NURTURING Yoga pose of the week: Warrior 3

Steady on your foot


Yoga
Lee Kennedy

This yoga pose, called Warrior 3, promotes the art of concentration with total body awareness.
It helps to remove sciatic, arthritic and rheumatic pains, correct misalignment of the spinal muscles, correct drooping shoulders, expand the chest cavity, increase endurance and improve breathing and stamina.
The whole body is held horizontally on one leg. This pose is suitable for advanced students of yoga, but also can be modified for those needing to improve their overall health.

Warrior 3
Stand in the centre of your mat. Inhale and step, walk or jump the feet wide. Keep your knees lifted and thighs back. Keep your trunk and chest lifted also.

Stage 1 (Warrior 1)

• Turn the right foot about 90 degrees to the right and the left foot in about 60 degrees, keeping both legs straight.
• Now turn the shoulders, trunk and pelvis to face the right.
• Exhale, keeping the left leg straight and firm, bend the right knee, bringing the thigh parallel to the floor. Your front knee should be directly over the ankle and heel of your front leg.
• Extend the arms over the head.

Stage 2

• Exhale and extend the trunk and arms forward over the right thigh.
• Move the trunk towards the arms, straighten the right leg and raise the left leg up to be parallel with the floor.
• Stretch the arms and trunk forward and stretch the left leg back.
• The entire body, arms trunk and left leg are parallel to the floor and balanced on the perpendicular right leg.
• Hold for 3- 5 breaths
• Return by bending the right leg and lowering the left foot to the floor, straighten the trunk up, you are now back to stage 1 (Warrior 1).

Rest and repeat stage 1 and 2, for the same length, on the other side.

If the body feels heavy and you find balancing difficult, or if you are pregnant, stage 2 can be practiced with the finger tips touching the wall.
Anyone suffering from high blood pressure, or anyone who has suffered a recent injury to the legs, hips, knees, or back, should to consult with a yoga teacher before trying this pose.

Lee Kennedy qualified with The BKS Iyengar Yoga Association UK, the YTTC and Ana Forrest of Forrest Yoga. She specialises in pregnancy-related yoga and also studied with Janet Balaskas, founder of the Active Birth Foundation, UK. Visit Yogadara.com or call 0863906343 for more information.