How to Do Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Yoga Poses How to Do Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) in Yoga Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes By Ann Pizer Ann Pizer Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. Learn about our editorial process Updated on December 14, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Sara Clark Reviewed by Sara Clark Sara Clark is an EYT 500-hour certified Vinyasa yoga and mindfulness teacher, lululemon Global Yoga Ambassador, model, and writer. Learn about our Review Board Print Verywell / Ben Goldstein Targets: Balance, heart opener Level: Beginner Warrior I is one of yoga's foundational poses, but getting the alignment right can be a little tricky. It teaches you balance and to be more aware of your body positioning. You will recognize the lunge stance as one common for exercise and stretching. Incorporate this pose into a flow as part of a standing yoga sequence. Benefits Warrior I strengthens the legs and upper arms, improves balance and core strength, stretches the muscles around the hips. You get a good stretch of both the front and rear thigh (quadriceps and hamstrings), hips, and chest, as well as a back extension of the erector spinae muscle. It is a hip opener, which is a good antidote for sitting all day. This pose can be therapeutic if you have sciatica. It is also an energizing pose, allowing better breathing and circulation. Instructions From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot forward to the inside of your right hand. Pivot on the ball of your left foot and drop your left heel to the floor with your toes turned out about 45 degrees from the heel. Bend your right knee directly over your right ankle so that your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Rise to standing, bringing your arms out to the side and up toward the ceiling. Your chest stays open as you come into a slight spinal extension (also known as a backbend). Your palms can touch overhead or stay shoulder's distance apart, whichever is more comfortable. Lift your gaze up toward your thumbs and slide your shoulder blades down the back. Check the alignment of your hips. Draw your right hip back and your left hip forward so that both hips are squared to the front of your mat. Ground down through the outer edge of your left foot. Make sure your right thigh is still as parallel to the floor as possible. Drop your hands to your mat and step your right leg back to Downward Dog. Take a few breaths or move through a vinyasa before doing the left side. Common Mistakes To get the most from this pose and to prevent strain or injury, avoid these errors. Knee Extended Too Far As with any lunge, protect your knee of your forward leg by not extending it past your toes. It should be over your ankle. Not Squaring Hips to Front The trickiest part of this pose is squaring your hips to the front. If you don't have a feeling for what squaring the hips to the front means, place your hands on your waist and feel for the bony part of your pelvis that sticks out on both sides. These are called the hip points. Imagine that they are the headlights of a car and they should face the front of the mat. You can feel if they are at an angle instead of facing forward. Draw the front leg side back and the rear leg side forward until you get your headlights in the right position. Step your feet further toward each side of the mat if necessary. Modifications and Variations As with most yoga poses, you can do this pose in different ways to make it more accessible as a beginner or to deepen it as you progress. Need a Modification Though Warrior I has traditionally been taught with the heel of the front foot lined up with the arch of the back foot (like standing on a tightrope), it makes more sense for most people to separate their feet to either side of the mat a bit more (like standing on train tracks). This separation allows the hips to square more effectively. Up for a Challenge Challenge yourself to build strength by going for a long hold time, maybe up to ten breaths. Safety and Precautions Avoid this pose if you have balance difficulties or an injury to the hips, knees, back, or shoulders. If you have a neck problem, you should keep your neck in neutral position rather than tilting your head back. If you have shoulder problems, you can raise your arms to parallel rather than bringing them together over your head or keep your hands on your knees or hips. Try It Out Incorporate this move and similar ones into one of these popular workouts: Warrior sequence Standing yoga sequence Yoga poses for beginners By Ann Pizer Ann Pizer is a writer and registered yoga instructor who teaches vinyasa/flow and prenatal yoga classes. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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