# Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): how to do it

- Main muscles: quads, glutes
- Also works: adductors, side delts
- Equipment: yoga mat
- Level: beginner
- 3D demo (side view): https://media.trainaq.com/exercises/warrior_2/112c6bf9e7/side-m-720.mp4

## Steps

1. Step your feet wide apart, about 1.2 m, along the mat.
2. Turn your left foot to point forward and your right foot in slightly; line up the front heel with the back arch.
3. Bend your left knee over your ankle while your right leg stays straight.
4. Raise your arms to shoulder height, palms down, and look past your left fingertips.
5. Hold for 5 breaths, then straighten and repeat on the other side.

## Cues

- Front knee over the ankle, tracking over the middle toes.
- Trunk tall between the legs.
- Reach long through both arms; shoulders soft.

## Common mistakes

- Leaning towards the front leg: lift and centre your chest.
- Front knee caving in: press it towards the little-toe side of the foot.
- Shrugging: let the shoulders drop away from your ears.

## The version in our demo

Virabhadrasana II as Iyengar and Yoga Journal teach it: wide stance, front heel in line with the back arch, front thigh towards parallel, arms level, gaze over the front hand. Shown with the left leg forward; the app tells the client to repeat on the right.

## Starting position

Mountain pose; step the feet wide apart along the mat, about 1.2–1.35 m.

## The position

Turn the front (left) foot to point to the front of the mat and the back foot in slightly. Bend the front knee straight over the ankle, the knee tracking over the middle toes; the back leg stays straight with the outer edge of the back foot pressed down. Hips and chest stay open to the long side of the mat; the trunk is upright and centred, not leaning towards the front leg. Arms reach out at shoulder height, parallel to the mat, palms down, shoulders soft. Turn the head to look past the front fingertips.

## Breathing

Steady breaths; reach out through the fingertips on the in-breath, sink into the legs on the out-breath.

## Tempo

A held pose through one slow breath, 6 s: in-breath 2.5 s, the chest lifts a little and the arms reach about 1 cm longer; out-breath 3.5 s, back. Legs and hips hold still. Real practice: 5 breaths each side.

## Form in numbers

- Back foot turned in to about 80° from the front foot.
- Front knee flexion about 85° (90° with the thigh parallel is the full pose); front shin within 5° of vertical.
- Back knee straight (under 7°).
- Trunk vertical (within 3°); the pelvis between the feet, nearer the front foot (about 60%) because of the bent front knee, the trunk upright over it.
- Arms level (within 3°), elbows straight (under 10°), hands in line with the shoulders.
- Head turned about 75° towards the front hand.

## Sources

1. Yoga Journal pose library, "Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)"
2. B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga (1966), Virabhadrasana II.
3. American Council on Exercise (ACE) exercise library, "Warrior II".

Source: https://trainaq.com/exercises/warrior-2