Yoga Asana: Humble Warrior or Bhada Virabhadrasana
Each posture in the physical yoga practice has a Sanskrit name ending in asana. Asana means seat or posture. Today we will explore Humble Warrior pose. Humble Warrior is known as Baddha Virabhadrasana in Sanskrit. We see: baddha which means lock or bound, vira which means: hero, warrior, vigorous, and bhadra which means: good and auspicious and of course, asana which means seat or posture. The name is derived from a Hindu legend of the Warrior Virabhadra and does not become popularized until the 20th century sometime after Warrior 1,2, & 3.
This brings us to the WHY behind Baddha Virabhadrasana. Per usual, I will purposely bring awareness to the principal goal of yoga before diving into the specifics of this particular posture. The sutras remind us that when we are lost to the true goal of yoga, we are confusing the seer with the seen. Yoga promotes the discovery of myself as the seer free of the seen. When I can tap into the me that is not all caught up in comparing, justifying, judging, liking & disliking, proving, striving, and obtaining, I can experience the spirit in my human versus only the instability and suffering of my human.
The physical WHY behind Baddha Virabhadrasana is a combination of strength, stretch, and balance. It is an interesting heart opener considering most heart openers do not invite the inward/internal energy that the bow of the posture requires. There is a stretching or lengthening component of the arms, shoulders, chest, neck, hips, spine, and the extended back leg. The posture demands considerable strength in the entire lower body to stabilize and allow for the forward fold of the upper body, promoting balance, spatial awareness, and the capacity to engage and relax at the same time.
Baddha Virabhadrasana can have symbolic, metaphoric, and meaningful significance to our own personal why’s. When we consider the Sanskrit translation we see: Baddha which translates as lock or bound and vira which translates as hero and warrior as well as bhadra which translates as good and auspicious. Please check out the blogs for Warrior 1,2, & 3 to learn the story behind Virabhadra and the origin of the Warrior Poses. It’s fascinating that this pose translated in English to humble of which must attribute to the shape of the posture itself and not the Sanskrit meaning of lock or bound. However, we could consider a necessary component to humility as breaking the locks or binds of the ego that hold us back from surrendering. Perhaps this posture could be an interpretation of the struggle we endure to surrender. We see the desire to let go in the bowing forward and the refusal to fully release in the bound arms overhead. What battle are you fighting within, what war has been waged against yourself that is holding you captive to ease, peace, trust, and surrender? Might you be fearing a loss of control in surrender? Might you interpret surrender as weak? What if we could see the immense courage, strength, and trust that is necessary in surrender? What if we could celebrate the dedication and commitment it takes to embody that kind of unwavering warrior embodiment? Allow humble warrior to be the entryway inside your turmoil so you can begin to transform it into tranquility.
How to do Bhada Virabhadrasana:
There are various different entry points however for this explanation, we will enter from a forward fold. Start by placing a generous bend in the knees and bring the fingertips to the mat. Step the left foot back and angle the foot so the toes are pointed towards the top left corner of the mat (this is something that is variable). Make sure the whole sole of the foot is planted. The shape and energy of the legs is the same as in Warrior 1. Bring the hands to the hips and lift the torso so the spine is in a neutral position (sometimes cued as, halfway lift). Interlace the hands behind the low back and note which thumb is on top so you can be sure to do the opposite on the other side. Fold to the inside of the bent right knee and allow the head to hang heavy. Refine the position of the legs by creating a strong scissoring action, the right heel, knee, and hip have the energy of drawing towards the back of the mat, and the left foot, knee, and hip, have the energy of drawing towards the front of the mat. Here you can assess the amount of bend in the front knee and determine if a deeper bend is available. Lift the held hands away front he low back and lift them towards the sky while keeping a micro bend in the elbows. The energy of the interlaced hands is that of reaching up and forward to the front of the mat.
Modifications:
Shorten or widen the stance to aid in tightness of the hips, hamstrings, or calves.
Keep the hands resting on the hips, the low back, or interlaced on the low back to support tight shoulders, arms, wrists, and chest.
Take less of a bend in the front knee if the posture feels too demanding on the legs.
Variations:
Take different arm variations, such as prayer hands behind the back, holding opposite elbows behind the back or arms out to a T shape.
Add a mudra to your arm variation.
***Permission to modify in anyway that provides you with a feeling of safety, ease, and is alignment with your purpose in practicing the posture.
Dearest Reader,
I am so very honored you are here. Exploring the complexity of our human-ness is humbling in itself and I couldn’t be more excited than to do it with those of you who also find it fascinating. Gazing through the lens of yoga always helps to broaden my perspective, keep me curious, and committed to the practice.
Blessings,
Andrea Dawn
