Welcome to yoga workshop Fridays! Don’t know what I am talking about, check out this post.

This series will be each Friday explaining how to do a particular pose leading up to a peak pose on the last Friday of the month. Throughout this series, I ask that you listen to your body to prevent injury and warm up for a pose when needed.

Disclaimer: Though I am a certified yoga instructor, please consult your doctor before you begin practice and note that everyone’s practice may look a bit different as you align the pose to your body.

Are you ready for another balancing pose? I will give you a hint that next week’s peak pose is also challenging for your balance, so that is why we are preparing today with warrior 3. Warrior 3 or Virabhadrasana III as it is known in sandskrit, is another challenging pose for me. I have tight hamstrings so it can be hard for me to get that back leg parallel with the ground. I really do love the challenge of standing balance poses though. I recommend warming up with a few sun salutations and a round of warrior 2.   

How to do the pose:

Begin standing, feet hip distance apart. Bring your hands to heart center to start. Put your weight into your left foot and slowly raise the right leg up and back. Keep the hips level and square with the front of your mat. Flex the back toes towards the ground. Both legs are straight. If you feel steady, you can begin to extend your arms out in front of you, thumbs pointing up. Hold here for a few breaths. Then switch to the other side.

You will notice in my photos of warrior 3 I can work on straightening my legs further. Remember you do not have to be perfect at a pose, but do keep those hips level. This may mean your lifted leg lowers a bit and that is OK. With practice, you will be able to work on lifting it higher. 

Tips:

If you are struggling with your balance, you can go by a wall. Place your hands flat against the wall and walk them down the wall, while walking your feet back until you form an ‘L’ with your body. Then putting the weight into one foot, lift and extend the other leg behind you, flexing the toes of the lifted foot and checking that your hips are level (the hip of the lifted leg tends to rise). Working with the wall will help you check your form and maybe even work deeper into the pose.  

Benefits:

• Improves your balance and posture
• Strengthens your back and shoulders
• Strengthens ankles
• Strengthens the core muscles

 

Share your pose on Instagram, tagging @bridgesthroughlife and hashtags #bridgesthroughlife #yogaworkshopFridays

I hope you enjoy this series. If you have any suggestions for what poses you would like me to break down, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment or send me an email [email protected]