Yoga Anatomy

Virabhadrasana III

Warrior III

veer-ah-bah-DRAHS-anna

Virabhadra = the name of a fierce mythical warrior

E5267/Kaminoff/fig6.24/417652/alw/pulled-r2

Gluteus maximus

Hamstrings

Gastrocnemius

Spinal extensors

Classification

Asymmetrical standing balancing pose

Skeletal joint actions

Spine Upper limbsLower limbs

Standing legLifted leg

Neutral spine or axial

extension

Scapular upward

rotation, abduc-

tion, and elevation;

shoulder abduc-

tion; elbow exten-

sion

SI joint nutation,

hip flexion and

adduction, knee

extension, ankle

dorsiflexion

SI joint counternuta-

tion, neutral hip

extension and

rotation, knee

extension, ankle

dorsiflexion

(continued)