Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) is a wide standing lunge where your hips and chest open toward the long side of the mat and your arms reach out front and back. It works both legs and teaches you to keep the front knee stacked over the ankle while your torso stays tall over your pelvis. It is not a backbend and not a lean: your shoulders stay over your hips.
Wide stance, open hips
Stand facing the long side of the mat, hands on hips, and step your feet wide. A good width: stretch your arms out from the shoulders and set your ankles roughly under your wrists.
a wide base, weight even on both feet.
Turn your front foot out to point at the front of the mat. Angle your back toes in slightly (a small turn, up to about 45 degrees) and press the outer edge of the back foot down.
the back foot grounded, not rolling onto its inner edge.
Let your hips and chest face the long side of the mat, but only as far as your front knee can stay in line with the foot. Most people can't turn the front thigh out a full 90 degrees, so a slightly angled pelvis is normal.
Front knee over ankle
Keep your back leg straight and strong, then bend your front knee until it is stacked over the ankle, shin vertical or close to it. The knee should not move in front of the ankle.
both legs working, not only the front thigh.
Keep the front knee in line with the middle of the foot. If it drifts toward the big-toe side, guide it back toward the little-toe side by firming the outer hip.
Bend only as deep as feels comfortable. A thigh parallel to the floor (about 90 degrees at the knee) is the classic picture, but it isn't essential. If you want more depth, lengthen the stance rather than pushing the knee past the ankle.
Upright torso, arms out
Stack your shoulders over your hips and the crown of your head over your pelvis. Don't reach or lean toward the front leg; your back wrist stays over the back ankle.
the pelvis settling into the legs while the upper body rises out of it.
Reach your arms straight out from the shoulders at about shoulder height, palms down, fingers in line with your feet. Keep the shoulders relaxed away from the ears.
a long reach in both directions, shoulder blades settled.
Turn your head and look past your front fingertips. Hold 5–10 steady breaths. To come out, press through the feet, straighten the front leg, turn the feet parallel and switch sides.
Feel it
Rooted and wide, with both legs sharing the work: the front knee stacked over the ankle and the back leg straight with its outer edge pressing down. Your torso feels tall and centred between your feet, and your arms reach long in both directions without lifting your shoulders. If your front thigh does all the work, or you feel pulled toward the front foot, re-centre and press into the back heel.
Fix-its
- Your front knee caves inward toward the big toe Guide the knee toward the little-toe side by firming the outer hip, and turn the pelvis less so the knee can stay over the foot.
- Your front knee moves past the ankle Bend a little less or step the feet wider until the shin is vertical again.
- You lean toward the front leg ("running warrior") Shift back to centre: shoulders over hips, back wrist over back ankle.
- Your back leg goes soft and the front thigh does all the work Straighten the back leg and press through the back heel and the outer edge of the back foot.
- Your shoulders creep up or your chest collapses forward Relax the shoulders away from the ears and lift the chest. If the shoulders are tight or sore, keep your hands on your hips.
Drill
- Hands-on-hips stance: set the feet, straight back leg and front knee over the ankle with your hands on your hips. Hold 5 breaths each side before adding the arms.
- Chair version: sit on the edge of a chair and move your thighs into the Warrior II leg shape, hands on hips or arms out. Use it to learn the knee-over-ankle position without holding your full weight.
- Block at the wall: set a block between your front shin and a wall so the knee can't slide past the ankle while you hold the pose.
- Full pose: arms out, gaze over the front fingertips, hold 5–10 breaths each side, checking knee over ankle and shoulders over hips.
- Safety: with a hamstring or groin injury, a hip injury or a hip replacement, avoid or modify this pose and check with your clinician or teacher first.
Sources
- Yoga Journal — Warrior II Pose (Natasha Rizopoulos; anatomy by Ray Long, MD)
- YogaUOnline — How to Do Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana 2)
- ACE — 5 Yoga Poses to Strengthen the Shoulders (Shoshana Hebshi, RYT-200, 2016)
- Yoga International — The Five Most Common Alignment Mistakes in Warrior II (Rachel Scott)
- Whissell et al. — Biomechanical Characteristics on the Lower Extremity of Three Typical Yoga Manoeuvres, Applied Bionics and Biomechanics (2021)
Last checked 2026-10-26.