Congratulations on making it through the food, festivities, and parties of past few months! Now we are finding 2015 here and wanting to kick it off strong with fresh starts and new beginnings. If strength is what you are looking for, then this is the pose to begin this New Year with Warrior One. It is a challenging pose that will build strength and balance, if done on regular basis. You will begin to see tone and shape start to develop in your legs and glutes (and who doesn’t want that, right?).
As always, if you have any questions or if there is a specific pose you would like to see next, drop me a message. Thank you for including PRIMEWomen in your New Year and I will see ya’ll back in February!
Warrior I – Virabhadrasana I
Benefits:
Strengthens the legs, opens the chest and shoulders
Instructions:
1. From Downward Facing Dog, bring the right foot forward next to the right hand.
2. Pivot on the ball of the left foot and drop the left heel on to the floor with the toes turned out about 45 degrees from the heel.
3. Bend the right knee directly over the right ankle, so that your thigh is parallel to the floor.
4. Draw the right hip back and the left hip forward, so that the hips are squared to the front.
5. Bring the arms out to the side and up.
6. With your arms overhead, gently touch your palms together. Keep your shoulders pressing away from your ears. Then, turn your head and look up toward your hands.
7. Slide the shoulder blades down the back.
Repeat on the left side.
Beginners:
1. Step the left foot out toward the left side of the mat a bit to allow more room for the hips to square.
2. Place your hands on your hip bones so that you can feel whether they are squared forward.
3. Draw the right hip back and the left hip forward.
4. When you bring your arms up, keep them shoulder’s distance apart if that is more comfortable
Advanced:
1. Make sure the right knee stays directly over the right ankle.
2. Ground down the outer edge of the left foot while lifting the inner arch of that foot. Really engage the quadriceps.
3. Hold the pose for ten breaths.
Contraindications and Cautions:
* High blood pressure
* Heart problems
* Students with shoulder problems should keep their raised arms parallel (or slightly wider than parallel) to each other.
* Students with neck problems should keep their head in a neutral position and not look up at the hands.
Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga.
Have any questions about yoga and its poses? Email us and we might feature them in a future article!
