Refining the Pelvis in Warrior I

Yoga often happens in millimeters. This means that relatively small adjustments can produce some of the most important openings and energetic shifts. In this blog post, I describe a cue to refine the pelvis in the asana, Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I), concluding with a brief discussion of the biomechanics of this adjustment.

Here’s the cue...

In Warrior I, press the back foot into the mat and attempt to drag it toward the midline (adduction). You will feel the pelvis turn forward to “square” with the front leg. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate this action, with its effect on the pelvis.

Figure 1: Press the foot into the mat and then attempt to drag it toward the midline. This engages the adductor magnus.

Here are the biomechanics of this cue...

In Warrior I, the back leg is in extension. The prime mover muscle for this action is the gluteus maximus. One of the synergists for extending the hip is the adductor magnus muscle. Attempting to drag the foot towards the midline engages this muscle in the pose. The foot remains constrained on the mat and does not actually move, however, the force of contracting the adductor magnus decreases the angle between the femur and the pelvis, as shown. The result is that the pelvis turns (instead of the foot moving). In addition, the hip extends more effectively. All of this produces a unique opening in the front of the pelvis that stretches the hip flexors, including the psoas muscle (figure 3).

Figure 2: This illustrates engaging the adductor magnus by attempting to drag the foot towards the midline. The mat constrains the foot, and the force of contraction turns the pelvis.

Figure 3: This illustrates the flexor muscles of the back hip stretching.

Use this adjustment after “setting” the feet. The technique for this is described in my previous blog post on connecting to your feet in yoga. Click here to read more. These cues can be combined with co-activation of the hip stabilizers for the front leg, as described previously for Warrior II (click here to read more). Finally, “ease into” your movements when working with cues such as this. Build muscular engagement gradually to turn the pelvis; then gradually release it as you come out of the pose.

An excerpt from "Yoga Mat Companion 1 - Anatomy for Vinyasa Flow and Standing Poses".

An excerpt from "Yoga Mat Companion 1 - Anatomy for Vinyasa Flow and Standing Poses".

For many more helpful cues on biomechanics and yoga, feel free to browse through "The Key Muscles and Key Poses of Yoga". Also, see the "Yoga Mat Companion" series, which gives you step-by-step guidelines for applying these cues to all categories of poses. Click here to learn more.

Namaste’

Ray and Chris (illustrator)