Cultivating Your Inner Warrior
Practicing Warrior 2 in the park
One of the reasons I love yoga is that it allows you to cultivate physical ability and personal qualities at the same time. Not only do the yoga postures (asanas) develop strength, mobility, and flexibility, but when practiced with the right attitude, they lead to personal insight and mental resilience.
Let’s take, for example, the warrior postures. These are some of my favorite postures to teach because they are challenging, can be practiced no matter your level of flexibility, and they cultivate the fierce focus of a warrior.
On a physical level, they develop strength in the legs, open shoulders and hips, and a powerful core; essentially, they undo many of the negative effects caused by sitting in front of a computer for long periods.
On the mental level, they take focus and determination to hold. They teach humility (because they are demanding) and confidence (because the stance is strong and open). Boiled down to it, they help us cultivate a stable, resilient, and calm stance in the face of great effort.
On a more symbolic level, each warrior posture cultivates a different expression of warriorship. In Warrior 1, we see the victorious warrior: strong stance and arms thrown up like the marathon runner who has completed a grueling race or the superstar athlete as they enter the stadium.
In Warrior 2, we have the open-hearted, fiercely focused warrior who fights for what they believe in, sees through doubt, and faces challenges with courage.
In Warrior 3, the most difficult of the three warrior postures, we embody the warrior who shows their victory to the world. This is a full body effort — standing on one leg, the body parallel to the ground while reaching in both directions from fingers to toes. In mythology, this posture represents the moment when Virabhadra takes the head of his vanquished enemy and puts it on a spike for all to see.
And in all three postures, we experience the core teaching of warriorship: the strength of your foundation allows you to rise up and face life’s challenges with courage and integrity.
Facing Everyday Fears — A Personal Experience
I remember I once had this experience of fear. It wasn’t the deep fear of losing a loved one, but it was still powerful: it was the fear of losing my job. I had done something less than perfect and was very worried about how my boss would see it and what my lack of skill would make him think of me. My survival instinct had been triggered, and I entered into a swirl of worry and fear.
This had been a habitual tendency of mine, but having been practicing yoga quite consistently, I took a moment and focused on the physical sensations that arose as these worried and fearful thoughts circulated.
I found that the back of my neck was tight, my chest compressed, and my shoulders were rolling forward: the opposite movement of Warrior 2. So, rather than allow the circular thoughts to continue taking hold of my mind and mood, I practiced Warrior 2.
It was like a release valve had been opened. The circular thinking and the sensations I’d associated with it suddenly moved through me. I didn’t force them away; I watched them, and they lost their power. They were just thoughts, and whether or not my mistake had made my boss think I was an idiot, one thing became clear: I wanted to do better.
Yes, I hadn’t lived up to my standards; yes, my boss might think badly of me; yes, there was nothing I could do about the past; and yes, I wanted to do better. All these thoughts were present. When I tried to push them away as untrue or unfounded, it was like pushing the merry-go-round of my mind over and over again. But, when I stood in Warrior 2 and watched without pushing, my focus sliced through the circular thinking, and I was able to accept the seemingly conflicting thoughts.
I found some respite.
The next time you need a break from worried thoughts or self-doubt, try Warrior 2 (picture above, directions below) and see what you experience. It might be entirely different from me, and that’s fine. Be a scientist, experiment, stay away from unproductive pain, and comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
Directions
Open your legs about one-and-a-half leg distance apart. Turn your front foot to face forward and your back foot to face the side (90 degrees).Keep the back leg straight and the front leg bent (about 90 degrees or to your capacity). Make sure the front knee points toward the middle of the front foot without going past your heel, and reach your arms from the center of your chest.
Joe Germinario
