Why We Practice The Warrior Poses?

Summary: Explore the article to know about the amazing benefits of the warrior poses and why one should practice it.

Yoga is an ancient practice of healing and treating body ailments. The world of yoga is vast and compact with a number of asanas, pranayama, and meditation practice benefits. The warrior poses are the most common and best standing yoga postures that can be easily performed by most bodies. These poses form a basic and solid foundation of asana practice and help in building body awareness, confidence, and strength. It is great to practice warrior pose I, II, III, as it packed with a lot of health benefits.

Warrior Poses

Considering the history, these poses are named after the hero-warrior from Hindu Mythology- Virbhadra, created by Hindu Deity ‘Lord Shiva’. The asana has different variations and all of them require strength, determination, and steadiness. And in today’s time, yoga practitioners, apart from performing traditional methods of the asana, also practice advanced and modified postures.

Here are the benefits of Warrior Pose I, II and III.

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I)

In warrior pose I, the front leg should be bent and back leg should be straight with arms extended over the head. This way you form a Warrior I pose.

Physical Benefits- An amazing pose that works on the flexibility of the body, lengthens the back, and strengthens the legs, hamstrings, and quadriceps. The pose builds core power, opens up the chest, and fills the body with energy.

Mental Benefits- With the physical benefits, Warrior Pose I does not lag behind in providing mental benefits. The pose works on building body and mind awareness. It increases the connection between the body and mind, coordinates the mind with all of the body senses, and keeps mental conditions at bay.

Emotional Benefits- The pose grants inner strength, courage, confidence, and opens the heart.

Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II)

In Warrior Pose II, the front leg should be bent and back leg should be straight with arms extended out in the direction of legs. The arms and legs should be parallel to each other.

Physical Benefits- The pose is almost similar to Warrior Pose I and so are its benefits. This standing yoga asana is great for your legs, hips, glutes, arms, chest, and shoulders. The pose develops physical endurance and muscle power.

Mental Benefits- The pose reduces tension, makes you feel relaxed, calms the mind, evokes mental stillness, and improves the mental strength.

Emotional Benefits- The pose is about finding peace and being in the present moment. It helps you to spend some ‘me time’ and stabilizes emotions.

Virabhadrasana III (Warrior Pose III)

The pose teaches us balancing. While performing the pose, you have to balance the body on a single leg with both the arms extending in the same direction in front of you.

Physical Benefits- The pose brings stability and balance to your body, strengthens and tone the muscles, lengthens the spine, and makes the hamstring muscles strong.

Mental Benefits- Warrior Pose III is physically challenging and so, to the keep the base, strong mental health is required. It lets you be in the present moment, releases tension, and provides mental clarity.

Emotional Benefits- The pose balances the emotions and gives clarity to the feeling. Helps you to deal with the intense feelings and makes you strong from inside and outside.

Other Warrior Poses (Modifications)

Viparita Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior Pose)

Apart from these three traditional and most-used methods of Warrior Pose, the Reverse Warrior Pose is quite popular and has a lot of benefits. The pose is used as a transition pose between the Vinyasa poses sequences.

Baddha Virabhadrasana (Humble Warrior Pose)

The pose teaches how to draw our focus inward and is great for opening the hips and shoulders.

Retreating Warrior

The pose can also be called as ‘Seated Warrior Pose’. It strengthens the core and increases the flexibility of the hamstrings and hips.

The Warrior poses are amazing yoga asanas that require a lot of practice to gain perfection. The poses challenge our core strength, confidence, and focus. Keep practicing and enjoying its benefits.