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curated by Selena Mercandelli and Elena Vitale
and back, tone the ankles and knees and heal neck stiffness. They make the leg muscles well proportioned and stronger, giving them elasticity and tone the back muscles and abdominal organs.
By practicing warriors we acquire balance, harmony, stability and power, but also vigor and agility, improving posture and gait. These positions increase our confidence and self-esteem.
The meaning
According to the Hindu tradition, Virabhadra is the name of a valiant warrior, born from a hair of the god Shiva. The asana is part of the cycle of standing positions and is polar, so it is performed first on one side and then on the other. The warrior is a position that calls to pride and to our inner strength.
When you practice
Virabhadra is a position we take when we want to raise our mood and we want to strengthen our legs, arms and back.
Sequence and repetitions
Position yourself on the mat with your legs spread about one meter apart with your hands in front of your chest in prayer. Take a deep inhale and lift your arms up, extending them well and rotating your forearms inward, keeping your shoulders away from your ears. Rotate to the right, open the toe of the right foot, stretch the left leg well back, checking that the two heels are parallel and the pelvis in front, bend the right knee 90 degrees with the knee in line with the ankle and aligned between the second and the third finger. Keep your left leg extended and active, taking care to keep the left foot rotated at 45 degrees and firmly on the ground. Inhale, raise your arms upwards, exhale lower your pelvis. Continue for five breaths and then inhale straighten your legs and rotate your pelvis towards the center and repeat everything on the other side.
Rotate to the left, open the toe of the left right, extend the right leg well back, checking that the two heels are parallel and the pelvis well front, bend the left knee and keep extended and active the right leg, taking care to keep the foot right rotated at 45 degrees and close to the ground. Inhale, raise your arms upward, exhale lower your pelvis. Continue for five breaths and then inhale straighten your legs, step forward and release the position.
Because it is good
The Warrior One position helps us expand the chest by increasing lung capacity. The muscles of the shoulders, abdomen and hips lengthen, while those of the legs and buttocks are toned. If practiced consistently, it favors the elimination of fat from the hips and waistline.
People with shoulder joint disorders should avoid putting their palms together and keeping their arms raised, apart and parallel. For cervical problems or neck stiffness it is better to keep the head in a neutral position, avoiding looking upwards.
For further information: Warrior Stance Variations 2 which can thus exert a gentle heart massage. It tones the organs of the abdomen and back and develops the chest by the extension it undergoes.The meaning
In Sanskrit "Ut" means to rise upwards and "Kata" means: to squat. This "squatting" position with an "upward extension" is called "the chair", because the body posture refers to the idea of a chair.
When you practice
Utkatasana opens the Ashtanga Yoga Sun Salutation B and can be performed whenever there is a desire to strengthen the leg muscles and work on the buttocks.
Sequence and repetitions
Stand on the mat with your legs slightly apart, starting with Tadasana. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and inhale. As you exhale, flex your knees and lift your arms up. Your shoulders are relaxed and away from your ears, your palms are joined with your thumbs in contact. Inhale and stretch your arms up, then, exhaling, flex even more the legs by performing an anteversion of the pelvis as if you wanted to sit on an imaginary chair. Keep your back straight, your arms extended to either side of your ears, and your thumbs. As you exhale, continue to go down as far as you can with the pelvis, keeping the thighs well pressed against each other. Hold the position for five breaths and then, inhaling, straighten your legs and return to Tadasana.
Because it is good
Utkatasana strengthens the elasticity of the feet and reshapes the plantar arch, toning the muscles and increasing the mobility of the fingers. It works on strengthening the knee joints, and tones the muscles of the thighs, buttocks and perineum. Promotes peristalsis and intestinal regularity and gives health to the reproductive organs and the urogenital system.
Utkatasana is a powerful posture that gives many benefits to the body but has a decisive impact on the joints, if you feel discomfort or pain in the knees, get out of the asana immediately.
If repeated consistently, it promotes weight loss.
We just have to get all on the mat!
This workout is done in partnership with Yogaessential
