The second of the Warrior Poses, Warrior 2, is one of my favorite standing poses. This powerful pose encourages feelings of strength and action in the body, bringing the practitioner the courage and confidence to face their fears.
How to do it-
Come into Tadasana.
Step your right foot behind you, about 4 or 5 feet, and turn your feet parallel to each other.
Turn your right foot to point to the back of the mat, and turn your left foot in slightly.
Make sure your hips are open to the long side of the mat.
Bend your right leg into a right angle, aiming towards having the knee in line with the ankle (but not over the ankle).
Raise the arms to shoulder height and look towards the middle finger of your right hand, palms facing down.
Stay in Warrior 2 for 5 breaths.
Repeat on the other side.
Things to think about in Warrior 2-
Try and bring equal weight on both feet. We have the tendency to bring the weight forward onto the front foot in this pose. Instead, focus on pressing down with the outer edge of your back foot (the little toe side). And from there, try and find an equilibrium. Ground down actively. As you root down, feel yourself be able to rise up.
Imagine someone is pulling on both of your hands, in opposite directions. Create a strong line of energy spanning from one hand to the other.
Bring your torso back to the mid-line. It has the tendency to want to follow the front arm as it reaches forwards.
Try not to collapse the arches of the feet.
Benefits-
Expands and opens the chest and shoulders.
Stimulates the internal organs.
Strengthens the legs.
Stretches the ankles, groins, thighs and shoulders.
Improves balance and core awareness.
Relieves back ache.
Increases stamina and endurance.
Contraindications-
Avoid practicing this pose if you have a medical condition that affects your balance.
Practice with caution if you have high blood pressure.
If you have neck problems, instead of turning the neck to gaze over your front hand, keep your head looking forward over the chest.
