Virabhadrasana One - Warrior one.
The first several times I attempted this pose, I had it wrong. My hips were open to one side or the other. I felt strange. I felt uneasy. I took in several practices over the course of my first year of yoga. In none of those practices did anyone offer to adjust my warrior pose. If you read this blog, you'll know I'm not a huge fan of adjustments, but sometimes they're necessary.
I took a private class from a friend who spent almost the entire hour working on my warrior poses, specifically warrior one. It's a foundational pose, after all, and I was wonky. Like seriously wonky.
Once I realized the way it's supposed to be done, everything changed.
Warrior one now means a lot of things for me, but two things come to mind every time I consider warrior one.
First, I find that this pose is the one that helps me find my body fastet. It actually has become one of the bellwether poses for me. It has become a really strong indicator of my awareness of the body and how it is on my mat. When I square my hips and plant my back foot just right, the pose feels amazing and powerful. When I don't take the time to square my hips, warrior one let's me know right away.
Second, when I'm in warrior one, I feel strong. Chest lifted high and open. Arms up and strong. Fingers active. Hips facing forward. Legs in a steady stance. It's one of the strongest poses and I've grown to love it.