How to Do Warrior III Pose: 3 Ways to Modify Warrior III

Warrior III pose, or Virabhadrasana III in Sanskrit, is an intermediate to advanced balancing yoga pose. In warrior III, yogis balance on one standing leg while bringing the opposite leg, upper body, and arms perpendicular to the ground. This standing posture promotes balance in both sides of the body, strengthens the legs and abdominal muscles, and helps improve focus and concentration.

You can build your strength, confidence, and balance by adding warrior III to your regular yoga practice. Consider these alignment and posture tips while you are practicing:

1. 1. Stand on all four corners of the foot. Focus on standing on the entire sole of the standing foot without bringing all of your weight into your heel. Putting too much pressure on our heels can adversely affect healthy posture. Warrior III helps yogis lean forward onto the ball of the foot more and equalize weight distribution on the feet.
2. 2. Flex the toes on your lifted leg. To help you keep the lifted leg engaged, flex back the toes of the lifted leg and point them towards the floor.
3. 3. Start with a bent lifted leg. If you struggle with balance, keep the lifted leg bent until you feel more confident balancing on your standing leg. When you can, straighten your lifted leg.
4. 4. Come down as far as you can. If it’s too challenging to make your upper body, arms, and lifted leg parallel to the mat, it’s okay. Do your best and come down as far as you can for now.
5. 5. Square the hips. The lifted leg hip will naturally lift in warrior III. Place your hands on your hips for a moment to feel if they are equal. If your hips are uneven, encourage the lifted hip down, so both face the floor equally. This adjustment will help with balance and total body alignment.

Practicing this asana can empower and leave you feeling harmonized, energized, and strong. People who are pregnant, have a spinal injury, or high blood pressure should not attempt this pose. While experts recommend practicing under the guidance of a certified yoga teacher, here is a step-by-step guide that will show you how to practice warrior III:

1. 1. Start in warrior I on the right side. From mountain pose (Tadasana), enter into warrior I. Face your right toes forward and your left toes toward the left corner of the mat. Place your hands on your hips and adjust your legs. Your hips should face the front of the mat as much as possible in a neutral position. On an inhalation, lift your hands above your head. Roll your shoulder blades back and down and turn your palms in to face each other. Breathing deeply, sink deeper into the front knee, firm up your back leg, and set your gaze directly in front of you. Engage your core to support your lower back and reach the tailbone towards the ground. Open up through the chest and come into a slight backbend. If your neck allows, look up towards your hands. Stay here for a few breaths.
2. 2. Bring your palms together and begin to lean forward. With your arms above your head, bring your palms together and lean your upper body onto your right thigh. Get ready to lift your back leg.
3. 3. Lift the left leg off the floor. On an inhale, keep the entire left leg straight and strong and lift it off the floor behind you. Begin to hinge forward in the upper body.
4. 4. Keep the body, arms, and lifted leg parallel to the floor. As you come down, your arms, upper body, and lifted leg should be parallel to the floor. Engage the abdominal muscles and breathe. Your left hip will naturally lift. Try to square your hips to the floor by consciously pointing it down.
5. 5. Flex the toes, engage the standing legs and arms. Flex the left foot and remember to engage the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles of your standing right leg.
6. 6. Fix your gaze, hold, and breathe. Look directly down, about a foot in front of your right foot, so the back of your neck is a long, natural extension of your spine. Keep your shoulder blades back and down, not up by your ears. Hold here and breathe for five to 15 breaths, re-engaging the limbs when you feel yourself slumping.
7. 7. Lower back down into warrior I. Slowly lower back into warrior I or a high lunge position. From there, stand at the top of your mat in mountain pose and take a few resting breaths.
8. 8. Practice on the other side. Enter warrior I on the left side, and follow the above instructions to practice warrior III to give this side equal attention, time, and energy. Note the difference between both sides of the body without judgment as you are harmonizing your ability to balance on both sides by practicing warrior III.

There are many warrior III modifications that you can practice for further support:

1. 1. Airplane pose arms. Instead of raising your arms overhead, bring them back and down by your sides, palms facing up. Keeping your arms at your side can help you focus on balancing.
2. 2. Hands at heart center. For another arm variation, bring your hands to your heart while performing warrior III. Holding your hands in this position can help you feel centered and calm and allow you to focus more on bringing your upper body down.
3. 3. Use a wall. Stand in front of the wall, at an arms-length distance. Rest your hands on the wall when you bring your upper body down to help with balance. Alternatively, you can face away from the wall with enough room for your leg to lift and gently rest your lifted foot on the wall to also help with balance.

For yogis who want to make warrior III a bit more challenging, here are a few variations to try:

1. 1. Close your eyes. Balancing is much harder with eyes closed. Closing your eyes in warrior III will help you go inside and focus on your breath, challenging your balance and alignment.
2. 2. Hold the pose for longer or practice it multiple times. Hold warrior III for 20–30 seconds, instead of just a few breaths, to build strength. You can also flow in and out of preparatory poses or yoga poses that naturally follow warrior III. Another great way to improve is to practice the pose in multiple rounds on each side. You may notice your strength begin to build after each round.
3. 3. Stand on a block. Stand on a yoga block for another challenge to your balance and equilibrium. You may feel a bit more fear around lifting off while elevated. Work through that safely and slowly.

Proper form and technique are essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of a yoga practice. If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before practicing yoga. Postures may be modified based on your individual needs.

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