Today’s Poses – Warrior 3 and Wide-Legged Forward Bend Poses

Warrior 3 and Wide-Legged Forward Bend Poses

Warrior 3 Pose

To bring a sense of freshness back to your practice, try taking a new approach to Virabhadrasana III (Warrior Pose III). It’s a pose that challenges your body with both backward- and forward-bending elements. It also builds power and grounding in the legs while offering chances for lightness and play

Steps

1. Begin in a high lunge with your right foot forward and hands together at the center of your chest.
2. Lean forward and shift your weight into your right foot until your left foot hovers off the ground.
3. Straighten both legs as much as is comfortable. Extend the ball mound of your left foot back behind you and reach your chest forward.
4. Press your standing foot firmly into the ground.
5. Keep your hips level to the ground.
6. When you feel relatively steady, reach your arms out in front of you to create one long line from your left foot to your fingertips. Face your palms toward each other and hug your forearms toward each other.
7. Stay in the posture for 3-5 breaths, then gently release to standing. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits

• Strengthens ankles, legs, shoulders, and back.
• Tones the abdomen and core.
• Improves posture.
• Creates a sense of power

Wide-Legged Forward Bend

Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend is a calming forward bend that stretches the hamstrings and back. There are several arm variations and other modifications available, making this a suitable pose for yoga students of all levels!

Steps

• From Tadasana, step the feet wide apart, feet as close to parallel as feels comfortable. You are looking for stability and grounding.
• Lift your inner arches by drawing the inner ankles up. Firm the outer edges of your feet and big toes into the floor. Engage your thighs by drawing them up. Place your hands on your hips.
• Lengthen your spine and open your chest as you inhale.
• Fold forward from the hips, keeping your back long and your chest open, as you exhale. Go half-way down with a straight back and place your hands underneath your shoulders onto the floor, or on blocks. Take a few breaths here.
• If you feel you can still go further without rounding the back, walk your hands back as you fold deeper from the hips, keeping your hands underneath your elbows, elbows pointing back, with your forearms perpendicular to the floor and your upper arms parallel to the floor.
• In the full-forward bend release your head down. If it’s available to you, with a long neck place the crown of your head on the floor.
• Stay in this pose anywhere between 5 and 10 breaths.
• To come out of this pose, walk your hands forwards to position them under your shoulders as you inhale, still with a long spine and straight arms. Place your hands on your hips as you exhale and come back up with a straight back, as you inhale. Walk your feet back into Mountain pose.

Benefits

It stretches and strengthens the hamstrings, calves, hips, low back, and spine. The various arm positions stretch your shoulders, wrists, forearms, and upper back. This pose has all of the benefits of both forward folds and inversions, including:

• Relief from stress, anxiety, and mild depression
• Relief from mild backaches
• Opened hips
• Relief from neck and shoulder tension
• Toned abdominal organs
• Improved digestion

This pose also quiets and soothes the nervous system. Additionally, it helps prepare the body and mind for deeper yoga poses and introspection.