Arm variations: parachute arms, arms out to a T, or arms bound behind you (into Toppling Tree).

The best way to learn it is in the room.

Our teachers break down poses like this in every class, at every level. First class is $8.

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