Warrior 1 (virabhadrasana 1) – Set Up and Cues

Arguably the most challenging of the classical standing postures, virabhadrasana 1 or “Warrior 1” places great demands on our pelvic and trunk stability, along with the strength and mobility of the hips and shoulders. This posture requires the ankles and feet to work well, and that our spinal column has good mobility.

When doing Warrior 1, we must maintain constant awareness of where all of the various mechanical loads are placed, and thus Warrior 1 also poses a great challenge to the mind. We must remain present at every moment we are in the posture, both for safety as well as a successful outcome.

Warrior 1 includes a back bend as one of its key elements. If you have a low back injury, I would not recommend learning this posture on your own. PLEASE SEEK A SKILLED INSTRUCTOR FOR HELP.

Even if you’ve had experience with the posture, I would encourage you to watch my video on stabilizing the lower back for backbends before watching this video for a better understanding of how to approach the back bending element in Warrior 1.