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Warrior I

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) is a strong, grounding standing lunge that builds leg strength and opens the hip flexors and chest. The signature challenge is the pelvis: your back hip wants to swing open, but the pose asks your torso and hips to face squarely toward the front.

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Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) is a standing lunge with the back heel down and the arms overhead. It works the legs and asks you to root down through both feet while you lift up through the ribs and arms. Your chest and hips turn toward the front of the mat, but only as far as your back leg allows: a slightly open back hip is normal, and forcing it square can strain the hip, low back and back knee.

Set the stance

1

Stand in Mountain Pose with your hands on your hips and press all four corners of both feet into the mat.

evenly rooted through both feet.

2

Step one foot straight back about one leg's length. Keep your feet about hip-width apart side to side, like two rails, not one tightrope.

a wide enough base that you aren't wobbling.

3

Turn your back foot out about 45 degrees (up to about 60 is fine). Press its outer edge down and keep the back heel on the floor. Press the front foot evenly through the big toe, little toe and heel.

the outer edge of the back foot anchored.

Bend the front knee

4

Keep your back leg straight and strong, then slowly bend your front knee. Stop with the knee directly over your front heel and ankle, not past your toes, pointing straight ahead, not drifting in or out.

the front shin close to vertical, the knee stacked over the heel.

5

Work toward a 90-degree front knee if your stance is long enough. Bend less if your back leg starts to go soft, your back heel lifts, or your low back pinches.

both legs working, not just the front one.

Turn the hips, lift up

6

Turn your hips and chest toward the front of the mat only as far as your back leg allows. Let the back hip stay a little open rather than forcing it square.

the pelvis settled, the back knee untwisted.

7

Let your tailbone lengthen down, draw your lower belly in and up, and lift your ribcage away from your pelvis so your low back stays long, not crunched.

space in the low back, the ribs lifting.

8

Inhale and reach your arms up beside your ears, palms facing each other, elbows straight, shoulders drawing down.

rooting down through the feet, rising up through the arms.

9

Hold for 3–5 slow breaths (about 20–30 seconds). To come out, bring your hands to your hips, step the back foot forward to Mountain Pose, then switch sides.

steady breathing, no gripping.

Feel it

Both feet press down while your ribs and arms lift up. The front knee sits over the front heel and points straight ahead. The back leg stays straight and strong, the back heel stays down, and the back hip sits slightly open. If you have sacroiliac (SI) joint trouble, use a narrower stance. If a joint hurts, ease out of the pose.

Fix-its

  • Your front knee goes past your toes Bend less or step the back foot further back until the knee sits directly over the front heel.
  • Your front knee drifts in or turns out Point the knee straight ahead over the middle of the foot and keep the outer front hip firm.
  • Your back heel lifts Shorten your stance and press the outer edge of the back foot down. Practise with the back heel pressed into a wall.
  • You force your hips square and the back knee twists Let the back hip stay slightly open and turn only as far as the back leg allows. Use a narrower stance if your SI joint complains.
  • Your low back crunches when the arms go up Lengthen your tailbone down, draw the lower belly in, lift the ribs away from the pelvis, and bend the front knee a little less.

Drill

  1. Hands-on-hips stance: set the feet, back heel and front knee with your hands on your hips. Hold 3–5 breaths each side before adding the arms.
  2. Heel-to-wall lunge: stand with the back heel pressed against a wall and the front heel in line with the back arch. Slowly bend the front knee while keeping pressure into the wall and the knee over the heel.
  3. Full pose: add the arms overhead and hold 3–5 slow breaths (about 20–30 seconds) each side, checking knee over heel and back heel down.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-26.

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