Warrior II Pose Cues

1. Begin facing the long side of the mat, arms stretched out to the sides with the feet parallel to each other and beneath the hands
2. From deep within the right hip socket externally rotate the right thigh so the foot is parallel to the long side of the mat
3. Turn the left toes slightly towards the right foot so the left foot forms a 60-degree angle
4. Line up the right heel with the left inner arch
5. Notice that the pelvis has tilted to the right, dipping towards the right thigh
6. To correct, engage the left outer hip (gluteus medius) and firm it into the midline so that the bowl of the pelvis is upright from side to side and the tow side of the waist are equally long
7. Press the left femur back while releasing the tailbone down so the bowl of the pelvis is upright from front to back
8. Maintaining these actions, bend the right knee deeply creating a right angle in which the right knee stacks over the ankle and the right thigh is parallel to the floor
9. Make sure as you enter the pose that the right knee tracks in line with the second toe
10. Keep the crown of the head stacked over the pelvis and the shoulders over the hips
11. Continue pressing the left femur back and releasing the tailbone down without compromising the position of the right knee
12. Do not attempt to square the pelvis to the long side of the mat; allow the pelvis to rotate just slightly towards the front knee
13. Energize the left arm and turn and look past the right fingertips
14. Hold for 5 to10 breaths
15. To exit, root down through the feet on the final exhale, then use an inhale to draw the legs straight and return the feet to parallel
16. Repeat on the other side