The Warrior

In the practice of yoga, one of my favorite standing poses is Warrior I. It seems contradictory for the practice of yoga to have a series of poses named after a warrior; after all isn’t yoga known for its promotion of peaceful ways and non-violence? 

But, in The Bhagavad-Gita, one of India’s most famous sacred texts, it is explained that the idea of this pose is the “spiritual warrior,” who‘s only battle is within his/her self and the universal enemy of self-ignorance. In the text, self-ignorance is described as the source of all human suffering.

The Warrior is not about fighting anything other than our own self-doubt. The only struggle is within, at the times when we forget the divine power that is alive in all of us. The warrior’s physical posture is about holding your balance with strong legs and an open heart while keeping your focus within. The pose represents how you can access the unlimited radiance and grace that is in the stillness of your own presence. Staying balanced in that pose, regardless of what is going on around you.

Most of us will never experience a life without any difficulties or turbulent times. The Warrior offers a useful tool in that, instead of fighting, you can stay strong with the self-knowledge that no exterior life circumstances or condition can change who you really are. If you can stay consciously at peace on the inside, no matter what is going on around you, you can continue to live with joy. True happiness comes from our own self-love. Nothing on the outside brings feelings of happiness that aren’t fleeting. The joy comes from within you, with the absolute knowledge that YOU ARE ENOUGH and you will get through and share your unique gifts with the world.

Yoga doesn’t necessarily change the situations we are facing in our daily lives, but it can help you face them by maintaining your own sense of peace and well-being…that is the way of the “Spirited Woman Warrior.”

- Maureen Keyte
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Comments

[Maureen]

Thanks Jill! I love your thoughts on reflecting others gifts. We are all mirrors of each other.
Maureen

[Jill]

Maureen - I am so grateful you made this connection. I agree...the peace and strength comes from within you... and that is how you strengthen your outerself. This helps you fight off the negative influences with your own inner peace and positive outlook.

Linking this to your healthy relationships post...when "YOU ARE ENOUGH" and can "SHARE YOUR UNIQUE GIFTS WITH THE WORLD", you can share them with other people in your life, and reflect their gifts to them. So by using your gifts, others in your lives discover their gifts and that in turn, brings out their inner peace, etc.

I will think of this next time I am in yoga, and I notice a classmate with a particularly strong warrior pose.