Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana 3)

Virabhadrasana 3, translated as Warrior 3, is a standing balance pose. As its “Warrior” name suggests, the pose is invigorating, uplifting, and physically challenging. Standing poses in general are an important category of poses because they teach the principles of correct movement. These simple actions apply not only to the postures but show up in the way we stand, walk, and sit in our daily lives.

For this sequence, we are focusing on the classic transition from Warrior 1 to Warrior 3. The idea is to carry and maintain the principles from Warrior 1 into Warrior 3, which happens to be an intensified version of Warrior 1. You can begin by laying the torso over the front leg with the arms fully extended. As you shift your weight from your back foot to the front foot, keep the arms and trunk extending forward as the back leg lifts and extends backward. Maintain the extension in both directions as you press your bottom heel down to straighten the standing leg fully. Stay for a few breaths before transitioning back to Warrior 1.

This pose combines balance, strength, and dynamic extension. It’s a great pose for all levels of students to continue to practice and refine. However, students of all levels struggle to maintain good alignment in the posture if it is held too long. Try working on this pose in small spurts, maintaining the integrity of the shape, exiting before its qualities are lost.

Puttering/Warm-Up

• Tadasana with Urdhva Hastasana
• Tadasana with Urdhva Baddhanguliyasana
• Tadasana with Urdhva Namaskarasana

Sun Salutations

• 3-4 Rounds

Standing Poses

• Warrior 2
• Extended Side Angle
• Utkatasana
• Warrior 1
• Parsvottanasana

Balance Pose

• Tree Pose

Peak Pose

• Warrior 3

Wind Down Poses

• Bharadvajasana 1
• Bridge Pose

Savasana

Give it a try and let us know how it goes! To catch a few video clips of this sequence in action follow @patrickfrancojr and @yogarenewteachertraining on Instagram.

Also, check out this video on our YouTube page Vinyasa Flow to Warrior 3:

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