Standing
Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III)
Vīrabhadrāsana IIIवीरभद्रासन· veer-ah-bah-DRAH-suh-nuhposture of the warrior Virabhadra (third variation)
Warrior 3 is a standing balance: the body tips forward over one strong standing leg while the other leg extends straight back, forming a 'T' parallel to the floor. It builds balance, focus and full-body strength.
Step by step
- 1
Shift your weight
Stand tall. Step one foot slightly forward and shift your weight onto it, letting the back foot come lightly off the floor. Stay confident and steady.
- 2
Hinge forward
Keeping the standing leg strong, hinge forward from the hips and begin to extend the lifted leg straight behind you.
Breath: Exhale as you tip forward
- 3
Find the T-shape
Bring the torso and back leg roughly parallel to the floor so the body forms a straight line. Reach the arms forward, back alongside the body, or out like wings.
- 4
Level the hips
Keep the hips level (don't let the lifted-leg hip open up) and lengthen from the crown of the head through the lifted heel.
- 5
Release and switch
Hold for a few breaths, then bend the standing knee and step the lifted foot down. Repeat on the other side.
Benefits
- Strengthens the standing leg, ankle, back and core
- Builds balance, concentration and body awareness
- Tones the whole posterior chain
- Improves posture and coordination
Common mistakes
- Letting the lifted-leg hip roll open
- Rounding the back instead of reaching long
- Locking the standing knee
- Rushing into the full T before finding stability
Modifications & variations
- Keep fingertips on a wall or chair back for balance
- Keep the lifted leg lower and the torso higher
- Practise the shift-and-hover step before the full extension
Related poses
Video transcriptIn this session, Yoga & You Teaching Faculty guides you through balancing on one leg and building into full Virabhadrasana III, the final Warrior variation.
Welcome back to another episode with Yoga & You. This is Yoga & You Teaching Faculty, a freelance yoga instructor based in Chennai, and here we are at the Ratlanga Yoga Studio. In the last few episodes we have seen Warrior I and II, and here we are at the final variation, which is Virabhadrasana III.
This posture is going to be a standing posture, of course, and you are going to put your entire body weight onto one leg and then balance through the posture, so let's see how to do that. I'm going to break that down, so let's get onto the mat and see how to do Warrior III.
So begin by standing really tall and nice, maintain your posture, and bring your right leg forward just like this. From here, as you keep your breath really normal, take your weight — basically shift your weight towards your right foot — and your left foot is really slightly off the mat, and slowly you're going to bring your body weight completely onto the right foot. For that you need to really prepare yourself, so don't worry, you're not going to fall down, so be really confident in what you're doing. That's all yoga, so take it really fun, okay.
So from here, bring your body weight completely towards your right leg. It's okay to wobble, it's completely okay to wobble, but make sure you focus at one point, which is really going to help you go into the posture. So from here, shifting your body weight all the way towards your right leg, and slowly extending your back foot really back and bringing your torso straight, and once you're ready, slowly bring your arms all the way up and look down.
So once you are into the posture, just hold it for three, two, one, and then really slowly inhale, bring yourself all the way up, and be gentle. I'm sure you are going to master this posture. Try and switch your legs so that you strengthen both your legs, so make sure you practice this at least once a day. Stay happy and healthy, until next time this is Yoga & You Teaching Faculty signing off. Stay tuned, bye.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I stop wobbling in Warrior 3?
- Fix your gaze on a single still point, press evenly through the standing foot, and engage the core. Using a wall or chair for the fingertips makes it much steadier while you build strength.
- Which muscles does Warrior 3 work?
- It strongly engages the standing leg and glute, the core, and the whole back of the body, while challenging balance and focus.
References
- The Warrior poses are named for Virabhadra, a figure from Hindu mythology. · Classical text — Traditional context for the Virabhadrasana series.