Sanskrit name

Virabhadrasana III  (vira= hero, bhadra= friend)

 

How to do Warrior III

Start in Tadasana. Take a deep breath to find your inner balance and strength. Step back wit your left leg. Bring your bodyweight on your right leg, planting your foot firmly into the ground. Toes keep looking frontwards.

Stretch out your straight arms over your head, palms are facing each other.

Inhale, find stability grounding through your right leg and activate your body center to stay balanced. Exhale, lift up your left leg from the floor while you lower your torso. Bring both parallel to the floor until arms, torso and raised leg form one line parallel to the floor.

Keep your head neutral focusing to one point on the mat.

Stay here and breathe calmly. Feel stretching for- and backwards through arms and leg on every exhale.

To get out of the pose: Inhale and on an exhale lower the raised leg down and lift your arms and torso back up. Then stay in Tadasana.

Do the same on the other side.

 

Special focus on

Hips: Keep them parallel. Take attention not to lift up the side of your raised leg.

 

Benefits

• Strengthens ankles and legs, shoulders and muscles of the back
• Tones the abdomen
• Improves balance and posture

 

Contraindications

High blood pressure