Warrior Lessons on Balance

Lessons on Balance from the Mat to the Mission

Standing warrior poses—like Virabhadrasana I, II, and III—are more than just physical shapes. They are symbols of life itself. They ask us to root down, rise up, and lean into what’s hard, because often, on the other side of challenge is what we truly desire.

As I’ve been building A+ Yoga—working with lawyers, marketing teams, social media, website developers, Yoga Alliance, and more—I’ve felt the truth of the warrior spirit deeply. There’s a fire that drives me, and I’ve been walking the edge of that fire every day.

But here’s what I’ve remembered, perhaps just in time: I cannot be in warrior mode 100% of the time. None of us can. That path, as many of you know, leads straight to burnout. And yes, I’ve been there before.

Even though I thought I had already learned this lesson, I found myself teetering on the edge again—pushing hard, staying up late, letting my own practice slip in the name of progress. But as the research consistently shows, sustainable success—especially for entrepreneurs and creatives—depends on balance. According to the American Psychological Association, long-term productivity and creativity are directly tied to rest, recovery, and setting healthy boundaries between work and life.

This is a reminder I’m offering to myself—and to you. Whether you’re running a yoga studio, launching a passion project, or simply navigating a busy season of life, remember: fire is a beautiful force, but without balance, it burns out.

You don’t have to be the warrior every moment. Let yourself step back, breathe, and soften. That, too, is part of the practice.

image shot at Ara Ha