Online Yoga Tutorial: Power Up Your Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II

In this free online yoga tutorial, learn how to lengthen the side body in Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) to increase the space between the ribcage and the pelvis and make more room for the diaphragm and the abdominal organs.

The key action in Warrior II involves the combined external rotation of the front thigh and the extension of the back leg. When practiced with correct alignment, this turns Warrior II into a powerful hip opening posture.

With this alignment, Warrior II becomes a powerful preparatory yoga pose for other standing yoga poses that require external rotation of the front thigh, including Triangle pose (Trikonasana), Side Angle Pose (Parsvakonasana), and Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana).

Free Online Yoga Tutorial: Keys to Alignment in Warrior II w/Jasmine Punzalan

Key Alignment Pointers for Warrior II Yoga Pose

    Don’t: Tilt the front of the pelvis forward, which will create compression in the low back.

   Do: Be watchful of the tendency of the knee to collapse inward.

     Do: Keep adjusting (widening) the distance between the legs as the adductor muscles warm up

    Do: Keep bending the front knee more deeply into the pose to get to get to a 90 degree angle.

  Do: Turn your pelvis toward the long side of your mat, but only to the extent that is possible without your front

knee rolling in.

Do: Extend strongly through your back leg.

  Do: Lift up through the side body, lengthening the trunk.

See more of Jasmine’s online yoga videos in the YogaUOnline Practice Channel!