Warrior 2 Pose (Virabhadrasana II)

Warrior 2, or Virabhadrasana II, is one of the foundational standing postures of yoga, and it asks a great deal more of the legs than its stillness suggests. The front knee bends to a right angle and holds there while the back leg stays straight and grounded, so the quadriceps of the front leg work isometrically for as long as you stay in the pose. At the same time the hips open outward and the arms extend to the sides, which stretches the adductors and the chest. The alignment is what makes it a posture rather than a lunge: the front knee tracks directly over the ankle, never drifting inward, and the torso stays stacked over the pelvis instead of leaning toward the front leg. The gaze settles over the front hand, which steadies both the neck and the breath.