A Warrior: What Lies Beneath The Armor
I was pregnant at age 17, a junior in high school. During that time all reason and logic stood against me, and I was told that I cannot and should not be a mother. I remember standing on the edge of the lake in Sandpoint, Idaho, staring into the open night. My feet pressed into the cold sand and my body felt young and scared. Then and there, I knew what my spirt was telling me: life grew inside me. A feeling of preciousness previously unknown became obvious to me. I took a breath and stared into the dark. In the cloudy sky, one tiny star revealed itâs light to me. The light from that distant body was independent of me and yet, I could also feel it within. I felt strength like never before⦠I had found my warrior spirit.
We all have our own unique feelings around the word warrior. Weâve all had moments, invitations from within, begging us to experience that part of our selves that will never give up on life.
Life is an elaborate series of decisions. In the midst of these twists and turns, a warrior keenly senses that her life depends on her own decisions. She understands the gravity of each passing moment, and she sees how each one shapes the next. The result of this realization is a heightening of the senses and a connection to the fluctuations of life. To move like a warrior is to pause, feel, and choose to step forward, never back.
Free from the temptation of ease, a warrior is someone who has accepted her field as a loving battleground. Her role is to fight on whatever terrain she finds herself, with whatever tools she holds, and with whomever will join her.
A warrior is strong and dedicated. She is someone who knows what she stands for and is strong enough to hold fast to it when put to the test. She fights for what she knows to be right and true. Values and beliefs can change as we grow, but a warrior is dexterous, unafraid to navigate the external unknown. Her keen awareness allows her to experience the newness of each moment with certainty. Not cerebral certainty, but a conviction that exists within her whole self.
The impulse to fight and live lies below the armor in the tenderest of places, deep within us. A place so deeply personal, that nobody can touch it. A place of limitless wisdom and such intelligence that answers come spontaneously and certainly. It is self-reliant, and therefore need not be rationalized nor justified. From there, a warrior may live, good and true to herself and the world.
Remembering this rather than assuming what is right for others, we can explore our own inner reality, remembering decisions are our own and that life plays out depending on one's courage to connect with that sweet place within. Decisions from this place are free of doubt. There is no longer the painstaking itch of constant hesitancy that marks the lives of those who are disconnected from their warrior spirit. Instead, an understanding emerges that life unfolds in a series of crossroads, clearly mapped by each previous decision. Certainty is a gift that can only come from accepting there is really no going back. Memories from the past remain, but the door is shut behind them. The path ahead lies wide open.
There will always be difficulty. It is the challenging times that will draw out the warrior from within. In those moments, stand in the light of your awareness, open like a star in the night sky. Soften yourself to the movements and be sweetened by the gift of life.
I believe life is something to cherish and I believe in having a grand one. I believe in the right for each adult person to make their own decisions. I believe in the life of my dreams.
"I drop my sword and cry for awhile because deep inside, the warrior is a child." - unknown.
Annie Adamson is co-owner of Yoga Union Community Wellness Center in Portland, Oregon. She brings 12 years of experience practicing and teaching yoga to her devoted community. She is an accredited Anusara Instructor, a diligent student of Tantric philosophy, and holds certification in Power Vinyasa Levels 1, 2, and 3, and Hatha yoga. In 2006 Annie met her beloved teacher Sianna Sherman, and instantly connected to her poetically inspiring, heart-centered teaching.
Annie has since been studying with Doug Keller for Yoga Therapeutics and Tami Kent founder of holistic pelvic care for woman. Annie has helped hundred of clients find greater freedom in their bodies and specializes in one-on-one Yoga Therapeutics for injury rehabilitation. She also finds great joy in training students to become teachers and has run successful Teacher Trainings at her studio for the last 7 years. Annie is deeply inspired by nature, community and family.
Annie Adamson
Yoga union Owner
If you enjoyed this blog, check out: "Definition Reclamation Project: Words From a Warrior," "Be Her Now: Powerful Words from Octavia Raheem," "Beautiful: Kathryn Budig's Collection Inspiration," and "The Feminine Intuition: Interview With Candace McKim."
