How to Do Dancing Warrior

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Dancing Warrior is a vinyasa flow that moves through multiple Warrior poses: Warrior I, Warrior II, Reverse Warrior, and Extended Side Angle. If you’ve taken vinyasa classes before, you may already be familiar with this sequence.

These poses are tied together by the same strong, stable base, with your front knee bent and your back heel planted firmly against the floor. As you flow through the poses, this foundation will help improve your balance and strengthen your legs and core. With each new hold, you’ll strengthen your arms and shoulders, stretch your upper body, and build resolve to face the day ahead.

Benefits of Dancing Warrior

 

  • Strengthens your legs, arms, shoulders, hips, and core

  • Improves your balance

  • Builds focus and resolve

 
 

How to do Dancing Warrior

 

Learn how to do Dancing Warrior with this step-by-step tutorial. Here we’re starting from Downward Facing Dog, but it can fit anywhere in your practice — try it from Mountain or Crescent Lunge, too.

Warrior I

  1. From Down Dog, raise your right leg up and point your toes, keeping your hips as squared as possible.

  2. Exhale and step your right foot forward between your hands.

  3. Spin your left heel down, keeping the bend in your right knee. Heels can either be aligned or hip-width apart.

  4. Rise up, lift your chest, and raise your arms above your head.

Warrior II

  1. Spin your right hand forward and your left hand back, opening up your torso to the left. Don’t lose the bend in your front leg!

  2. Gaze forward toward your right hand. 

Reverse Warrior

  1. Raise your right hand above your head and drop your left arm down to your left leg.

Extended Side Angle

  1. Move your right arm toward the floor. It can rest on the ground, or your elbow can rest on your right knee — but keep balancing with your legs (and keep your front knee bent).

  2. Open your torso and raise your left hand toward the sky.

  3. Gaze up at your left hand if your neck feels comfortable.

  4. Repeat on the other side as it fits in with your flow.

After Dancing Warrior, you can release into Warrior II and go back to your Chaturanga flow, start moving into a Triangle series, or do whatever feels right for you.

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