Warrior Wellness is NOT a fitness studio!
However be prepared to shed weight, trauma & drama.
Yoga’s roots are from the eastern world. A practice of creating balance in both strength and flexibility in all three bodies; physical, mental and spiritual (emotional). Here in the west, a melting pot of culture, we have stripped away where we came from and forget who we are as we attempt to find “sameness” with our fellow neighbours. Evolving to a point it is nearly criminal to recognize our differences. As a white biologically female, I receive constant reminders that I am privileged as well as repressed. This is what my neighbours in society reminds me. I do not accept their labels, I am a warrior!
Here in the western world we adopted the practice of yoga like we do everything else. We have stripped it down and forgot about what we can not see and focus almost completely on the physical accomplishments obtainable. We practice yoga in studios designed to sweat, shed fat, increase flexibility with the help of outside forces and not what is natural growth. Bigger, stronger and faster in as little time as possible. I am guilty of this too, and will openly admit I started yoga over a decade ago with a lot of post pregnancy weight to shed. I found the studio and teachers I needed at the time, and over the years my practice has evolve as my life changed. One of my Ayurveda teachers, Katie Silcox, thought using a beautiful metaphor which helped me understand the magic that would happen if Eastern and Western knowledge worked together.
Let a farmers field represent the human body. Over time the soil changes from use, as well as environmental factors. The soils ability to grow what is needed decreases, and becomes more ideal for less desirable plants. Thistles, and dandelions for example start to appear at an alarming rate if conditions don’t change. Western medicine is amazing at diagnosing what these unwanted “plants” are, and treating the “plants” as they surface. However the plants never stop, and the longer the treatment for the “plants” take place the soil absorbs yet more elemental substances. Which could over time result in additional “plants” appearing. I praise the west for buying the field time through the diagnoses, as well as helping to control the unwanted “plants”. Western treatment is just a bandaid. It is not designed to treat the underlying reason for the unwanted “plants”. Eastern approach is to look at the soil and what makes the soil desirable for these unwanted “plants”. What makes the dandelions, and thistles grow, then through addition or subtraction bring the soil back to what is needed to grow what is desired.
Western medicine recognizes the same three pillars that are the foundation of Eastern medicine; physical body, mental body and emotional body. Most treatment plans you receive from a family doctor will include changes to diet and exercise (physical), or fall under mental health (mental & emotional). Religious groups also bring awareness to these pillars (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Instead of creating division by the different use of words imagine how powerful people would be as a collective if focused on how we could learn from and help each other.
This is exactly what Warrior Yoga hopes to share with the world. We are focusing on creating sameness through removal of difference. When it is our differences that show how much we are the same. Understand? See how words can play with the goal? Words are organized in such a way to giving people a false sense of direction or instructions to success. Warrior yoga goal is to teach people that they have the instruction manual they just have to listen to what their bodies are saying. All five of them; physical, breath, mental, emotional, and bliss(spiritual).
