A Body Posture
to Celebrate and Tune Into
Aries + Equinox Energies:
It's useful to print this page. In any case, read thru before starting.
This pose is called:
Virabhadrasana
According to the legendary poem of Kumarasambhava,
Virabhadra is a divine Hindu hero,
created from one of Shiva's hairs.
It is commonly known as
WARRIOR
pose
and was chosen for its resonance with Shiva
& the symbolic Warriorship of Aries.
This posture demands strength, steadiness, focus.
It develops force and energy.
Like Aries Warrior, we take a stand and reach for the Heavens
to align ourselves with the Divine Will.
It aligns us as well with Equinox principles of
balance, give-and-take, Earth-and-Sky forces.
This posture may be adapted to all body types and conditions.
It is strenuous though, so don't force or strain.
Remain open to your body's messages. Respect your limits.
the Key : Awaken the inner Light Body,
use your Breath to move Energy where needed. Focus.
Try to contact and move from your inner energy, not just your muscles.
The whole idea behind asanas is:
Developing focus and concentration so as to calm the mental agitation.
Preparing the body to receive higher frequency~
strengthening, toning, clearing the channels, etc
STILLING:
Prepare a comfortable space, where you won't be bothered for 30 minutes or so...
Standing, feet together, arms hanging at your sides.
Breathe deeply, steadily, to relax and prepare your body.
Calm your emotions, let go of busy mental chatter.
Find inner stillness.
EARTH ROOTS:
Spread your feet about 3,5 to 4 feet apart.
Turn your entire body to the right.
Your feet stay in the same place but turn, in the same direction as
the body.
(Right foot turns 90° forward, left foot also, but only 45°).
Breathe deeply.
Take some time to establish some "roots" in your place.
Feel the contact with the earth or floor.
Feel yourself "sinking down" to reach & connect with the terrestrial
energies.
Visualize and become aware of this process,
and feel your breath slowing and calming down.
Tune into this moment of Equinox, a turning point in
the cycle
where Day is in equal balance to Night.
Feel your Balance ~ in yourself, in your body,
between Sky and Earth.
You are the connecting agent.
Find the correct point of Balance throughout your hips and bassin,
from your legs to your torso,
which allows you to be at ease, grounded, unwavering.
Breathe.
Exhale and bend your right knee so that the tibia (leg)
is perpendicular to the ground. The thigh is more or less parallel to
the ground.
The back leg stretches and lengthens to accomodate and support.
As the right knee is bent, the spine+back remain
flexible, upright, and highly alert to all adjustments to be made.
Legs/torso relationship too will be constantly adjusting to find the
right Balance.
Feel the force in your legs, feel the potential for
great strength and tonicity
in your legs and in your entire body.
This tonicity is a hallmark of dynamic Aries energy.
GIVE and TAKE:
After a moment, you may feel a certain unity with the
ground/floor.
The energies of your body & the earth mingle and meet,
knowing there is no actual barrier.
Take time to savor and explore this connection with
Earth forces.
As you settle more and more into Ground, earth rises to flow up into
you.
It is reciprocal.
This reminds us, too, of the
give-and-take relation we can cultivate with Earth,
a rich theme of reflection at this time of year, the Equinox.
SKY CONNECTION:
Now will come a time when you're ready to raise your
arms up, to the sky.
Hands together in a comfortable manner, palms touching.
he back is supple and slightly arched,
the arms are rising and head is tilted gently back,
so you may look at your hands and the sky.
This is your prayer to the heavens, to the world.
This joining of hands represents the honoring of
Integrity, Center, Focus.
Don't forget to involve Heart Center in the process,
especially so as to balance the Aries energy,
which can be very Yang (active, masculine, sky, head).
The right thigh should be supporting strongly, from
underneath, not collapsing down.
The left thigh as well, especially around the knees should support,
and not fall or collapse down towards the floor.
Your arms should remain supple and sinuous
in order to find a right relationship with the rest of your body.
Feel your back, arms, sides stretching to rise.
Feel your legs, feets, seat all lowering to, yet supported by, Earth.
Remind your shoulders and neck to drop and relax. Stay
open and soft.
Tune into this polarity of anchored legs and rising to sky.
Don't forget to breathe calmly and deeply, at your own rhythm.
When ready, return gently and with great attention
to the initial position.
Try the same pose, on the other side this time.
Experiment & notice how your attitude and relaxed
concentration
determine the ease and flow of the posture
You can completely hold this pose as long as comfortable.
You can breathe and see how many respirations seem right for you;
for example, start with 3 to 5 complete breaths, and then add on if
it feels OK.
Lower & re-raise your legs & arms as often as you must.
Release tension in legs, back, neck, arms, begin again.
Experiment using affirmations with this pose. Some examples:
The force of the Universe flows thru me and supports
me.
Aries strength fills my being.
Aries clear light fills my every cell.
I am centered, strong, clear.
Heart & Mind are united.
ETC...
As you explore this asana, contemplate the symbolism.
Be open to where it leads. Some questions might be:
Am I lacking strength, staying power, tonicity, focus ?
Where else in my life is this true ?
How easily do my legs (action in the world) support me ?
How conscious and graceful is my relation between
earth and sky (between the practical and idealistic aspects of my life)
?
Am I straining or scrambling, insisting on "getting it right" ?
Is the mind too busy ? Where is resistance coming from ? Etc…
It takes great tonicity, concentration and fine-tuning
to fully benefit from and appreciate this posture.
It is fairly strenuous, so don't expect to "perfect" it at
once.
Do not force beyond your limits, it would be missing the whole point.
The whole idea is to develop the fore-mentioned qualities while exploring
the pose.
Once you've finished, lie down for sometime, totally releasing into the horizontal position.
Blessings to All...
