After reading a truly amazing book, I found myself looking up the meaning behind warrior pose. Richard Rosen, a contributing editor of Yoga Journal, offers this:

“The yogi is really a warrior against his own ignorance,” Rosen says. “I speculate that Virabhadrasana I (warrior pose) is about rising up out of your own limitations.”

I can’t imagine a more fitting synopsis of the book by Brad Willis (aka Bhava Ram), Warrior Pose: How Yoga (Literally) Saved My Life.

A friend of mine recently attended an event where she had the opportunity to hear the author speak. She raved about him, so off I went to the local Barnes & Noble, where the book had literally just been placed on the shelf. Barnes & Noble is like Whole Foods for me. I can spend hours in the aisles, wandering the possibilities.

As soon as I read the opening, I couldn’t put it down:

“Life’s greatest lessons usually sneak up on us when we least expect them. Some hit like hurricanes, turning our worlds upside down and wreaking havoc. It’s always confusing, chaotic, and challenging to understand why we’ve been chosen for such a fate, and in the midst of the maelstrom, it’s impossible to view our suffering as a blessing. But it almost always is.”

His story conveys the simple message that we all possess the power to overcome great obstacles; it is within and available, if we are willing to open up to our inner wisdom. I love that he shares the messages he receives from his daily practice. Whether you do yoga or not, I think they are applicable to everyone:

Practice every day

Breathe deeply all the time

Take it further and further

Purify yourself in body and mind

Move beyond your perceived limitations

Release the past

Open your heart

Live from your Soul

It is a beautiful story about a life transformed: a man who achieved great success and drove himself to the upper echelons of a coveted foreign correspondent existence, but after breaking his back and becoming addicted to pain meds and alcohol, he descends into another kind of life. Incredibly, he is also diagnosed with Stage IV throat cancer.

I love his transparency. He shares his journey to the top of journalism, as well as his descent into addiction, in a candid and relatable way. His discovery of yoga puts him on an entirely different path, one that ultimately saves his life. It is an inspiring book that offers tools and hope to anyone on the healing path. Both he and his wife teach yoga here in San Diego.

Let me know if you read it. I’d love to know your thoughts.

-db

Who is Dianna Bonny?

Hi, my name is Dianna Bonny. It’s my mission to candidly share my journey with you. For me, it’s all about the healing: to create a radiant healing energy for others who have befallen a similar fate. Together, we can forge beautiful lives of belonging and connection. Thanks for joining me today! I look forward to hearing from you.