I must confess, this is one of my least favorite postures. I have struggled with it myself and many patients have had difficulty with this pose. But it is an important pose because it is a part of almost any yoga class and when done well, is a great way to improve strength and flexibility of the legs and spine.
Muscles Strengthened: Front leg - quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus maximus and medius, piriformis, soleus, peroneals. Rear leg - quadriceps, gluteus maximus, pectineus, posterior tibialis. Torso - obliques, transverse abdominus, errector spinae. Arms - deltoids, triceps, rotator cuff muscles.
Muscles Stretched: Rear leg - iliacus, psoas, adductors, gastrocnemius.
Points of Body Awareness:
*The front knee is directly above the ankle. Be sure the front knee is not forward or to the inside of the big toe.
*The back hip point (ASIS) moves toward the front of your mat but will not be even with the other side.
*Are your shoulders square to the front of your mat? Be sure they are before raising your hands overhead.
*Is the back heel grounded? If not, try a modification to improve the stability of the posture.
*If the back heel is grounded, note the alignment of the mid-foot. Is the inner arch flat? If so, try to draw it away from the floor, creating space about the size of a robin’s egg. (This engages the posterior tibialis muscle).
*Keep both legs strong, sink the pelvis down while lifting and lengthening the spine.
*Can you comfortably drop the head back, behind the arms and gaze up at the thumbs? If not, keep the hands shoulder-distance apart and lift the gaze toward the ceiling with the ears between the arms.
*Hold for 5 or 6 slow, steady breaths.
To Modify: The more the front hip and knee are bent, the more strength is required to hold the pose. Beginners or those with leg weakness will start with about 45 to 60 degrees of hip and knee flexion and over time, progress closer to right angles.
If you feel wobbly or unbalanced in the pose or if you have discomfort in the back hip or lower back, try using a wider stance. Instead of a heel-heel or heel-arch alignment, let the back foot be closer to the edge of the mat.
If you are unable get the back heel on the ground, use a wedge under the heel. This can be a rolled up mat or small towel. Or try pressing the heel onto a wall behind you.
Do High Lunge or Crescent pose as an alternative to Warrior 1. This is particular useful if there are any injuries of the foot, ankle, knee or hip of the back leg.
To Challenge: If you are able to hold this posture with the front thigh parallel to the floor, make sure that all the subtle aspects of the pose are working. Engage the bandhas. Be mindful of your foot posture. In the front foot, try to spread the toes and keep the ball of the big toe grounded as you lift up through the inner arch. In the back foot, ground the outer edge of the heel and lift the arch without drawing that side of the pelvis back. Lift the sternum and lengthen the collar bones while at the same time, draw the lower ribs down and in and keep the tops of the shoulders relaxed away from the ears. That’s a lot to think about for one pose but ‘advanced’ yoga asana is often more about mastery of alignment, the breath and the focus of the mind.
PT Notes: Patient with foot/ankle injuries, SIJ injuries, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis or hip injuries should use caution with Warrior I. The rear hip is in a position of end-range extension and it is combined with adduction (narrow stance) and active internal rotation. I typically have patients practice High Lunge instead of Warrior I, until they achieve the strength and flexibility necessary to perform Warrior I properly and without symptoms.
See Warrior II for notes about doing this pose with foot/ankle injuries.
Recent Revelation: This pose is a backbend. Many yogis (including myself until recently) try to maintain a neutral lumbar spine in this pose. I used to feel very uncomfortable in the front of the hip and/or the SI joint of the back leg, especially when cued to further extend the knee. In her latest book, Judith Lasater suggests that you lift the sacrum rather than ‘tucking’ it, allowing for more extension in the lumbo-sacral spine. Once I tried this, I was much more comfortable and able to find more strength in my rear leg.
Top image from Yoga Art+Science.
Photo of Modified Warrior I from 'Yoga & Physical Therapy Workshop' that I taught in Lima, Peru in April, 2006.
