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How To Do Reverse Warrior Tutorial - Viparita Virabhadrasana | MoreYoga

MoreYoga · 2:11

In this practice

Key teachings

  • Balance and stability in standing poses
  • Mindful engagement of the side body
  • Cultivating steadiness and grace through movement
  • Understanding proper alignment for Viparita Virabhadrasana

Ideal for

  • Beginners learning Reverse Warrior
  • Practitioners refining their Reverse Warrior pose
  • Those seeking to improve side body flexibility and strength
  • Individuals wanting to enhance balance and stability

Lesson

Instructions

DAY 23: REVERSE WARRIOR - Viparita Virabhadrasana - strengthens the side of the torso and the waist

Take a moment to balance. Physically, mentally, emotionally, allow yourself time to slow down in Reverse Warrior. Reaching back tests your balance and stability. Consider a different perspective, and prepare yourself to live with steadiness and grace.

Stretches: legs, groin, hips, sides of torso, waist Strengthens: thighs, quadriceps, shoulders, arms

“Reverse Warrior or Viparita Virabhadrasana is a standing yoga pose that stretches the waist and energises the whole body. It’s usually practiced in Vinyasa Flow classes as part of a “Dancing Warrior” sequence that moves from Warrior 1 to Warrior 2, then directly into Reverse Warrior.”

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Steps

  • Viparita Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior) breakdown
  • Warrior II leg foundation and alignment
  • Controlled side bending and arm extension
  • Activating inner thighs and pressing through the back foot

Benefits

  • Stretches legs, groin, hips, and sides of torso
  • Strengthens thighs, quadriceps, shoulders, and arms
  • Improves balance and stability
  • Energizes the whole body
  • Promotes a sense of steadiness and grace

Transcript

hi guys welcome my name is anna de souza and we're going to look at reverse warrior so reverse warrior is warrior two legs and then a side bend so let's open our legs quite wide again heel to hit alignment if you want if you don't like heel to heel alignment you can just kind of do a bit of what you think it works on your body writers are going to be pointing forward you can bring that back heel slightly on an angle and your right knee is going to bend over the ankle just make sure your inner thighs are active you're pressing through the outer edge of your back foot and you're feeling that right thigh really utterly rotating let's bring start with the arms out on a t-shape and then we're going to flip the right palm we're going to start taking the right arm to reach up and then slightly back but the action is more up than back yeah it's not this it's kind of more like a lift and then a lengthening and your left hand can come to the back of your left leg something that happens when we come to reverse work is that our leg extends slightly because that's what you want to do you just want to drop the weight this side so make sure you're bending that right knee and then there's some sort of activation on the left side of your body again no jumping lengthening so feeling that lovely stretch on the right hand side and then we'll take it to the other side we left us pointing forward left knee went over the ankle right heel a bit on an angle and then we flipped the left bum and again we reach up up up up up up up and then a bit back and the right hand comes to the back of your right leg don't forget about your legs keep your thighs active keep bending through that left knee feel that extension on the left hand side of your rib cage without compromising the right and then back to center that is your reverse warrior hope you found that helpful questions comments down below and i'll see you on the next one thank you you

Practice summary

Level
all levels
Duration
3 minutes
Equipment
yoga mat
Target areas
LegsHipsGroinSide body (torso, waist)ShouldersArmsThighsQuadriceps
Energy
energizing

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