Building Blocks

Below are variations of Virabhadrasana I and II, using a block.  The block and the variations are used to help isolate certain actions  within each pose to help you build a deeper understanding of each pose as it is broken down.   Come to my classes this week if you would like a deeper understanding of these asanas.

Putting your knee against a block against the wall in Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) is a helpful way to teach yourself to keep the front knee stable.  It tends to want to turn in.  Try to keep the knee aligned with the second or third toe of your foot as you bend it forward. As the same time, the back knee turns out to face over the second or third toe of the back foot. It feels like you are turning both knees away from each other in the pose.  As the front knee turns out, scoop the buttocks of the front leg forward.  As the back knee turns out, press the buttocks of the back leg backwards and make sure the center of your inner thigh lines up with the center of your groin.  Keep your navel pulled in and your chest lifted.  

Press into the outside edge of your back foot and push the front knee into the block at the same time, so that you are moving in two directions at once, opening up horizontally.

As the front knee presses into the wall, pull your navel in and away from the front thigh and turn it towards the back leg.  Bringing the torso to face straight ahead.  Relax the shoulders and extend evenly from the center of your breastbone towards both sets of fingertips.  

There are plenty of other actions to focus on in this pose, but this helps with the horizontal extension.

The front knee against a block against a wall is also helpful to learn some key actions in Virabhadrasana I.  Pressing the front knee into the wall helps to emphasize the rebound action of then pulling your navel away from the wall and lifting it up towards the ceiling.  The block also helps to provide stability as you press into the outside of edge of the back foot and rotate the back inner thigh in towards the midline.  The back hip (in this picture the right hip) moves forward as the front hip (left in the picture) moves back.  With the steadiness the block provides, you can focus your energy on lifting the arms and the chest upwards away from the pelvis.