Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)is a powerhouse posture. It will help you build strength, flexibility, and balance. As you can guess, it is similar to Warrior I which we featured in our first part of the ABCs of Asanas. You will most likely complete Warrior II several times in a vinyasa class and other yoga practices. Therefore, it is crucial that you are familiar with the ABCs of the posture, the alignment, benefits, and common misalignments (ABCs). We will also talk about a few variations. So let’s get started!
Alignment
Like Warrior I, there are many options for transitioning into Warrior II. The most common transition I use in my classes is to open from Warrior I, but you can also step up or back from Mountain Pose depending on where you are standing on your mat. In all transitions to Warrior II, you should guide your body to find some very specific alignments to prevent injury.
Feet Alignment
The first alignment concerns the feet. The front foot’s toes should be pointing or facing the front edge of your mat. The back foot’s toes should be pointing to the side of the mat. In other words, if your right leg is back, then your right toes will point to the right side of the mat. The opposite is true for your left leg. You are grounding down into the mat with both feet, so they are flat. Think once again of pulling you mat apart in opposite directions as you did in Warrior I. Your two heels will be in a line from the front.
Knee Alignment
Another key body part in Warrior II is the front knee. When you bend the front knee to lunge in the posture, the knee should be directly in line with the front ankle. If you gaze down for a moment, you should be able to see your big toe just inside of the knee. If you can’t see the toe, it means your knee is collapsing toward your midline.
Also, the knee should never extend forward beyond the toes. Once you improve your flexibility and strength in this posture, the front leg will look like an upside-down L with the femur parallel to the mat. This takes time and patience! Six years into my practice, and I am still working on getting there.
Back Leg Alignment
Once you have your front leg situated, concentrate on your back leg. The quadricep should be contracted, providing a sturdy base for your body. Because your foot is facing the side of the mat, the frontside of the leg should also face the side of the mat. This will allow your hips to open.
Hips Alignment
As we move up the body to your hips, you will begin to note the differences between Warrior I and Warrior II. In Warrior II, your hips open to the side of the mat as your body moves through the frontal plane. This is completely different from Warrior I where the goal is to have the hips in one line facing the front of the mat.
Torso Alignment
Next your attention moves to the torso. Your torso is open to the side of the mat as well. It is directly in the center over your pelvis. This is a great opportunity to open your heart center and stretch your chest.
Arms & Head Alignment
Finally, we have reached the arms and head. Your arms are open like a T in line with the shoulders. They are parallel to the mat. Stretch the arms apart and contract the biceps and triceps. Downward rotate your shoulders away from your ears so that there is space for your neck to rotate. Both palms are facing down. Now look over your front shoulder, directly over the middle finger to find a steady gaze in front of you. And that’s it! You’ve found your strong, powerful Warrior II.
Benefits
Like all asanas, Warrior II is doing wonders for your body. This is just the beginning of the list. Nonetheless, Warrior II is exceptional for:
- Building hip flexibility
- Strengthening the legs
- Strengthening the arms
- Stretching the chest (heart center)
- Increasing focus
- Increasing concentration
- Developing body awareness
Common Misalignments
Even though Warrior II is a beginner posture, there are a variety of body parts that can be misaligned. The most common misalignments I have observed in teaching can be seen in the photograph below. These include:
- Scrunching the shoulders up into the ears
- Letting the front knee cave in toward the midline
- Leaning the torso to one side
- Collapsing back arm
- Keeping the torso closed to the front of the mat
- Relaxing the back leg so that only the front leg is helping with stability
Variations
Yoga is for everyone! And so is Warrior II. If you are in need of some adjustments because Warrior II is proving to be a bit frustrating, please try one of the following variations. Some of the modifications can make the posture easier, while others are used for advancing your practice. Here are some different variations of Warrior II.
Smaller Step for Beginners
The first variation for beginning practitioners is a smaller step between the legs. Additionally, you can straighten the front leg as much as you need if a full lunge is too much right now. Even with a tiny bend in the knee, you are building strength with each second that you hold the posture.
For Those with Neck Problems
Another variation of Warrior II is for those with any neck problems. If it is too much to turn your head to gaze over the front middle finger, then keep your neck in a neutral position. Your gaze will stay to the side of the room.
Add Some Challenge
If you’re looking to advance your Warrior II, this is the variation for you. This will challenge your strength and balance for sure! Place a block near the front of your mat. From down dog, very carefully step your front foot on top of the block. Make sure that it is steady in the center of the block to prevent the block from tipping. Now come up to Warrior II. Wow, it is amazing how a few inches of height completely change the posture.
For Those with Back or Hip Issues
The final variation of Warrior II is for those that may be coming back from a serious injury or have hip problems. For this variation, you will need a stool or a low chair. Place the chair on the side of your mat.
Gently step your leg that is on the same side as the chair forward so that your foot is just in front of the chair leg. Adjust your feet as described in the Alignment section.
As you begin to lunge, set the front thigh on top of the chair. The chair will help to take pressure off your front leg, and you will be able to build your strength in the legs.
Conclusion
If you have other variations of Warrior II that you’d like to share with the TLY community or if you’d like to read about the ABCs of a specific posture, please comment below or send us a message.
You can also do some anatomy work on your own if interested. Two yoga anatomy books I recommend and reference frequently are: Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews and The Yoga Anatomy Coloring Book by Kelly Solloway.
Tune in next week for a post on how to start a yoga practice if you’ve never taken a class.
See you on your mat!
~Teriane
P.S. Have ideas for future posts? Let me know in the comments or via the contact page. Namaste!
