Warrior III

How to do Warrior III

• Start in High Lunge or Mountain Pose with blocks in front of you if you like
• Shift your weight into the front foot and tip the torso forward from the hips
• Lift the back leg as the chest lowers, until body and leg are close to parallel with the floor
• Point the toes of the lifted leg down to keep the hips level
• Choose your arms: hands on the hips, on blocks, at the heart or reaching forward
• Hold for 3 to 6 breaths, then lower the leg and switch sides

Level hips

The most common habit in Warrior III is letting the hip of the lifted leg open up towards the ceiling. Point the toes of the lifted foot straight down and roll the inner thigh up slightly. Keep a micro-bend in the standing knee rather than locking it. A level line from head to heel matters more than how high the leg goes.

Easier and harder versions

• Hands on blocks or the back of a chair, with the body tipped forward
• Hands on a wall at hip height, walking back until the body is level
• Lifted foot on a wall behind you, pressing back into it
• Arms forward alongside the ears: the hardest version
• Airplane: arms back alongside the body like wings

Safety

Use a wall or blocks if your balance is unsteady or you have high blood pressure, and keep the head in line with the spine. Ease off with a hamstring or lower back injury, and keep the hold short at first. If the standing knee hurts, soften it and lower the leg.