This is one of my favorite yoga poses! It strengthens and balances your body, opens your hips and chest, and centers your mind. So many amazing benefits… especially when done outside!
To enter the pose:
- Start by standing in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) at the top edge of your mat.
- Place your hands on your hips, inhale, and raise one knee up.
- Hinge at your hips and exhale as you step your foot back.
- Aim your back foot toes out to the long edge of the mat.
- Point your front toes forward and align your heel with the middle of your back foot arch.
- Bend your front knee as deeply as is comfortable and engage your leg muscles as well as your core.
- Spread your arms wide with palms facing down
- Press your shoulders down away from your ears
- Draw your front knee to the outer edge of your mat so your knee doesn’t collapse inward
- Continue to breathe evenly in and out through your nose as you adjust and maintain the pose. Inhale to open and expand. Exhale to deepen and find strength. Cycle through 3-5 breaths.
To exit the pose:
- Slowly walk your back foot forward toward your front foot.
- Step back foot to the front edge of your mat returning to Mountain Pose.
- Repeat with the opposite side.
As always, feel free to explore this posture in ways that feel good for your body and your mind.
Try this pose and explore how your body and mind feel during and after. Compare this to how you felt before.
If you don’t have time to try Warrior II now, save or screenshot this post to try later!
Enjoy!
Namaste, Carleen
