Knowing When to Fly

As wildfires rage California, many people must flee their homes and evacuate entire towns. Others are staying behind to fight fires, report, or help neighbors escape. Part of being a warrior is knowing when to stand your ground and when to fly. This decision mostly comes from a place of intuition and inner guidance. It is also informed by external knowledge. 

The yoga pose Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana C) – known also as Airplane Pose – is a great metaphor for the idea of cultivating warrior-knowledge. As a balancing pose, Virabhadrasana C embodies the idea that tough decisions are best made when we are in a place of equilibrium and calm.  Pose variations have spiritual correlations: arms at the sides and looking down mirror inner reflection, arms outstretched overhead suggest reaching for help from others, while arms opened fully in Airplane Pose remind us to embrace everything that unfolds in our lives.

To practice Warrior 3, begin standing in Mountain Pose. Shift your weight to one foot and lean forward with your leg stretched out behind you. Look down at the ground for balance and lift your outstretched leg while flexing your foot. Next stretch your arms forward as if reaching for help from another. Lastly, bring your arms out to your sides like airplane wings. Breathe deeply while you imagine all the places you will fly! Can you look forward while maintaining your balance? Fly high above the clouds like a superhero. Be sure to spend an equal amount of time on each side.

As the fires continue to burn, we hope for the safety and well-being of all the warriors who left and those who remain behind. Once the danger has passed, may the best opportunities for change, growth and rebirth arise from the ashes.

Images: Yoga Teddy Bear A-B-C for the letter “A.” Available as full color book or coloring book. Photo of K. Mae Copham practicing Warrior 3 in Vail, CO by Robert Oakley.