The Warrior Pose or Virbhadrasana. This pose found its name from the Bhagvad Gita. This great scripture is about the dialog between Krishna (higher consciousness) and Arjuna (the struggling soul) on the battle field. A battle of two opposing armies who were related.
Arjuna could not understand this and was reluctant to take part in it. It is also the battle of the ego or inner self!
Warrior pose is a strong asana that begins its foundation from the ground up. Finding balance, stability and connection from and with the ground under our feet.
A posture that strengthens and tones the lower back and body. Creates an openness in the heart and chest area. Holding this pose for several minutes increases our endurance and improves our concentration and balance.
To me the beauty of this posture is the effect it has on the self. When I find myself in a dilemma with my mind, heart or thoughts I proceed to my mat and slowly with the guidance of my breath I begin to come into Virbhadrasana.
It is here where the battle with my self begins. I gently surrender to the sound of my breath. My body only moves deeper into the pose when my breath is ready, fluid, strong and focused.
With each inhale I allow my spine to lengthen and with each exhale I allow my muscles to relax. Avoiding any tightness or stress in the pose. My awareness shifts to my legs, finding that simple balance between the left and right. Finding stability from the base in order to support the upper half.
As I hold my pose longer, my mind begins to fights at every step. It wants to take over. My breath becomes shorter and quicker. The body begins to cry out in discomfort. Am I fighting with something that is beyond my control? What am I doing wrong? Questions after questions run wild within my head. It did not take very long for me to loose control, I caved in to my mind and forgot everything else.
I began to picture the scene between Krishna and Arjuna. How Arjuna begins to question Krishna about his doubts, demons and ego.
Before I knew it I was in my perfect Warrior pose. My breath, mind and spirit were in harmony. My pose became relaxed and light. A smile on my face appeared. Whatever storm I was fighting seemed to have calmed. My Virbhadrasna or warrior pose was strong yet light, soft yet elegant. It became quite clear to me that for the pose to be comfotable I needed to connect the balance, support, breathing and body together. It needed to be in sync!
When I stepped off the mat I found focus and peace for the day. I found that I could handle situations easier and with a sound mind. I felt connected to the earth and to my inner self.
