How to Do Warrior II: The Yoga Pose That Can Tone Your Butt

Warrior II is a fundamental of yoga — and a great pose to tone your butt. But you may not be getting all its benefits.

Most people, women especially, underestimate how long their legs are, and take too short a stance in warrior II, as well as in many other poses.

To do it better:

• Begin in Downward Facing Dog.
• Round your right knee toward your nose, and step your right foot in between your hands.
• Spin your left heel down with your foot slightly angled out.
• Windmill your arms open. Your left arm reaches toward the back of the mat and your right arm reaches to the front of the mat, evenly, palms facing down.
• Keep your right knee at a 90-degree angle, in line with your right ankle.
• Drop your shoulders away from your ears, tuck your tailbone, and knit your front ribs in.
• Gaze is over the middle finger of the front hand.

RELATED: Do It Better: Improve Your Upward-Facing Dog in Yoga

Here are three tendencies to avoid:

1. Sticking your butt out, which disengages your core.
2. Reaching way more forward than back, which takes you off-center.
3. Taking a stance so short that your front knee is well beyond (and certainly not in line with) your front ankle, which is dangerous for the front knee in the pose.

Heidi Kristoffer is the creator of CrossFlowX™ and a wellness expert for multiple online platforms. Find her at www.heidiyoga.com.