As one of the poses related to Hanuman, Hero Pose represents the position Hanuman embodied when he was kneeling to Lord Rama. Hence, Hero pose represents the essence of reverence, humility and unyielding devotion in service of things much greater than us. Virasana reminds us of the importance of our devotion and the strength and courage necessary to be the hero in our own life. Because it is through stoking of the energy of devotion that we have an opportunity to return to our heart.
Virasana asks from us to remember our true nature and to honor our heroic journey returning to the roots of our being. It reminds us of the inherent qualities of our heart as it challenges us to see beyond the artificial layers of ourselves so that we can reveal our intrinsic beauty and deeply rooted courage and compassion.
As we take the seat, Virasana gives us an opportunity to truly embody who we are. Suddenly, an aesthetically easy looking pose has the potency to reveal to us the most intimate thoughts, feelings and beliefs we didn’t know existed or didn’t pay attention to.
Courage is the life-force of every hero and this pose reminds us that there is a hero residing in all of us. Virasana invites us to dig deeper into the reserves of courage residing in our hearts. Taking the seat of the hero teaches us to cultivate compassion and kindness towards ourselves as we endure the intensity of our thoughts and emotions, keeping steady focus on the purity of our heart and the divinity within us.
The essence of a hero is in their ability to tear open their heart and live in daily bravery through the acts of kindness, compassion and gratitude. This way we can cultivate the quality of a hero in every response and in every thought. Because when we put our attention on our highest Self, we have an opportunity to honor our essence, bringing consistency to how we show up and offer ourselves in the world. And as we witness our own courage, we elevate ourselves out of the fear and into the freedom.
Blessing: In realizing our potential, we need trust and that ‘virya’ energy to propel us toward the life of our dreams. May we have the courage to find the hero within and may we root ourselves in compassion in the pursuit of our hopes and desires.