If routine was a spectrum and organized fashion was at one end and chaotic beldam was at the other, you can guess where my family hovers. When people get excited about the routines that September promises, I think of that Jim Gaffigan joke about becoming a father for the fourth time:

“Just Imagine you're drowning, and then someone hands you a baby.”

This is how back-to-school feels to me. You’ve just got your head above water, and not well, because you did swimming lessons in the late 80s and mastered the bicycle-treading-water technique before the much more efficient eggbeater trend. 

So your head is just slightly above water, eyes only, and someone hands you three school schedules at different schools, random hockey ice times with no rhyme or reason, and various preschool lessons that last a maximum of 30 minutes.

But, apparently, I bore easily and seem to thrive in a touch of anarchy. I gave routine a whirl recently, and bad things happened, so I still need to be convinced that the orderly life is for me.

And so, we enter another round of schedule wars and hope to unlock the next level with courage, strength, determination, memory, up-to-date calendars and gas in the tank (the car one and the proverbial one). 

The yoga posture I would most like to assume is child’s pose, and the really tight variation—not the one with arms stretched out and knees wide, but the one with knees tight, head tucked in, arms by the feet, and body rounded forward over the legs.

But I will choose instead to find my way into Warrior 1, a posture I avoided teaching for years for two main reasons:

1. Yoga teachers love to fight about this pose. Is the back leg internally rotated? Is it externally rotated? Is it internally rotate-ING but in an external position?
   As it turns out, no one cares!
2. This pose causes many people discomfort and even pain in the back leg, ankle, knee, hip, and lower back. 

Thus, I chose an avoidance strategy and offered lunges instead, which remain my go-to modification for this pose and may forever be your expression of Warrior. Lately, I have been re-exploring this posture and have found a new love for it.

The posture is named after Virabhadra, a fierce warrior from the Upanishads, ancient Hindu texts written in Sanskrit around 800–200 BC. Like many stories from the Upanishads, the tale of Virabhadra carries a moral meant to enrich our lives. In modern times, the story is often seen as a metaphor for overcoming the ego.

The Sanskrit name for Warrior postures is Virabhadrasana I, II, III. The name breaks down as "vira" meaning "hero," "bhadra" meaning "friend," and "asana" meaning "pose." The direct translation suggests a "hero friend pose," which may reflect the posture's essence, a warrior spirit of strength, loyalty, fearlessness, and love.

In Virabhadrasana I, you stand in a lunge-like position with the back foot turned out and the heel grounded. The chest faces forward as much as possible, and the arms reach up. The palms may join together as they stretch towards the sky; for those who can, there is a notable extension through the spine. The shape of the body in this pose symbolizes Virabhadra when the warrior burst through the Earth's surface to face his battle and defend his beloved.

The posture's namesake is derived from Hindu mythology. Still, it only appeared in the physical practice of hatha yoga in the 20th century, specifically in the practices of Krishnamacharya, often coined the Father of modern-day yoga, and his student Pattabhi Jois, the creator of Ashtanga Yoga. Pattabhi Jois was photographed in Warrior I around 1939.

It is suggested that the posture's physical shape was inspired by early 20th-century European gymnastics, which was influential in India at the time.

So, as we burst through the earth's surface into September and awaken our warriors within, may we be clear-eyed, open to possibilities, true to ourselves, and leave time for naps. And remember, summer isn't officially over until September 21. It's capitalism that has led us to believe otherwise.

With sass and love,
Sara

PS A little playlist for practice and warrior business.

What's Happening In Studio & Online

• I have started writing for OfferingTree, the incredible software company for wellness businesses through which I host my website. This is kind of a dream job for me. I have written two blog posts and am on my third assignment. You can check them out here.
• This Friday, Aug 30, Feel Good Flow + Strength will run at a special time (just this week) 1 - 1:50 p.m.
• I am running regular classes this coming long weekend on Saturday, August 31, and Monday, September 2, including Prenatal Yoga from 6 - 7 p.m. and Movement + Meditation from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
• I will be away for about a week + starting Sept 5. I will announce my guest teacher list early next week.
• Our classes are thriving. I thank you so much for your interest and commitment. Due to increased sales, I have to start charging GST. You will notice a slight price increase.
• Prenatal yoga is now included in the membership, pass cards, and regular drop-in rate. I will try to run it as a regular weekly drop-in class instead of a registered program.
• If you know anyone interested in joining us in person or online, please send them this code for a free first class: yogawithsara.
• Yoga for Youth Hockey Players was an incredible success. We are planning our next dates and will release them soon!

Follow me on Instagram for up-to-date class announcements and such.