Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose I)

<h2> Virabhadrasana I. Warrior Pose I</h2>

Once Daksha held a great sacrifice, but invited neither his daughter Sati nor her husband Shiva, the chief of the gods. Sati came to the celebration all the same, but, deeply offended and humiliated, she threw herself into the sacrificial fire and died. When Shiva heard of it he flew into a rage, tore a hair from his matted locks and threw it on the ground. At once a mighty hero named Virabhadra rose out of the earth, awaiting Shiva's commands.
He was ordered to lead Shiva's army against Daksha and to break up the rite of sacrifice. Virabhadra and his army fell like a hurricane upon Daksha's guests, broke up the rite, put the other gods and the priests to flight and beheaded Daksha. Shiva, grieving for Sati, withdrew to Kailasa and gave himself to meditation. Sati was born again as Uma in the house of the Himalaya. Once more she sought Shiva's love and in the end won his heart. The story is told by Kalidasa in his great poem "Kumarasambhava" ("The Birth of the War God"). The asana is dedicated to the mighty hero created by Shiva from his matted hair. Virabhadrasana has three variations, each of increasing intensity.

Virabhadrasana I in brief

1. Stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
2. With an inhalation, jump the feet 120-130 cm apart and stretch the arms out to the sides so that they are level with the shoulders.
3. Turn the palms up. Raise the arms overhead, extend them and join the palms. The elbows are straight. Take one or two breaths.
4. Exhale, turn the right leg and the torso 90° to the right, and the left foot slightly inward. Take one breath in.
5. Exhaling, bend the right knee to an angle of 90°.
6. Take the head back and look up at the thumbs.
7. This is the final position. Breathe normally and stay in it for 15-20 seconds, paying attention to the following points:
     (1) the left leg must be firm and straight while you bend the right leg;
     (2) stretch the arms upward and keep the chest muscles lifted; do not let this change;
     (3) keep the palms, the head and the anus in one line;
     (4) both hip bones should be parallel to each other and facing forward; they must not turn to the side;
     (5) keep the thighs firm.
8. Inhale and move into the position shown in the illustration, then turn to the centre.
9. Repeat the pose to the left, following points 3-8 and doing everything to the other side. Return to Tadasana.

Special notes:

(1) As you bend the right leg to an angle of 90°, do not bend the left knee. The quadriceps stays firm.
(2) Beginners and those who find it hard to keep their balance should hold the head upright and look forward.
(3) People with cardiovascular disease should avoid this asana, and anyone who is weak should not stay in the pose for long.
(4) Those who find it difficult to keep the elbows straight when the arms are extended overhead with the palms joined may keep the hands apart, so that they are in line with the armpits.

Some Finer Points Of Practice :

(1) Remember that when you do the pose to the right, the left leg must be very firm, and vice versa. If the feet slip, stand sideways to a wall and press the left foot against the wall when you do the pose to the right, and vice versa.
(2) Heavier people may find it difficult to turn the torso, extend the spine and keep their balance. In that case use a wall for support. There are two ways of doing this:
       a) stand at a right angle to the wall and, when doing the pose to the right, press the left heel against the wall, and vice versa;
       b) stand with your back to the wall; in all the asanas the heels, the hips and the back of the head should touch the wall.
(3) Those who suffer from back pain, a displaced disc, sciatica or lumbago should not come into the pose by jumping - they should use a wall for support.
(4) Older people who find jumping difficult should do Virabhadrasana I at a wall.

Virabhadrasana I in detail

Virabhadrasana I is the pose of the warrior Vira (the hero). I would advise beginners to master the preparatory stage of this asana first. For some people even that early stage proves quite troublesome, because of a lack of mobility in the hip joints and the lumbar spine. On the whole the shape of the pose is extremely simple, although there is one qualification: the pelvis must be turned perpendicular to the plane of the legs. Or, to put it another way: the line drawn notionally through the heads of both hip joints, and the ribcage after the turn, must be perpendicular to the plane formed by the legs.
The leg that is behind must be straight at the knee and lie against the floor firmly, with the whole sole. The back is moderately arched in the lower back. Then, once you have mastered this position, you can lower slowly from it into the final position of «Virabhadrasana I». Throughout, the trunk - at least at the shoulders and chest - should be carefully kept perpendicular to the plane of the legs, while the lunge remains the standard one. This asana develops the mobility of the ribcage in relation to the lumbar spine beautifully.
If you watch the breath and maintain «hincha» in this pose, it feels comfortable and steady. On the other hand, even Iyengar advises against holding it for long, because this position of the head and neck places a fairly heavy load on the heart. There are no particular contraindications; anyone who has had trouble with radiculitis or lumbago should enter and come out of the pose especially slowly. (V. Boyko, YIK)
Variation: Viparita Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior)

The effects of practising Virabhadrasana I

As a result of practising Virabhadrasana I the chest is fully opened and gains elasticity. The pose removes stiffness in the shoulders and strengthens the legs. It stimulates the muscles of the pelvic floor and the thighs, as well as the knees and the ankle joint. It clears the feeling of tightness in the shoulders and the lower back. Because the head is taken back, the neck is stretched and the thyroid and parathyroid glands are massaged. Virabhadrasana I also reduces fat deposits around the pelvis.