Pairs with
Pose · V
Warrior II
Vīrabhadrāsana II
Wide stance, front knee bent, arms extended in two directions at shoulder height. Warrior II is the pose most often held longest in a class and the one most often held badly for that whole time, because the arms are wide and the torso is upright and nothing forces you to notice that the front knee has drifted inward.
The shape, with joint angles
The angles are measured on the drawn skeleton and change with the variant you pick. Treat them as a starting reference, not a target to force.
Specification
| Sanskrit | Vīrabhadrāsana II |
|---|---|
| Also called | Virabhadrasana two |
| Level | Beginner |
| Loads | Hips · Quadriceps · Shoulders · Ankles |
| Props | Mat · Block |
| Typical hold | 35 sec |
| Gaze | |
| Published | 21 October 2026 · By The Asana Desk |
Getting in
- 01
Step the feet wide, front foot turned out ninety degrees, back foot turned in slightly, back arch lined up with the front heel.
- 02
Bend the front knee to about a right angle and take a moment to check it is tracking over the middle toes.
- 03
Straighten and firm the back leg, pressing the outer edge of the back foot into the floor.
- 04
Bring the torso upright over the centre of the hips, neither leaning forward nor tipping back.
- 05
Extend both arms out at shoulder height, one forward and one back, with the palms facing down.
- 06
Turn the head to look over the front fingertips without letting the chin drop toward the chest.
- 07
Hold for 35 seconds, breathing steadily, then straighten the front leg and change sides.
Working notes
The pose is a tug of war in two directions
The arms reach forward and back while the legs press down and out, and the pelvis in the middle has to stay level and quiet. That opposition is what makes the pose stable, and it is why a Warrior II that is held with everything relaxed tends to slide forward at the back foot until the stance has quietly become a different shape.
The instruction that ties it together is to keep the torso upright over the centre of the pelvis. Most people tip the chest forward toward the front knee, which is comfortable and shortens the whole pose by taking the work out of the back hip.
The front knee, again
| What to press | What it does |
|---|---|
| Outer edge of the back foot | Firms the back leg and stops the stance sliding |
| Outer edge of the front foot | Keeps the front knee from rolling in |
| Front hip back and down | Squares the pelvis instead of letting it chase the knee |
| Back hip forward and down | Levels the hips, which is what makes the arms level too |
In a pose held for a minute the front knee almost always drifts inward, because the inner thigh and the glute that would hold it out have to work the whole time. The drift is small, is invisible from the front, and loads the inner knee.
The fix is to press the outer edge of the front foot down and slightly out, and to re-check the knee every few breaths. If it drifts immediately, the stance is too narrow for the hip to stay open — widen the feet rather than bending deeper.
Self-checks
- Is the front knee still over the middle toes, or has it drifted in?
- Are both arms truly at shoulder height, or has the front arm sunk?
- Is the torso vertical, or tipped toward the front knee?
- Can you see the front fingertips without dropping the chin?
Safety
Skip or heavily modify the pose if any of these apply to you. When in doubt, ask a teacher who can see you move, or a clinician who knows your history.
- Acute knee pain: reduce the bend, shorten the stance, and keep the front knee above the ankle.
- Shoulder injury: reduce the arm height or bring the hands to the hips.
- Neck injury: keep the head facing forward rather than turning to the front hand.
- Recent ankle or foot injury on the back leg: reduce the stance width and press the heel down lightly.
- High blood pressure: keep the arms at or below shoulder height and the hold short.
This page is informational only. It is not medical advice and no pose here is a treatment for any condition.
- Shorten the stance if the front knee will not track straight without strain.
- Arms lower than shoulder height if the shoulders tire — the pose loses nothing important.
- Back heel to a wall so the stance cannot slide forward.
- Hands on the hips for the first few rounds, to work the legs without the arms.
Useful propsMat · Block
- A block between the front thigh and the wall, if there is a wall, teaches the outer knee to press out.
- A wall behind the back foot is the cheapest way to stop the stance from creeping.
- No strap: if a strap is being used to hold the arms up, the arms should be lower instead.
- Acute knee pain: reduce the bend, shorten the stance, and keep the front knee above the ankle.
- Shoulder injury: reduce the arm height or bring the hands to the hips.
- Neck injury: keep the head facing forward rather than turning to the front hand.
- Recent ankle or foot injury on the back leg: reduce the stance width and press the heel down lightly.
- High blood pressure: keep the arms at or below shoulder height and the hold short.
Inhale to step wide and extend the arms, exhale to bend the front knee; then steady even breathing for the hold.
- Count the breaths if the hold feels long — five or six even breaths is the whole hold.
- If the breath is only reaching the upper chest, the torso is tipped forward; come upright and try again.
- Keep the jaw loose; it shows up first in the breath.