<b>By Megan Howe</b>

<b>Photo by Mark Vanderpool</b>

Warrior I is a powerful pose that creates an opening in your chest, lungs, shoulders and neck. In this pose, you have the opportunity to build strength in your legs and the muscles in your back, while creating ease in your torso and, most importantly, your face.

<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Yoga-Warrior-I-Pose-8x10cvl-1024.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-11938" alt="Yoga-Warrior I Pose 8x10cvl 1024" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Yoga-Warrior-I-Pose-8x10cvl-1024.jpg" width="213" height="266" /></a>Come to stand at the top of your mat and bring your feet together. Step your left foot towards the outer back edge of your mat (about halfway to start), turn your toes to face 10 o’clock, and bring water to your knee. Bend your right knee, place it directly over your ankle, and turn your right toes to the front of your mat. Ground down the four corners of your feet, press into the earth, and engage the muscles of your legs. Lift your pelvis as your tailbone to descends and pull the pit of your belly in and up, to engage your core. Reach your arms straight up to the ceiling. Soften your elbows, bring your shoulders to your spine, and press them into your back body. From this place, begin to connect your movement to your breath. Each time you breath in, press your feet down and reach your arms up. As you exhale, open your chest, look up, and go back.

To create ease in this pose, I invite you to bring your feet closer together.

The beauty of yoga is you choose how far or not far you would like to take your pose.

For more empowering poses, visit us at Dancing Dogs Yoga, located in Beaufort, Bluffton, and Hilton Head Island.
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