Warrior Within 1
“Yoga does not transform the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.” - B.K.S. Iyengar
✨ Part 1
While we seek to end war in our world, the archetype, or ideal, of the Warrior is essential to our collective and individual development. The problem is that we have become stuck in the idea of battling something outside ourselves – another person, group, culture, religion, idea – instead of the true battle, which goes on inside ourselves every day. The battle with our own minds and souls. What is the ideal, then, of the Warrior that is helpful, rather than harmful? What is the battle that it needs to “fight”, within ourselves?
Yoga gives us the perfect opportunity to explore the archetype of the warrior and how essential it is to our own transformation. We have three classic asanas, or yoga poses, named for the warrior Virabhadra. These poses are intended, among other physical benefits, to develop the inner qualities of the Warrior essential to developing our greatest personal and spiritual potential.
Who was Virabhadra, the one that these warrior poses are named after, anyway? He was created by Siva, the Hindu god who represents destruction, to be one of his most trusted guards, and a great protector of the sages. Virabhadra (which means “distinguished hero”) was credited to destroying many demons and did numerous benevolent acts in protecting holy beings in Hindu mythology. So, when we do any of the Virabhadra-asanas, we are attempting to embody the inner qualities of one of the most revered representations of the Warrior archetype. These warrior qualities are empowerment, courage, clarity, and non-attachment.
✨Part 2
Finding our inner power (em-powerment) is an essential ingredient that is cultivated in the warrior poses. We can discover this palpably by learning to “stand our ground” – connect to the earth beneath us. When one begins instruction in martial arts, this is one of the first skills that a practitioner needs to learn. If we cannot stand our ground and be solid on our feet, how can we fight? But more importantly, if we cannot stand on our own two feet, how can we really deal effectively with what comes to us in life?
Standing our ground physically involves deeply connecting to the solid foundation of the earth beneath you, whether it’s through the feet in one of the warrior poses, or through the hands in Handstand. But it also involves the utilization of that strength beneath you to extend up out of the earth and stand tall. These two actions of rooting down and extending up meet in our belly, our energetic center. When we bring our consciousness into the belly, we can feel more of both of these actions, and stand our ground from a place of balance.
Beyond the physical aspects of this quality, standing our ground cultivates presence. Being here, right in this moment, in this body. Breathing into the experience. A Warrior must, at all times, be present, ready for anything that may arise. When we are truly grounded, we are in that present moment, at one with whatever is happening. We are honest with what we observe, and make adjustments, whether in the position of the feet in Virabhadrasana II, or in how to discuss something emotionally intense with someone.
As we remain in the here and now, we stay connected to the moment, the expression on the person’s face, their tone of voice, and our feeling in our gut. Based on what we experience and our ability to stay present, we adjust how to respond next. Standing our ground is not fixed and rigid: it is solid yet adaptable, like a palm tree that is firmly connected to the earth, yet can bend and adjust even in a hurricane, and therefore is not uprooted.
To be continued....
🙏🏼 Namaste, K.
