For everyone who’s ever
sweated and groaned their
way through Virabhadrasana I
(Warrior Pose I), it may come
as no surprise that the pose
was named for an ancient war-
rior, Virabhadra, created by the
god Shiva to exact vengeance
for the loss of his love, Sati.
(Turn to page 47 to read the
whole gory love story.)
Many yogis, especially be-
ginners, feel genuinely em-
battled in Warrior I by its
persistent tug-of-war between
extension and compression,
twist and backbend, internalThere are many
ways to cultivate
quiet strength in
Virabhadrasana I.
Here, teachers
of five yoga
styles reveal
the nuances of
Warrior Pose I.BY HILLARI DOWDLEWarrior
ways
of the
and external rotation, and
strength and flexibility.
In some ways, that may
seem ironic—especially given
that the ideal of yoga is ahimsa,
or nonharming. In other ways,
it makes perfect sense, says
Richard Rosen, a contributing
editor to Yoga Journal and a
longtime yoga teacher in the
Bay Area. “The yogi is really a
warrior against his own igno-
rance,” he says. “Warrior I is
about rising out of your own
limitations.”
When viewed this way, the
pose is about the triumph of
the spirit, a universal theme inyoga. Take Warrior I with un-
derstanding and intention, and
you are a warrior, ready to fight
the good fight.
Like much of asana, the
pose comes in many variations.
Though the details differ from
style to style and yoga class to
yoga class, the energy remains
the same. Here, five celebrated
teachers from different tradi-
tions share their own instruc-
tions and insights to help you
deepen your understanding
of the pose so that you can ac-
cess the power of the warrior
within you.PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNE HAMERSKY