Lower back, hips, knees, ankles and shoulders
Warrior III: Classic
An advanced single-leg balance pose that builds integrated strength and stability through your entire body, from standing foot to fingertips.
How to do it
- 1
Stand tall and reach both arms forward
Arms roughly shoulder width, shoulders down, elbows long. This is the most demanding arm position in the family.
- 2
Shift onto one leg and hinge forward
Arms, torso and lifting leg travel together toward one long line, roughly parallel with the floor.
- 3
Keep the reach long without shrugging
Lengthen from the back of the shoulders rather than from the ears. The ribs stay down so the front of the body stays long.
- 4
Soften the standing knee and level the hips
Both hip points face the floor, and the gaze stays down so the neck follows the spine.
- 5
Hold for twenty to forty seconds, then change sides
Shorten the hold, take the hands to the hips, or use a chair or wall if the line starts to go.
What to watch for
The lower back dipping as the arms lengthen, usually in the last few seconds of the hold. When that happens the arms are the first thing to give up, so bring the hands to your hips or come out.
Ways to adjust it
- Hands on hips
- Chair
- Wall
- Reduce hold time
- Prayer
If this one is too much today
Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.
Other ways to do this movement
Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Warrior III versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.
Before you try it
Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.
One movement is a start. A session is the thing.
A few questions about your body and how it is today, and Vinys builds a session around it, including which movements to leave out.
Start your first sessionFrom the clinically authored Vinys movement library.