In Warrior pose I reflect on what I want and what strength I need to cultivate. When I build the pose from the ground up I realize that a stable stance is necessary to rise from a centered place. Such lift requires me to meet situations straight on and be straight with myself and others while having a capacity to bend and rotate but not break. It is such strength that I emerge out of.
It becomes clear what I am up against is my own lower nature. Others are the mirror for me to see both my shortcomings and victories. I battle these aspects of myself for the sake of being the love that I am in Essence. It is my responsibility to take action and stretch beyond my limitations. The warrior asks me to respond to the Light, and in that responsiveness to do what needs to be done. There is no time to play small or back down while in battle; it is time to face myself, act, pray and release.
When I take ownership of my life I can make changes and create. I can learn from the past, have a vision for the future, and stand with the present. I have choice and opportunity awaits. At times, I need to do what isn’t comfortable to cooperate with my evolution. What is asked of me isn’t always what I want for myself and to listen to the Divine requires both my effort and surrender.
To stay in the moment with alertness supports my ability to discern. It doesn’t serve me to dwell on what has happened and be carried by my mind to the past. I need to keep my vision towards the goal and stay present. To be a warrior I cannot hold myself to an outdated image; upgrading and transformation are key. It is up to me; I can take responsibility and become the person I want to be. Each moment I can approach from an empowered place.
Warm-Ups You can warm up the whole body by doing a few Sun Salutations. This will also help to stretch the hips and legs. Other hip warm ups to explore could be tree pose, bound angle, both on the wall or lying down, and wide angle forward fold. Hare, either standing or kneeling, will help to warm the shoulders and expand the chest.
Cool-Downs After Warrior 2 you can either stand in Mountain pose and notice the effects on your mind and body or go into Wide Angle Forward Fold. Wide Angle Forward Fold can also be done before transitioning to the other side.
Alginment Explore the weight on the feet and see that both sides of the feet, and the back of the feet, are pressing into the floor equally. Notice the difference between the rotation in the legs: the back leg is rotating inward to follow the foot below and the front leg is rotating outward drawing the knee towards the outside edge of the foot. You should still be able to see your toes past your knee. Feel that your upper body lifts from the hips. As a way to see if you are centered you can lean slightly towards the front and towards the back, returning to center and rising. Take a look at the arms and see that they are straight across the body.
Entering/Exiting
Step into a wide leg stance facing the long end of the mat.
Turn one foot 45 degrees in (back foot) and the other foot 90 degrees out (front foot) facing the short end of the mat. See that the heel of the front foot is algined with the instep of the back foot.
Lift the arms toward the sky and bring them into a T position outstretched from the shoulders. Take a look at your back arm and see that it is straight across from the front arm. Reach out of the index fingers to open the chest. Look over the front hand with a soft gaze.
Bend at the front knee and ensure that you can still see your toes. Draw the knee slightly towards the pinky side of the foot. Engage the back leg.
To come out, straighten the front leg, turn both feet towards the long end of the mat, release the arms.
When you are ready, transition towards the other side.
Practices
Reflect on what your responsibilities are. How do you respond to your life? To what you know? What does it mean to you to take responsibility; would you do something differently?
What are the obstacles you need to overcome and what inner strength will help you do so?