Alignment Tips: Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana III)

Warrior 3, or Virabhadrasana III as it’s known in Sanskrit, is an intermediate balancing pose that builds stability throughout the entire body while enhancing mental focus. 

What are the benefits of Warrior 3 pose?

As with any balancing pose, practicing Warrior 3 will cultivate your own innate power by building inner and outer strength, stability, and concentration. Warrior 3 is unique in that you must keep your torso, arms, and lifted leg parallel to the floor which means you are working against gravity to keep from folding over your standing leg. Your entire posterior chain (muscles of the backside of your body) actively work to keep you in this challenging warrior posture. 

Warrior 3 strengthens the entire backside of the body, including the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, ankles, and back. It also tones and strengthens the abdominal muscles and core, while simultaneously improving your balance, posture, and coordination. That’s a lot of bang for your buck with one pose!

Developing the concentration necessary to hold Warrior 3 for several breath cycles will help you cultivate the ability to keep your mind calm and focused when faced with challenges off the yoga mat. The fundamental purpose of yoga is to foster harmony in the mind, body, and environment and we think Warrior 3 is a great posture for tapping into this power!

How to hold this pose

• Step 1
  Begin in a lunge with your front knee bent, your back leg straight and your back heel lifted (Crescent Lunge Pose). Your hips and chest should be squared to the front of the mat. 
• Step 2
  Bring your hands to your heart, with palms pressed against each other in a prayer position. Lean forward straightening your front leg and extending your back leg so that it’s straight back, even with your hips. Keep your foot flexed and your gaze downward.
• Step 3
  Make sure your standing leg is strong and straight, but not locked at the knee. Reach your arms forward so your body forms a “T” shape. 
• Step 4
  Hold for 3-5 breaths and then slowly release into a lunge by bending your standing leg and lowering your lifted leg back to the ground so you return to your starting position. Repeat on the other side. 

If you are new to yoga, familiarize yourself with Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 postures as they are common poses included in many classes and can help you build the strength and focus required to master Warrior 3.

Want more alignment tips with demonstrations on how it’s done? Grab our Yoga Alignment course for just $10 and learn about 19 of the most commonly seen poses and how you can adjust your alignment in them.