Notes
In warrior I, warrior II (page 100), and other lunging poses, the weight of the body (in
relationship to gravity) creates the flexion at the knee and hip of the front leg—the muscles
of the front leg are eccentrically contracting, which means they are active as they lengthen
to keep from moving too far into flexion.
The abductors in the front leg also need to be active eccentrically to level and orient
the pelvis to the front leg and to maintain balance. If they shorten they can pull the front
knee too far to the side or twist the pelvis out of alignment.
In general, muscles become fatigued more quickly when they are close to their maximum
working length, so it can take some time to build stamina in these positions.
Many different things are said about the amount of external or internal rotation of the
back leg in warrior I. What is consistently true is that the back leg is extended and to some
degree adducted (in comparison to warrior II, where the back leg is extended and abducted).
We suggest that the back leg be organized from the spiral of the foot upward, and that
the bones of the foreleg, thigh, and pelvis orient themselves to create a clear pathway from
foot to spine. If the back leg is organized in this
way, the amount of internal or external rotation
in the hip joint varies from person to person, but
the joint spaces can be balanced and the back leg
is a strong support for the weight of the torso.
This also takes some of the effort of this position
from the front leg.
In the back foot, the subtalar joint and the
joints between the tarsals and metatarsals need
to articulate so that the back part of the foot
supinates so the calcaneus can clearly connect
to the floor and the forefoot pronates so the
toes can clearly connect to the floor. If the foot
doesn’t articulate in this way, the outer ankle can
be overmobilized and weakened.
The amount of rotation needed in the spine
depends on how articulate the SI joints and hip
joints are—the less mobile the lower limbs are,
the more rotation is needed in the spine to orient
the chest forward.
Breathing
The lower body needs to be both articulate and
strong to provide enough support (sthira) for the
breath to move freely in the upper body (sukha).
The various challenges of the lunging position in
these warrior poses create interesting parameters
for exploring the breath mechanics. E5267/Kaminoff/fig6.19/417645/alw/pulled-r1
Wide base of support provides
for easier balance.Virabhadrasana I (continued)