10-Minute Yoga Routine That's Perfect If You Love Warrior Poses
You’ll strike plenty of powerful warrior poses with this yoga sequence.

If you love warrior poses, this yoga routine may be your new go-to workout. It makes sense why these poses are so common in yoga classes and beloved among yogis both new and longtime. Honestly, is there anything more empowering than striking a deep Warrior 2?
Warrior poses are an incredible workout for the legs. The deep stances require your legs to work insanely hard to hold your body stable. You might even feel your legs shake the first few times you try it. The more you do these warrior yoga poses, the more stable your legs will feel, so you’ll truly see evidence of your body’s progress on the mat.
In this episode of Flow, yoga instructor Faith Hunter shows an intermediate sequence of traditional warrior poses, with some other foundational yoga moves to enhance the flow (and give your legs a break from time to time).
This yoga series with warrior poses includes the following moves:
- Mountain Pose
- Forward Fold
- Downward Facing Dog
- Plank
- Chatarunga (Low Push Up)
- Upward Facing Dog
- Downward Facing Dog Split
- Warrior 1
- Warrior 2
- Chair Pose
- Warrior 3
Warrior 3 is certainly challenging, and it’s okay if you lose your balance. Try to count how many breaths you can hold the pose for, and see if you can hold it longer each time.
If you want more yoga moves to improve your warrior poses, try this 10-minute yoga sequence for improving your balance.
Faith Hunter is a yoga instructor and owner of Embrace Yoga DC, a yoga training & community center located in Washington DC.
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[SOUND] Hello guys,
my name is Faith Hunter, and
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welcome to this Intermediate Warrior Flow.
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[MUSIC]
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I'm gonna have you guys flowing in and
out of Warrior 1, 2, and
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3 in a very playful way while at the same
time creating and building heat.
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So let's get started at the top
of the mat and Mountain Pose.
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You can bring your feet about
hip bone distance apart, or
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feel free to bring them
a little bit closer together.
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Release the arms alongside you body.
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For the crown of your head,
rise towards the ceiling and, of course,
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as you breathe in and out, draw your
bellybutton in towards your spine.
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Just take a couple of breaths here,
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just feeling yourself grounding and
rooting to the mat.
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Because as we move through these Warrior
poses you're going to really utilize your
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feet to provide stability and strength.
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Inhale, sweep both arms high over your
head, reach through your fingertips.
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Exhale, fold forward, releasing into your
forward fold, relaxing your neck and head.
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If you need to, you can bend your
knees as you make your way here.
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Inhale, lift your chest up half way,
finger tips to the mat, or
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even bring your hands to your shins.
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Soften your knees, and let's simply
step back into Downward Facing Dog.
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Feel free to move around
a little bit in your Down Dog,
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finding a little shift and dip in
your hips, peddling your feet gently.
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[MUSIC]
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And then find stillness in Down Dog,
spread the fingers wide.
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Feet are slightly apart,
about hipbone distance.
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Take another deep breath in, and exhale.
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Drift out into your plank pose.
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Bring your shoulders over your wrists.
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Feel your tailbone reach
towards your heels.
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Draw the belly in, take another
deep inhale, and as you exhale,
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slowly bend your arms for
your low push up chaturanga.
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Roll over to the tops of your feet, and
lift your heart into Upward Facing Dog.
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Gaze forward and then exhale,
roll over your toes.
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Hips to the sky, Downward Facing Dog.
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Take a deep breath in, and exhale.
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Inhale, sweep your right leg high to the
sky, flexing your foot or flointing it.
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Take another deep breath in, and exhale.
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Draw your knee in towards your chest.
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And step your right foot
between your hands.
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Take your time as you transition
into our first Warrior pose.
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Spin your back heel down about 45 degrees.
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Establish the strength and
stability in your legs and your feet.
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And slowly lift both arms high
above you head for Warrior 1.
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Now your palms can face one another,
or if it feels okay,
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maybe even bring your hands
together over your head.
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Make sure there's no
tension in your shoulders.
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Draw your right hip and your right
rib-cage back, bending your front knee.
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Lift your chest, take another deep breath
here, and now let's open into Warrior 2.
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Adjusting your back foot,
bending deep into your front knee.
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Make sure your arms are in
line with your shoulders.
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Sink into your hips,
draw the belly in towards your spine, and
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feel the crown of your head rise.
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Take a quick look behind you,
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make sure your left arm is in
line with your left shoulder.
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Press down through the outer edge of your
left foot, gaze forward, one more breath.
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Take another deep inhale, and
as you exhale, lower both hands down to
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the floor, step your right foot back,
find your plank pose.
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Take a deep breath in, arms bent for
your low push up chaturanga.
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Roll to the tops of your feet, heart
lifts to the sky for Upward Facing Dog.
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And then curl over your toes,
hips to the sky, Down Dog.
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Pause here and find stillness.
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And you're already probably
feeling a little heat.
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Continue pressing your heels to the mat.
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Draw your belly in towards your spine.
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One more breath here in Down Dog.
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And let's go to the other side.
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Left leg lifts to the sky, breathing in,
extend it as high as you possibly can.
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Exhale, draw your knee in
towards your chest, and
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then stick your foot between your hands.
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Transitioning into your Warrior 1,
spin your back heel down.
