Category: Standing
Level: beginner
Hold: 5–10 breaths
Type: Asana
Breath: Even, steady breaths; exhale to settle deeper into the front leg.

Warrior II

Virabhadrasana II — "warrior posture, second variation"

A wide, grounded stance with arms stretched in opposite directions and gaze over the front hand. Warrior II is the home base of most standing sequences.

Step by step

1Step your feet wide apart, about one leg's length.
2Turn your right foot out 90 degrees and your left toes slightly in.
3Line up your front heel roughly with the arch of your back foot.
4Bend your right knee over the ankle, thigh working toward parallel with the floor.
5Reach your arms out at shoulder height, palms down, and stack your shoulders over your hips.
6Turn your head to gaze over your right fingertips.
7Press through the outer edge of the back foot and breathe, then switch sides.

Benefits

✓ Strengthens the legs and ankles
✓ Opens the hips and inner thighs
✓ Builds shoulder and arm endurance
✓ Trains steady focus over the front hand

Make it yours

· Shorten the stance to make the pose less demanding.
· Rest your back thigh against a chair seat for support during longer holds.
· Practice with your back against a wall to feel the shoulders stack over the hips.

Take care

Reduce the depth of the knee bend, or shorten the stance, if you have knee trouble.
Lower the arms to your hips if your shoulders fatigue or ache.

This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.

Practiced in

Props that help here

Manduka PRO — The buy-it-once option — dense, stable, famously durable. Heavy, so it lives at home, which is where practice happens anyway. find one
Liforme Original — The grippiest mat we've used, with alignment markers that genuinely help beginners place hands and feet. Priciest of the three. find one

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