Yoga Asana: Warrior I or Virabhadrasana I

Each posture in the physical yoga practice has a Sanskrit name ending in asana. Asana means seat or posture. Today we will explore Warrior I pose. Warrior I is known as Virabhadrasana I in Sanskrit. We see: vira which means: hero, warrior, vigorous, and courageous in Sanskrit. We also see bhadra which means good and auspicious and of course, asana which means seat or posture. The name is derived from a Hindu legend, yet we do not see it recorded until the 20th century in the hatha yoga tradition with Krishnamacharya and his student Pattabhi Jois. Warrior I is practiced as a stand alone posture, as well as in Sun Salutations.

This brings us to the WHY behind Virabhadrasana I. While it may be tempting to jump right into the physical benefits, it is essential that we prioritize the bigger why to the practice itself. The popularization of fancy yoga gear, yoga as a brand, strengthening the mis-identification of Self to ego, and yoga as solely a modality of exercise has deteriorated the sanctity of the practice and it is quite challenging not to get sucked into the wormhole that is yoga as competitive, exclusive, and arrogant. So, as repetitive as I might sound, the daily remembrance of WHY we practice, is imperative to our spiritual growth. The goal of yoga is to slow down our incessant thinking, poke holes in our unconscious programming, and to believe and eventually reside in, our inherent goodness.

The physical WHY behind Virabhadrasana I is a lovely combination of benefit for strength, balance, and stretch. Warrior I strengthens the entire lower body, the spine, the core, the shoulders, and the arms. It provides stretch for the backs of the legs, the hips, as well as the chest. Warrior I also promotes good posture, balance, and a general awareness of the whole body.

Virabhadrasana I can have symbolic, metaphoric, and meaningful significance to our own personal why’s. When we consider the Sanskrit translation we see: Vira which translates as hero and warrior as well as bhadra which translates as good and auspicious. This brings us to the great warrior know as Virabhadra who was the warrior incarnation of Shiva. The story is one of love and tragedy between Shiva, his beloved, Sati, and her father King Daksha. King Daksha disapproved of their union and to spite the couple held a grand party of which all the Gods and Goddesses were to attend. He did NOT invite his daughter, Sati and her love, Shiva. Sati was beside herself and decided to attend despite her non-invitation. This of course resulted in Sati dis-owning her father and committing suicide at the party, throwing herself into flames. As we know, drama travels fast and upon hearing the news of his Sati’s death, Shiva was horrified. In his outrage, he ripped a dreadlock from his head and threw it on the ground, and thus was born, Virabhadra, the Warrior incarnation of Shiva. Virabhadra rises from Sati’s ashes swords in hand (Warrior I), takes aim at King Daksha (Warrior II), and vengeance in slicing the king’s head off (Warrior III). While this may sound horrifying, we can note the metaphorical significance of this act when we acknowledge Virabhadra as our “highest Self” rising in the name of Love (Sati), and facing the ego (King Daksha). This series of postures asks us to acknowledge our own warrior within. What does it mean to be a warrior in your life? While it may not be as dramatic as our tragic story, our trials, our sufferings, and our battles are no less significant. Being a warrior in your own life might look like setting a boundary with your family or friend, it might feel like choosing to go on after a break up or a death, it might be the strength and discipline it takes to commit to a daily meditation practice. Each time you practice Warrior I, remind yourself of the “rise,” that you have the resilience, determination, and strength to “rise up” over and over again in the name of Love as you remember the truth of who you really are.

How to do Virabhadrasana I:

There are various different entry points however for this explanation, we will enter from a runners lunge. Make sure your feet are on two tracks (you can imagine train tracks or skis. The front knee is directly over the ankle. Plant the entire back foot down on the mat, you may have to hop the foot more forward to do so and the foot will be angled out towards the front right corner of the mat. Engage the legs, press through the foundation of the feet, place your hands on your hips and lift the upper body. Encourage the hips towards the front short side of the mat. Lift the arms to frame the head and reach the fingers towards the sky. Reach the fingers up and draw the armpits down to keep space between the head and the shoulders. Keep a neutral spine and gaze forward.

Modifications:

Keep your hands on your hips for more stability.
Take a wider stance for more stability.
Take less of a bend in the front knee for less work.
Interlace the hands overhead or place them in high prayer for more stretch in the shoulders.
Add a back bend and lift the gaze to increase extension in the spine and challenge the balance.

Variations: