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Warrior Yoga

by Heather Antonissen

Being a warrior and a yogi(ni) may seem to be opposed in their approach to living. Find out why this is not necessarily so in this month's article...

Being a warrior and the things associated with war have never really been traits that I desired to aspire to. The qualities I associated with being a warrior - fierceness, judgment, anger, power - all seemed in opposition to the qualities necessary for healing and peace such as openness, acceptance and awareness. The displays of "strength" I grew up with were rigid, inflexible and condemning. They tried to tear down as opposed to build up, and they seemed to be protecting some weakness or defending some image instead of being humble and open or receptive.

Yet lately, I've been realizing how important and good these "warrior" qualities can be. One must have strength to continue to stand against the blows of life. One must make decisions about what is good for one's well-being and have the power to follow through on those decisions. Even anger can awaken a dormant spirit and inspire one to action.

The problem with strength and power comes when they are absolute and not tempered with love and flexibility. It can be intoxicating to feel the rush of energy that comes when one is called to fight, to feel power coursing through your veins when battling a foe - whether that be an opponent or an obstacle on your journey to reaching a goal. And as with many things that "feel good," we want to hold onto them. We experience this powerful strength, then we tighten our muscles and our minds as we try and maintain those sensations. As a result, these powerful emotions often cause tension, friction, rigidness, inflexibility…in essence - suffering.

True strength arises when there is flexibility balancing the power. Without one, the other dominates, creating imbalance. We can see this in our hatha yoga practice where many asanas teach balance between strength and flexibility, and when one is more appropriate than the other. This juxtaposition of the two can be found in the form of Virabhadrasana A - Warrior 1. It is a pose that requires strength and flexibility - powerful legs in a deep lunge, openness in the hips, shoulders and chest, a strong back and the strength to face your foe - to acknowledge it, honor it and deal with it. For me it calls to mind an Indian warrior saluting the gods, yet also centering himself for battle. There is great power here, but it flows and moves, it is not held and tight. Virabhadrasana A is one of only a few standing postures where the feet are grounded and the torso or head face forward ready to meet whatever may come, and the challenge of this and the other warrior poses is to relax the face and breath while having the body ready for action.

This interplay between strength and flexibility plays out off the yoga mat as well. For me, mental strength is a quality I am developing. It takes great focus to stay centered and grounded, to not follow the thoughts, whims or emotions of the day's events. It takes strength to face fears that influence my reactions to life and therefore my happiness. It takes power to change habits that cause pain and suffering. And it takes supreme force to stand open and unhindered to the tempest of life rather than hide behind protections and bravado.

Strength to say no, strength to stand one's ground, strength to consciously act, all tempered with the flexibility to admit mistake, to adjust expectations, to acknowledge another's truth - these are all part of a true warrior with true strength. In the Chinese tradition, this is exemplified by the bamboo tree - the bark is so strong it cannot be marked by a sword's blow, but it is flexible and easily sways in the wind. Therefore, the ultimate goal is to be strong and powerful, yet relaxed.

Strength and flexibility must continuously dance together, with each leading at different times; and our yoga practice is a wonderful place to find this equilibrium. In each asana, take the time to observe where more flexibility or strength is needed. While Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Forward Bend) is primarily a pose focused on flexibility, strength is required to go more deeply into the pose. The bent thigh must press into the ground to promote the openness of the hip, the back must engage and lengthen along with the straight leg to go more deeply into the hamstring and the arms must engaged to help pull the torso toward the foot. Yet even amidst all this energy, the shoulders must stay relaxed and open away from the ears, the hamstring must release and the breath should stay quiet and calm. Handstand, however, is mostly about strength -- in the arms, the stomach and back. Yet flexibility is also important here. If there is tightness in the shoulders, there is no way to open the shoulders enough to balance on them. One must also have flexibility to accommodate for the continuous change in balance or else a fall is imminent.

In each pose, consistent body awareness is required. Where can tension or support be released, where is more flexibility necessary? What can you engage to go more deeply into the pose, and where can you let go to go more deeply into the pose? Both strength and flexibility complement the other. True strength has movement and flexibility otherwise it breaks when it reaches its maximum capacity. Flexibility must have strength to give it substance and to protect from injury and decimation. There is no right answer for every pose or for every situation. It is only by listening and being aware that the answer will present itself when the moment is right.

Heather Antonissen, May 2002

Write to Heather at heather@yogaisyouth.com

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