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Note: Consult a doctor before beginning any exercise regime
Pose type: Stretch and Balance
Name: Virabhadrasana III or Warrior III
A wonderful pose for All levels ( see Modifications below for your level)
This posture helps open and activate, your third eye (Ajna) chakra, Heart (Anahata), and Solar Plexus (Manipura), Sacral (Swadisthana), and Root (Muladhara) Chakras.
Benefits
Strengthens the ankles, legs, and shoulders
Tones and increase flexibility in the hamstrings, Psoas, Quads
Improves and balance and posture
Cautions
This pose can be difficult on the the ankle and knee joints. Practice this with care and move slowly with control to avoid dizziness.
To Access this Pose:
1. Start from mountain pose. Inhale lift your arms over head. (You can either have palms face each other or clasp the hands.)
2. Exhale and lift your left leg nice and slow while engaging your core. (pull belly in towards spine.)
Note: If you have knee issues you can keep a slight bend in your base leg.
3. Keep your gaze a on fix point and try to lift your back leg as high as you can while straighten the base leg and stretch your arms forward.
Note: you want to keep your hips squared to the floor and pressing the heel of your base foot into the floor.
4. Try to hold this pose for 30 seconds up to 1 minute. Pivot upwards from the hips and return back to mountain pose.
Note: Never allow yourself to compress above the tailbone.
5. Repeat with the other leg.
All Level Tips
Beginner: Trying placing your hands on the back of a chair so you can feel how high you can lift your back leg without focusing too much on losing your balance.
Intermediate: Try this in an open space and try different hand positions such as hands a part, or arms spread wide.
Advanced: Trying placing your hands into reverse prayer or transitioning into a standing split placing your hands on the ankle of your base leg.
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About the Author:
Kenya Marsh is the founder of SimplyFitandCurvyYoga and Author of several books including Yoga for Beginners: A Great Way to Start. As a wife, stay-at-home mom of two, and yoga teacher. Kenya knows how challenging and beneficial a steady yoga practice can be. She understands it can be hard to start a new yoga journey alone. She created this website, along with courses, books, and more materials to help provide support to busy yogis elevate their yoga practice.