A beginner level asana, but one that might take a while to master.  Virabhadrasana I is a standing asana.  It has components of forward and backward extension, and even twists.  It requires collaborative effort of arms, legs, shoulders, back and hips.  If any of these parts are not performing optimally, it shows up in the asana most commonly as strain on the knees, back or shoulders.

The arms can make virabhadrasana I feel light, or heavy; broad or tall, dull or energising. In the teaching methodology, virabhadrasana I is preceded by vimanasana – a similar position with a different arm configuration. In this session, we start with activating the legs in supine positions, work with the arms in isolation, and then integrate arm variations into virabhadrasana I