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Draw your left hip back, slowly rise.
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Lift your chest and then your arms.
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Palms apart are together.
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Continue to then deep into your left leg.
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Draw your left rib-cage and left hip back.
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Strong through your back leg.
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Two more breaths, deep inhale, exhale.
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One more breath.
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Expanded wide Warrior 2,
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sinking into that front leg and
arms extend in line with your shoulders.
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Draw the tail bone down,
belly into your spine, and sink.
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Feel the opening of your inner thighs,
groins and
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your hips with the strength in your quads.
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One more breath, exhale.
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Lower both hands down to frame your front
foot and ease your way back, Plank Pose.
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Hold here and plank,
draw the belly in, and gaze forward.
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Take another deep inhale.
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Arms bend, chaturanga, low push up.
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Roll to the tops of your feet, your heart
lifts for Up Dog, and roll over the feet.
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Downward Facing Dog, hips to the sky.
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Pause here in your Down Dog.
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Spread your fingers wide,
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draw the hips back right where
the ceiling meets the wall.
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Deep inhale.
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Exhale.
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One more, a deep inhale, and exhale.
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Now this time you're gonna rise
into the balls of your feet.
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Bend your knees, and
send your gaze towards your hands.
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Take a deep breath in, and
then as in your exhale,
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you can walk or
hop your feet to the front of the mat.
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Lift your chest up halfway,
hands to the mat or your shins.
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Exhale, fold forward over both legs.
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Press into your feet, inhale,
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come all the way up to stand,
arms rise and then exhale.
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Draw your hands to your heart.
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Slowly transitioning into
our playful sequence here.
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So you're gonna bend your knees,
sink your hips, and
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find chair pose, your utkatasana.
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Arms are slightly apart,
palms are facing in.
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Press down through your right foot and
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slowly begin to straighten your
right leg as you lift your left leg.
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Bring your hands to your heart center,
gaze forward,
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belly into your spine, and take your time.
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Start to extend your left leg behind you,
finding your Warrior 3 pose.
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Now you can keep your hands at your heart
center or sweep them alongside your hips,
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but feel that back leg move in
towards the center line of your body.
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To make sure that your left
toes are pointing down.
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Try not to lock your base leg,
your right leg,
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if you need to you can always bend it.
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One more breath here, heart forward
as your left heel waits behind you.
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And then from here,
slowly step your left foot back and
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open out, back into your Warrior 2 pose.
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Sink into your right knee,
expand and reach for
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your heart center as
the fingers extend out.
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Take another deep breath in, exhale,
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lower both hands to frame your front foot,
step it back, Plank Pose.
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Breathe in, exhale,
chaturanga, low push up.
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Inhale, heart lifts for Upward Dog.
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And exhale, hips to the sky, Down Dog.
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We're gonna halt here for a couple of
breaths, and if you need to you can
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always drop your knees, and take Child's
Pose, but that's your personal option.
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I'm gonna hang out here
in Downward Facing Dog.
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We'll pause for a few more breaths.
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Relax your neck.
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If you need to you can
shake your head out.
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Take another breath in and exhale.
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Slowly making our way back to the front of
the mat, rise onto the balls of your feet.
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Bend your knees, gaze forward.
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Walk or hop your feet to the front.
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Lift your chest up halfway,
exhale, fold over your legs.
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Bend your knees this time and
go right into your Chair Pose,
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sinking your hips and
lifting the arms high.
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Relax your shoulders, take an inhale.
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Press down through your left foot,
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straighten the left leg as
the right knee lifts up.
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Hands come to your heart center.
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Make sure you are drawing your belly
into your spine, shoulders relaxed.
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Feel the stability and
strength in your left leg
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as you extend your right leg behind
you and hinge from your hip crease.
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Squaring off those hips,
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drawing the right big toe toward
the center line of your body.
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Maybe those hands fly out,
heart comes forward.
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Two more breaths here, deep inhale,
exhale, one more breath.
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Extend and
then slowly release the back foot,
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open wide, Warrior 2, left knee bends.
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Hold here for three more breaths, feeling
your tailbone release towards the Earth.
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Make sure your left knee is tracking
in line with your left middle toe.
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One more breath.
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[MUSIC]
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Deep inhale, exhale,
lower both hands to frame your front foot,
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step it on back, Plank Pose, arms bend for
your low push up chaturanga.
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Inhale Upward Facing Dog and exhale,
hips to the sky, Downward Dog.
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Hold for two breaths, deep inhale, exhale.
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One more big breath, inhale, and exhale.
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Rise onto your toes, gaze forward, walk or
float your feet to the front of your mat.
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Inhale, lift up halfway, exhale,
Forward Fold over your legs.
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Bend your knees, find your Chair Pose
one more time, sync the hips.
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Lift the arms high,
press into the soles of your feet.
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Feel the strength that you've
cultivated in our practice, and
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rise all the way up into
your Mountain Pose.
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Lift your chest, heart high, and
exhale, hands to your heart's center.
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Take a deep breath in, and exhale.
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All right guys, there you have it.
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A very fun and playful Warrior Flow.
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Now, as you know, Warrior poses have this
amazing way of creating strength and
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stability, not only in your legs,
but the entire body.
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Come on back and join me,
continue to flow.
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And I'll see you right
here on HealthiNation.
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[MUSIC]