In short: warrior II is a wide standing lunge facing the side of the mat: the front knee bends over the ankle, the back leg is straight, the arms stretch out at shoulder height and the gaze goes over the front hand. It builds strength and stamina in the legs and opens the hips. The one rule that matters most: keep the front knee pointing over the front foot.
Warrior II is often taught early because its shape is easy to see, yet holding it well takes real effort. Below we explain the name and its Ashtanga counterpart, the cues that keep the knee and shoulders comfortable, the precautions and where it fits in a practice.
The name: II in Iyengar, B in Ashtanga
The Sanskrit name is Vīrabhadrāsana II, after the warrior Vīrabhadra (see warrior I for the story). Light on Yoga numbers it II. In Ashtanga it is Vīrabhadrāsana B: in the primary series you move from the arms-up warrior A straight into this pose by widening the stance and lowering the arms to horizontal. If an Ashtanga teacher says “warrior B”, this is the pose they mean.
Making warrior II work
Stand facing the long side of the mat with the feet wide, roughly under the wrists when the arms are out. Turn the front foot to point forward and the back foot slightly in; in this pose the heels can be on one line (AshtangaYoga.info turns the back foot in by only about five degrees). Bend the front knee and stack it over the ankle. Iyengar asks for the thigh parallel to the floor and the shin vertical; Yoga Journal points out that a right angle is not essential and that each body has its own depth. What is essential is the direction: the front knee tends to drift toward the big-toe side, so draw it toward the little-toe side until it points over the middle of the foot.
Keep the trunk upright, shoulders over hips, rather than leaning over the front leg. Stretch the arms out as if, in Iyengar’s image, two people were pulling you from either end, and keep the shoulders relaxed. Press the outer edge of the back foot down so the back leg stays active. Turn the head to look past the front fingertips. Iyengar gives 20 seconds to half a minute; Ashtanga five breaths; Yoga Journal 5 to 10 breaths.
Small refinements that change the pose
- Weight in both legs. Yoga Journal asks you to share the weight evenly between the legs and keep the crown of the head over the pelvis. Most people sink into the front leg; notice it and shift back a little.
- Anchor the back foot. Ray Long, orthopedic surgeon and yoga teacher, suggests planting the back heel and trying to drag the back foot away from the front foot without actually moving it. This wakes up the back hip and stops the pose from tipping forward.
- Settle the shoulders. Turn the palms and inner elbows up toward the ceiling while you draw the shoulder blades down the back. Keep the shoulder blades steady, then turn the palms down again. Many people feel the shoulders drop away from the ears at once.
- Come out with the breath. Exhale and press down through the feet, then inhale and straighten the legs. Turn the feet parallel before you change sides.
Yoga Journal also offers a useful question for longer holds: when you want to straighten the leg or drop the arms, ask whether it comes from a physical need or simply a wish to stop. Act on real need. Bend the front knee only as far as you can sustain, and use a block between the front shin and a wall if the knee keeps sliding forward past the ankle.
Precautions in plain words
Do not let the front knee move past the ankle or fall inward. Yoga Journal advises avoiding or modifying the pose with a hamstring or groin tear, a hip injury or a hip replacement. With shoulder problems, keep the hands on the hips or together at the chest. If turning the head bothers the neck, look forward. For balance or a tired front thigh, straighten the front knee a little for a moment, or practise with a chair.
Preparation and what comes next
Yoga Journal lists low lunge, wide-legged forward fold and tree pose as preparation. From warrior II you can tip back into reverse warrior, lower the forearm into extended side angle, straighten the front leg for triangle, or reach into half moon. Mountain pose and standing forward fold make good counterposes.
Where it is taught
Warrior II is in Iyengar yoga, the Ashtanga primary series, and nearly every vinyasa, power and hatha class, where it often anchors warrior flows.
