Ask a Yoga Teacher: Warrior 1/Virabhadrasana 1
Find more peace in your body with this sometimes frustrating pose
Warrior 1 is one of those of those poses that I used to struggle with until I fully understood it. Maybe you’ve struggled with it too. The knees, shoulders, hips, and lower back can all cause discomfort if they are “misplaced” or you aren’t activating the correct muscles to support your joints.
In this post I will break down all the parts so that when you practice Warrior 1 you’ll feel more confident and comfortable on the mat. I’m going to go through the entire process with the right foot forward. It’s up to you to repeat on the left side.
Here we go:
The feet
I like to work from the ground on up with standing poses, so we’re starting with the position of your feet. Back when I first started practicing, I learned to have the front heel lined up with the arch of the back foot. This alignment is fine, but requires strong balance and open hips as it’s a narrow stance.
I prefer to practice with the front heel lined up with the back heel as it gives a bit more stability laterally (from side to side) and is less strain for the hips. It is also more comfortable for the back knee.
Starting with the right foot forward and aiming ahead toward the front of your mat, place the left heel about a leg length behind the right heel. For now keep both legs straight. Rotate the left foot about 45 degrees toward the front of your mat. Feel the outer left foot pressing into the mat with the arch of the foot lifting. Don’t let your arch collapse toward the floor.
The legs and pelvis
Once you’ve placed your feet, bring your weight into your left foot (back foot) and engage the glutes and quads. Engaging the quads gives your knee a bit more support and prevents the leg and arch sagging toward the floor which can cause pain.
Keeping your weight into the left leg, reach the right knee forward so that the right knee aims in the same direction as your right foot. Feel the oppositional movement of the right knee and left heel extending away from each other actively.
Try to bring the pelvis to vertical (this may or may not happen based on your hip flexor tightness—click here for tips on what to do with tight hip flexors). Your hips are NOT squared to the front, they are aimed on a slight diagonal to the left. If you square your hips, you will most likely strain your back knee and disconnect from the back leg. Allow your hips to aim as far forward as your body allows, knowing that they will not face 100% forward.
Press the right knee forward as you draw the right hip backward. Press the left hip forward and you direct your left thigh backward. It doesn’t seem like that will work, but it does. Your left thigh should be rotating toward the back of your mat so that your knee aims toward the center of your left foot. This will also keep the knee from straining.
The torso
Like the pelvis, try to bring the torso to vertical, with the shoulders directly over the hips. If you hip flexors are tight, this may or may not be possible. Don’t press the upper back backward while leaving the pelvis tipped forward. Feel the tailbone lengthening downward as you lift upward through the front of the pelvis, activating the lower abdominal muscles and pelvic floor (mula and uddiyana bandhas). Then bring the shoulders over the hips to the best of your ability without strain.
Even though the pelvis is aimed on a slight diagonal, the chest faces forward in the direction of the front knee. If this bothers your lower back, have the torso face in the direction of your pelvis.
Think about lifting the ribs upward away from the pelvis as you melt the pelvis toward the floor. Try lifting the back ribs, as the front ribs are much easier to lift. Focusing on the back ribs will also create space in the lower back.
The arms and shoulders
Float the arms overhead with your palms facing each other, about shoulder distance apart. Bring your arms a bit forward so that you can see your biceps in your peripheral vision. Feel your scapulae (shoulder blades) pressing downward (depression) and apart (protraction), as if the shoulder blades were wrapping around the front of your ribcage.
I find this variation most comfortable. You can also press your palms together over your head as is often done in Ashtanga practice, but this requires significant shoulder mobility. I find having the arms shoulder distance apart is more comfortable and sustainable. The more you connect the arms into your back, rather than having the arms stop at the shoulders, the more strength and stability you’ll feel in your arms.
If you feel your shoulders getting tired, try to drop them downward and apart. Chances are you are shrugging.
The gaze
Your Drishti, or gaze, should be forward if your arms are apart, or upward toward your hands if your palms are touching. You can also look upward between your palms if you like, but forward is perfect.
If you choose to look upward, be sure not to collapse the back of your neck. Think of the spine lengthening upward, then tip the head at the top by lifting the chin. The back of your neck should be long and spacious, just like your lower back.
Here is a video where I walk you through Warrior 1:
Alternatives poses
Sometimes, even with all of the above, the aging body will protest. If that’s the case, here are a few alternative poses that you can explore.
Crescent Lunge
Use this pose if your back knee doesn’t like the positioning in Warrior 1, or if your lower back continues to complain. This pose is like Warrior 1 except you are on the ball of the back foot (heel off the floor) and the hips are both facing forward. Your legs are parallel to each other.
If you feel this pose in your lower back, allow the back knee to bend slightly to allow your pelvis to be more vertical. This lengthens the lower back. Over time you can work to straighten the back leg while keeping the pelvis vertical.
Low Lunge
If your toes aren’t happy with Crescent Lunge, take Low Lunge with your back knee on the floor. This pose will also help stretch out tight hip flexors.
More on this pose here.
Warrior 1 in a chair
I love using the chair as a prop. You can cultivate all the strength in the legs and core without struggle or strain. Place your right thigh and hip on the seat of a simple, stable chair with your right knee perpendicular to the front of the chair. Extend your left leg behind you and a bit more to the left so that you can place your foot flat on the floor. Your heels will not be lined up. All other rules from above apply.
The first Saturday of each month I write Ask a Yoga Teacher, your opportunity to get your questions answered! I will answer questions about yoga poses, meditation, breath work, practicing yoga off the mat, pretty much any yoga related question. There are no “stupid” questions, as chances are you are not the only one with that question. If you struggle with a certain pose or type of pose, I’m happy to help. Comment below or message me directly with your questions or queries.
