Warrior III
Balanced on one leg, torso and lifted leg forming one horizontal line. Single-leg stance under load, with the pelvis held level by the glute alone.
The lesson
- 01
Root one foot, soften the knee
Weight onto one foot, spread across big toe, little toe and heel. That leg stays long but the knee is soft, never locked.
- 02
Hinge and lift together
Tip your torso forward from the hip as the other leg lifts behind you. They move as one lever — think see-saw, not "lift the leg".
- 03
One horizontal line
Stop where your torso and your lifted leg make a single line, roughly parallel to the floor. Lower is fine. Higher than horizontal isn't the pose.
- 04
Level the hips, flex the foot
Your lifted hip wants to roll open toward the ceiling. Turn it back down so both hip points face the floor, and press back through the heel with the toes pointing down.
- 05
Gaze down, arms wherever you're steady
Eyes on one spot on the floor below you. Hands at your chest to start, alongside your body as you settle, reaching forward past your ears when you want it harder.
- 06
The test
You should feel the hamstring and glute of the standing leg working hard, and your foot making constant small corrections. If your low back is what's working, you've lifted the leg higher than your torso has come down — level the line out.