Balance and core strength are the main players in this pose. Warrior III Pose is challenging, strengthening and rewarding. You will feel the benefits of this pose inside and out each time you practice it.
Warrior III Pose (Virabhadrasana III) with Airplane Arms
- Stand in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with your feed hip-width distance apart.
- Shift your weight into your left leg and root down into the ball mound and heel of your left foot. Wiggle your left toes to ensure your weight is distributed toward your heel.
- Firm your standing leg, lift your knee cap up to engage your quadriceps muscles.
- Engage your abdominals by drawing your belly button toward your spine.
- Tuck your tailbone toward your heels.
- Inhale, single leg Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Lift your right high and bend your right knee to bring it in line with your right hip.
- Sweep your arms overhead and spin your palms to face each other.
- Flex your right foot.
- Hold and breathe.
- Take your gaze straight ahead and find a drishti.
- Bring your hands on your hips to manually level them – your right hip (the hip of the lifted leg) tends to go higher than your standing hip.
- Continue to engage your abdominals and core muscles to keep your right leg lifted.
- Inhale, bring your arms back overhead.
- Face your palms toward your midline and soften your shoulder blades down your back.
- Exhale, hinge forward from your hips and bring your right leg and both arms back behind you.
- Lead with your chest and hug your shoulder blades together.
- Straighten out your right leg, actively pressing through your right heel.
- Rotate your right toes toward the ground to avoid external rotation in your hips.
- Airplane your arms by spinning your palms down toward the Earth – bring your thumbs out (away from your body) and your pinkies in (toward your body).
- Take your gaze down.
- Energetically pull your fingertips toward your lifted heel and extend the crown of your head toward the front of your mat. Feel the opposing movements working together to stabilize you in this posture.
- Hold and breathe for 3 to 5 rounds of breath
- To transition out of this pose, hinge from your hips and come back into Mountain Pose – with control, bring your lifted leg back down to meet your standing leg and and sweep your arms overhead.
- For a more advanced transition, move from Warrior III Airplane into Crescent Lunge Pose with Airplane Arms.
- Repeat on the other side.
Body
- Strengthens ankles, glutes, feet, legs, arms and back.
- Lengthens spine.
- Improves posture.
- Tones abdominal muscles.
Mind
Warrior III Pose increases focus and concentration by challenging balance. This pose also builds confidence and greater awareness, as it brings your attention inward and into the present moment.
Chakra
Warrior III Pose stimulates your root chakra (also known as Muladhara). This is the first of 7 main chakras in the energetic body, located at the base of your spine. The color of this chakra is red. This chakra represents our most basic need for home, stability, safety, and connectedness. When you connect with your root chakra through Warrior III Pose, you feel grounded, calm, stable and restored.
Spirit
Warrior III Pose connects us with the Earth and helps us to ground down. At this same time, this pose increases our heart rate and illuminates our spirit. With each extended breath, bring your attention inward. Notice the sensations in your body and notice how your mind responds to those sensations. Create distance between your higher self and your thoughts and resist the urge to pass judgment on yourself. As a result, you will feel more centered, energized and present.
Namaste,
Coach Jentry
Gumsaba Fitness Class schedule Monday 1/4/16
5:30AM Sunrise Danville Womens class – Coach Briana – Met Con Monday
5:30AM Sunrise Danville Mens class – Coach Joel – Met Con Monday
6AM Sunup Morga Womens only Class – Coach Michelle – TRX Totals – weather dependant
8:15AM Sunrise Moraga Womens only Class – Coach Michelle & Coach Joel – TRX Totals – weather dependant
9AM Sunshine Walnut Creek Womens only class – Coach Briana – Met Con Monday
9:30 AM Rose Court Private Camp – Coach Jentry – Met Con Monday
11:00AM Cytosport Bodyweight Training – Coach Michelle (private class)
12:00PM Cytosport TRX Foundations – Coach Michelle (private class)
2PM Cytosport Hatha Yoga – Coach Michelle D (private class)