Warrior 1 and 2 

This week we are looking at Warrior 1 and 2 and the strongly grounding breath practice Ujjayi Breathing, which works exceptionally well in these postures.

Warrior is a strong pose for the legs and the back and even though the name warrior does not seem very yogic, it refers to the spiritual warrior within each of us that fights so hard to find self-knowledge, equilibrium and peace.

Our practice of this pose is an all round one for mind, body and spirit.

Stand in Tadasana and inhale.

Exhale and step the left foot back and turn the foot 45 degrees in to the right.

Keep the right foot facing front and align the right heel with the left heel.

Keep the torso facing front as you bend the right leg, ( be sure the right knee is over the heel and not the toes (if it is over the toes step the left foot back a little further).

Here it is done incorrectly with the knee over the toes and not over the ankle. This put pressure on the knee and makes the joint vulnerable to injury.

Lengthen the tailbone down and arch the upper body slightly.

Inhale take the arms up above the head with the hands in prayer position and exhale as you move your shoulders down and away from the ears.

Hold the posture for 3 long breaths.

Inhale and as you exhale bring the right arm down in front and the left arm down behind at shoulder height, into Warrior 11.

Stretch the arms away from the space between the shoulder blades and keep the torso upright and long, and allow a gentle and slight turn of the upper body toward the left, allowing the back hip to open.

Turn the head left to look out over the front arm.

Hold for 3 long breaths.

Repeat both postures with the left leg in front.

To practice Ujjayi breathing:

Come to sitting or standing comfortably.

Take a long deep inhalation.

With your mouth closed, exhale through your nose while gently constricting your throat muscles. If you are doing this correctly, you should sound like Darth Vader from Star Wars.

Another method of learning this practice is to try exhaling the sound “haaaaah” with your mouth open. Now make a similar sound with your mouth closed, feeling the outflow of air through your nasal passages.

Once you have mastered this on the outflow, use the same method for the inflow breath, gently constricting your throat as you inhale.

Posture: Warrior 1 and 2

Sanskrit name: Virabadhrasana 1 and 2

Benefits

*Stretches the chest and lungs, shoulders, neck, abdomen and groins.

*Strengthens the shoulders, arms and back.

* Strengthens and stretches the legs.

*Theraputic for sciatica, flat feet, carpal tunnel syndrome and osteoporosis.

*Increases stamina.

*Warrior 2 stimulates abdominal organs.

*Warrior 2 Relieves backaches.

Avoid if: You have high blood pressure, heart problems. If you have shoulder problems keep the arms parallel and not in prayer position. In both postures, if you have neck problems keep the neck straight with a forward focus, do not turn the head or tilt it upwards.

Beginners Tip: In Warrior 1,Make sure when you practice to keep the pelvis tilted under and up, so it is as close to parallel to the floor as possible, instead of allowing it to tilt forward.

In Warrior 11, aim the inside of the front knee towards the little toe of that same foot.

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Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.