Before You Begin

Visvamitrasana (Sage Visvamitra’s pose, sometimes called flying warrior) is one of those shapes that asks for a little bit of everything.

Fittingly, this flow does too. As you move through, you’ll explore side-body activation, hip opening, hamstring mobility, twisting, and coordination as the sequence gradually builds toward the peak pose.

Keep in mind that the “full expression” isn’t the goal. The real exploration is noticing how your body feels when strength, balance, and openness come together.

You may find that the pose feels different every time you try it. Some days there’s lift, some days there’s wobbling, and some days the process feels more interesting than the pose itself.

When trying visvamitrasana, you might keep your back knee down. You might stay low and grounded. You might explore the setup without lifting the front leg into the arm balance at all. All of those are meaningful ways to experience the pose.

Let’s break the sequence down piece by piece.

Note: Some yoga postures are shown on the opposite side for clarity.

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Step-by-Step Practice Instructions

1. Start with Side-Body Core Work

Begin lying on your side, propped up on your forearm, as though you were casually reclining. Place your top hand behind your head or bring your fingertips to the floor in front of your chest for more support.

Press your bottom hip into the floor. As you exhale, lift both heels away from the ground without collapsing into your side waist. Hold for a few counts, lower down, and repeat several times.

Switch sides and repeat to wake up your obliques and side-body support.

2. Wide-Legged Seated Side Bends

Come to a seated position and take your legs wide.

Place your left hand inside your left thigh and reach your right arm up. Side bend toward your left leg, lengthening through your right ribs. Return to center and switch sides.

Move side to side a few times, using your breath to create more space through your waist, ribs, and shoulders.

3. Downward Facing Dog with Side-Body Stretch

Come into downward facing dog.

Bend your right knee and let both heels drop to the right. Press firmly through your left pinky-side hand and look under your left arm to lengthen your left side body.

Return to center and switch sides, bending your left knee and dropping your heels left to stretch your right side body.

4. Flowing Sun Salutations with Side Bends

From downward facing dog, walk, step, or jump to the top of your mat. Lift halfway, fold, and rise to standing.

Reach your arms overhead. Hold just below your right wrist with your left hand and side bend to the left. Return to center, switch your grip, and side bend to the right.

Fold forward and move through a vinyasa: halfway lift, step or jump back, lower through chaturanga, lift into upward facing dog, and return to downward facing dog.

Repeat, adding low lunges with the front foot outside the hand to begin opening your hips.

5. Three-Legged Dog to Low Lunge Side Bend

From downward facing dog, lift your right leg. Draw your right knee toward your right upper arm, then send the leg back again.

Step your right foot forward and lower your left knee for a low lunge. Reach your arms overhead. Hold below your right wrist and side bend to the left, creating length through your right hip flexors and side body.

Return your hands to the mat, step back, and move through a vinyasa. Repeat on the second side.

6. Twisted Lunge to Side Plank Variations

From downward facing dog, lift your right leg and step your right foot forward.

Keep your left hand down and open into a twist, reaching your right arm up.

Rotate onto the outer edge of your left foot, keep your right foot in front of you, with your right toes pointing toward the long side of your mat.

On an inhale, lower your hips slightly toward the floor. On an exhale, press firmly into your left hand and both feet to lift your hips and sweep your right arm overhead—creating a side plank–like shape with your front leg grounded.

Move through this pulsing action a few times, lowering on the inhale and lifting on the exhale to build strength and awareness through your side body.

To transition back, bring your right hand peace fingers (index and middle finger) to your right big toe. Use this grip to help guide and step your right foot forward, returning to a low lunge at the top of your mat.

7. Skandasana Side-to-Side

From your lunge, turn to face the long edge of your mat.

Bend into your left knee for skandasana (side lunge), opening your inner right thigh. Move through center and bend into your right knee, opening your inner left thigh.

Flow side to side a few times, using your hands on the floor for support or bringing them to your heart for more balance.

When you’re ready, transition back toward the front of your mat, returning to a low lunge.

8. Half Splits with a Twist

From a kneeling low lunge with your right foot forward, straighten your right leg for half splits, pressing your right heel down and drawing it back as you fold over your thigh.

Keep your left hand down and reach your right arm up for a twist. For more balance work, bring your left hand to the outside of your right foot and press your hand and foot into each other.

From there, transition back toward the front of your mat, returning to a low lunge. From there, step back to downward facing dog and move through a sun salutation to reset.

Then repeat the full sequence on the second side from twisted lunge into the side plank variation, transitioning through skandasana, into half splits with a twist and back to down dog.

9. Visvamitrasana Prep

From downward facing dog, step your right foot outside your right hand and lower your left knee.

Slide your right shoulder underneath your right thigh, as though your leg were a backpack strap. Place your right hand outside your right heel.

Shift forward onto the ball of your right foot and bring your left hand to the outside of your right foot. Turn your left toes toward the right long edge of your mat.

Begin to lift your right foot. Stay here, or start to kick your right leg forward as you press through your hands and stabilize through your side body.

Hold for a few breaths, then release slowly and return to downward facing dog.

Repeat on the second side. You can keep your back knee down or try the shape with your back leg lifted.

10. Seated Forward Fold

Come through to a seat and extend your legs forward.

Point your toes toward your face and bend your knees if needed. Reach your arms overhead, then fold over your legs.

With each inhale, lengthen your heart forward. With each exhale, soften a little more into the fold.

11. Bridge Pose with “Robot Arms”

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.

Bend your elbows so your upper arms press into the floor beside you, like “robot arms.” Draw your shoulder blades underneath you.

Press into your heels and lift your hips for bridge pose. Keep the back of your neck long and lift your chest toward your chin—not your chin toward your chest.

Lower slowly and repeat once more.

12. Close Your Practice

After your second bridge, bring your feet wide and let your knees rest together. Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly.

Take a few quiet breaths. From here, move into any finishing shape that feels supportive, or rest in a short savasana (corpse pose) or meditation.

Explore More Arm Balances with Danni Pomplun

Take what you’ve explored here even further with Fire Up Your Flow! Arm Balance Challenge led by Danni Pomplun. With progressive sequences, smart prep, and creative transitions, you’ll build the strength, confidence, and technique to approach arm balances with more ease—and maybe even surprise yourself along the way.