Benefits of Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose) and How to Do it By Dr. Himani Bisht

Introduction

In the current situation, every individual aspires to stay healthy by overcoming physiological and psychological challenges. Yoga has become a popular intervention for the same for all age groups. It has been regarded as a union of mind and soul that brings balance and promote healing of the body. The traditional practice of yoga includes stretching and holding the pose (asanas) for a few seconds along with focusing on breathing. These asanas tone the body and give the mental power for further exercise. One such usual form of yoga asana is Virabhadrasana which provides stamina and balance to the body.^1,2,

What is Virabhadrasana?

Virabhadrasana is also known as the warrior pose. The term Virabhadrasana is composed of three words: Vira which means courageous, warrior or vigorous; Badra means auspicious or good, while asana refers to posture. Warrior pose is a standing yoga that provides strength to the shoulders, arms, thighs, and muscles of the back. ⁴  

Types of Virabhadrasana:

Depending on the alignment of the body virabhadrasana is categorized into three types¹ namely, Virabhadrasana I, Virabhadrasana II, and Virabhadrasana III. 

• Virabhadrasana I: The knee of the front limb is directly above the ankle of the front limb and the back limb is kept straight with arms straight towards the sky. 
• Virabhadrasana II:  Place the front limb toes in the right direction with the front heel with the back foot arch. Slowly bend the knee over the ankle.  Expand the right-hand front and left-hand backside. The hips are placed down and the head up to lengthen the spine.  
• Virabhadrasana III:  All of the body weight on one leg; back limb raised parallel to the ground; arms, head, trunk, hip and raised back limb in a straight line parallel to the ground. 

Based on my experience, I highly recommend incorporating Virabhadrasana into your daily routine. Not just for desk jobs, it is proven highly beneficial for athletes involved in gymnastics, archery and shooting. The warrior poses, Virabhadrasana serve to help you achieve equilibrium. Additionally, yoga helps retain the core strength and alignment needed for gymnastics, archery, and shooting.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

How To Do It?

Virabhadrasana should be performed with proper techniques in the presence of a yoga trainer to avoid discomfort and pressure. Some of the preparatory poses for virabhadrasana are Gomukhasana (cow face yoga), Adho Mukha Savasana (Downward dog pose), Virasana (Hero pose), Trikonasana (Triangle pose), Padottanasana (Wide stance forward pose), Supta virasana (Front opening pose), Vrksasana (Tree pose), Supta Baddha konasana (Butterfly pose), Supta padangusthasana (Reclining head to big toe pose).⁴  

Virabhadrasana I

The steps to practice Virabhadrasana I are: 

1. Take a Tadasana pose (Mountain pose). Separate the legs from a distance of at least 3 to 4 feet with one exhalation. 
2. Raise your arms parallel to the ground and perpendicular to one another. Draw the scapulae toward the hip bone by pressing firmly into the back. 
3. Rotate your right foot 90 degrees to the right while rotating your left foot 45 to 60 degrees to the right.  
4. Right, and left heels should be in line. Exhale as you rotate your torso to the right, trying to keep the front edge of the mat as close to your pelvis as you can. 
5. Exhale, bending the right knee above the right ankle to bring the body into a perpendicular position with the floor. 
6. Lift the ribs away from the pelvis with a forceful reach from the pelvis. You will experience a lift in the back leg, chest, belly, and arms when you land on your back foot. 
7. Bring the palms together if you can. Reach up a little via the pinky sides of the hands with the palms spread apart. 
8. Stay there for 30 to 60 seconds. Exhaling, straighten the right knee while reaching the arms and pressing the back heel firmly into the floor to stand up. 
9. While breathing, rotate the legs forward and relax the arms, or keep them raised for a harder task. 
10. After taking a few deep breaths, bend your legs to the left and repeat for the same amount of time. Return to Tadasana after completing this asana. 

Virabhadrasana II

1. Start with Tadasana’s position  
2. Keep your shoulders down and your neck long as you raise your arms so that they are parallel to the floor. Exhale and flex your right knee, keeping it above your ankle. To achieve stability in the pose, if necessary, shift your feet and legs just a little bit. 
3. The right floor should be your destination when you lower the top of your thigh. To balance that motion, lower yourself via your big toe. 
4. Hold this position for five breaths. As you inhale, press into your feet and straighten your legs to exit the stance. Change the direction of your feet, then repeat on the opposite side. 

Virabhadrasana III

1. Keep all the weight on one leg and keep straight 
2. Lean forward and bring your arms forward.  
3. Lift your left leg parallel to the ground or floor. 
4. Make sure that your arms, shoulders, body, and left leg are in straight alignment. 
5. Hold the position for some time, exhale and come back to the original position and repeat with the other leg.¹ 

I read research suggesting the practice of Virabhadrasana may be an excellent weapon against hypothyroidism. Regularly practising this warrior pose may provide several benefits for hypothyroid patients, such as reducing anxiety and inspiring confidence and willpower.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Do You Know?

