Once upon a time there was a hip warrior named Malike who had a busted knee. They had big dreams of slaying but they had committed to a day job where they sat all day. Their body was stiff, their low back ached and their shoulders were tight from being anchored to one body positioning all day. Their dreams of slaying seemed further and further like a tale of faeries. Malike remembered the joy of their training from long ago under the crescent moon.

Malike decided to regain confidence in movement and attended the nearest yoga shala to reclaim their breath and life. They arrived coyly and inspired to make new friends and feel connected with themselves. The yoga teacher opened class in they way it had been taught by her teachers, and her teachers’ teachers: Center | Ohm | Sun Salutation A | Sun Salutation B.

Warrior ONE and Warrior TWO explained. Have you ever been in a yoga class and wondered why these ubiquitous postures are called warrior one and warrior two?

IMHO, I think because our hands and arms are slaying and our feet are in an attack position, but who really knows! What I do know is that it has taken me a very long time to understand how these two postures fit in my body, and not how my body fits in the postures, and I’m still refining it.

Can this contemplative practice actually create peace within?

It's often difficult to recognize the value of tough times when we're going through them, but looking back, we can see how those experiences shaped us into the resilient individuals we are today. Remembering this can help us find strength and perseverance during future challenges.