Warrior II Pose - Virabhadrasana II - is named after Virabhadra, a legendary and heroic warrior created by the god Shiva. It is a pose symbolising stability and strength. A foundational pose in several of our hot classes and vinyasa flow classes that gives you endurance and releases tension by opening the hips and focusing attention on the breath and body.
Principles of the pose
Given it is named as a Warrior Pose, it should be unsurprising that this pose can require us to find strength. What may be surprising is that we often truly find the pose when we match this with openness and quiet at the same time. By holding a lunge we require our legs to build endurance, however to be low in that seat we must also release the hips to do so. Our arms are energetic, extending outwards to expand the chest; yet the shoulders should strive to stay subtle and maintain a sense of being unconstrained.
This exercise also teaches us to focus our gaze and breathe, allowing us to release what may distract us from the here and now.
How to practice it
We start in a broad stance, turning our front foot slightly forward and our back foot slightly turned in. As we lower into our front knee, we allow it to track softly over our front ankle while pressing solidly into the outer edge of our back foot. We reach our arms out in opposite directions, keeping our shoulders loose and our chest open. We also bring our gaze softly down onto our front fingertips while breathing steadily.
Why it Matters
Warrior II teaches us how to feel strong without being hard, focused without forcing. As we ground down through the soles of the feet and open the chest, we tap into a spirit of courage and calm. This is a pose that reminds us that we can feel strong while simultaneously being at ease, a message that often serves us well after we leave the studio.