It is interesting to know that Virabhadrasana is named after Virabhadra, a fierce warrior in Hindu mythology. Virabhadra is lord Shiva’s incarnation. The stories of Virabhadra and lord Shiva are found in the Upanishads and add great value to the meaning of life.⁴ 

Virabhadrasana is one of the few asanas that can be performed with partners. It is important to have two partners of similar height and a thick pole to perform it as a partner’s asana. The pole will hold by your partner above the head, and you should try to hold it with your raised hands until your arms are extended, and you feel that your trunk and your legs are hanging. ⁴ 

Benefits of Virabhadrasana

Virabhadrasana exhibit several health benefits: 

1. Benefits of Virabhadrasana in Osteoarthritis

Bukowski et al., 2007 conducted a study on humans and was approved by the review board of Richard Stockton college of new jersey, USA. The yoga session consists of 14 asanas including virabhadrasana performed for 5 min for six weeks. The result suggested an improvement in the strength and flexibility of the patients suffering from osteoarthritis when compared to the patients in the no-exercise group. The patients with no exercise demonstrated no changes or decreases in pain and function. Therefore, Virabhadrasana may benefit patients suffering from osteoarthiritis.³     

2. Benefits of Virabhadrasana in Musculoskeletal Problems

Virabhadrasana may also help people having musculoskeletal problems. A weak hamstring can cause repeated injuries or strain in the hamstring and may stiffen the lower back. Virabhadrasana III may help in strengthening the back, calves, hamstrings, and shoulders along with toning abdominal muscles, which may help in dealing with musculoskeletal-related problems. Virabhadrasana I may help patients with Chondromalacia patellae (a condition that leads to softening or breakdown of cartilage under the kneecap) by strengthening the muscles forming the quadriceps (vastus medialis).¹ 

3. Benefits of Virabhadrasana to Singers

Virabhadrasana may exert pressure on the abdominal muscles which gives more energy to raise the rib and may help singers. This pressure may also expand the superior and largest muscle in the chest wall (pectoralis major and pectoralis minor which are located below the pectoralis major). This expansion is experienced when arms are raised towards the sky or out sideways allowing a new breath that may help new singers to sing long phrases without collapsing their breath.⁵ 

4. Benefits of Virabhadrasana in Physiological Responses

A study evaluated the changes in the physiological responses of the human body while performing virabhadrasana. These physiological responses include heart rate, oxygen uptake and blood pressure. A significant rise may observe in the physiological response of the individuals performing Virabhadrasana. This study suggested that virabhadrasana may be beneficial to patients suffering from low blood pressure.⁶ 

Other Benefits of Virabhadrasana Include:

• It may strengthen the arms, shoulders, and legs 
• It might maintain balance in the body 
• It may help people have desk jobs 
• It may increase stamina 
• It may increase muscle endurance 
• It may relieve tension ^4,5 

However, more research is required to prove these claims. 

Yoga practice may help develop the mind and body; however, it is still not an alternative to modern medicine. You must not rely on yoga alone to treat any condition. Please consult a qualified doctor who will be able to assess your condition correctly and advise accordingly. Moreover, it is necessary to practice and learn yoga under the supervision of a trained yoga teacher to avoid any injuries.  

Risks of Exercise

Virabhadrasana should be performed in presence of a trained yoga practitioner. Some of the contraindications related to Virabhadrasana are⁴ 

• People with knee pain or arthritis should perform the warrior pose with support. 
• Avoid performing virabhadrasana if you have high blood pressure.⁶ 
• Virabhadrasana should not be performed by patients suffering from diarrhoea. 
• Avoid the warrior pose if you are diagnosed with heart-related diseases. 
• Pregnant ladies should avoid virabhadrasana if they are not practising yoga regularly. 
• People suffering from neck-related problems should keep their heads in a neutral position and avoid tilting. 
• Patients with osteoporosis of the hips should avoid the warrior pose.¹ 

Conclusion

Yoga offers various benefits in strengthening and functioning the body as an alternative to standard exercises. Virabhadrasana and its types can be considered by clinicians as an effective modality for improving mental and emotional health and decreasing exhaustion and stress levels.  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References:

1. Liu AM, Chu IH, Lin HT, Liang JM, Hsu HT, Wu WL. Training benefits and injury risks of standing yoga applied in musculoskeletal problems: lower limb biomechanical analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021 Aug 9;18(16):8402. Available from: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8402  

2. Lindahl E, Tilton K, Eickholt N, Ferguson-Stegall L. Yoga reduces perceived stress and exhaustion levels in healthy elderly individuals. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2016 Aug 1;24:50-6. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S174438811630038X  

3. Liu AM, Chu IH, Lin HT, Liang JM, Hsu HT, Wu WL. Training benefits and injury risks of standing yoga applied in musculoskeletal problems: lower limb biomechanical analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021 Aug 9;18(16):8402. Available form: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/16/8402. 

4. Gangwal J, Chaudhary S, Sharma D, Jajoriya K. Importance of Virabhadrasana-I in day to day life. Available from: https://scholar.google.co.in/scholar?cluster=3139578016015387946&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5 . 

5. Hutton, C., Rogers, R. and Doan, J. Benefits of yoga pranayama, asana, and meditation techniques for classically trained singers and voice educators (Doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University), 2014. Available from:  https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/79572695.pdf  

6. Blank SE. PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO IYENGAR YOGA PERFORMED BY TRAINED PRACTITIONERS. Journal of exercise physiology online. 2006 Feb 1;9(1). Available from: https://web.p.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=10979751&AN=20499719&h=7e8%2fM0T3GP07AMqlPWVIoe0I9FTGmZyutRHRsAbopmzcs4tD6DxxAEx6ajehKb9%2fb3GW%2f2QLeTz2HYDeGZaULg%3d%3d&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&resultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d10979751%26AN%3d20499719  

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