The Yoga Warriors Project
Some ideas arrive quietly.
Others arrive and refuse to let go.
Yoga Warriors has been one of those steady, persistent whispers—showing up again and again on my mat, on the road, and in conversations with people who live their yoga far beyond a studio wall.
This project is not about mastering poses.
It’s about meeting people who have allowed yoga to meet them—right where they are, every day.
The Yoga Warriors Project is a photography-focused initiative where each practitioner's story highlights how they sustain their strength in everyday life through yoga.
Rather than teaching poses or philosophy, the Yoga Warriors Project centers on personal stories—how people came to yoga, why they stay, and how the lessons learned on their mat shape their everyday lives. It’s a project rooted in unconditional love held in our heart chakras, core emotional bodies and intentions.
In the first segment, I will highlight the original group of yogis I met during my Radical Sabbatical in 2019. These remarkable individuals helped me get started, kindly shared their time, stories, and practices, let me photograph them, and created an unforgettable experience as I traveled cross-country to meet them.
Each subsequent section will feature one yogi and include a photographic portrait of them in Warrior II, a universal posture symbolizing strength, presence, and choice, along with a second image of their self-chosen “heart-happy” pose, representing joy, authenticity, and personal expression. Together, the images and story reveal yoga not just as a practice but as a deep relationship with the body, breath, and life itself.
Rooted In A Question
“As we stand in Warrior II pose, a posture that reflects strength, steadiness, and choice, the right hand stretches into the past, the left hand into the future. Our gaze facing forward, this pose reminds us to have the courage to stand firmly in each present moment; to remain centered and rooted in our connection and purpose right here and now.”
I didn’t set out to create something about yoga poses.
I was more interested in what happens inside them—the quiet decisions, the steady breath, the way a body learns to stay when it would rather retreat or rush ahead. The Warrior II Pose kept appearing in my own practice, not as a shape to perfect, but as a place to listen.
Feet rooted.
Arms open.
Gaze steady, but not hardened.
Strength without collapse.
Softness without surrender.
For me, Warrior II asks a simple question:
Can I be fully present—strong, open, joyful—all at the same time?
This project grew from that question.
A Project Structured As A Journey
Rather than a linear how-to, the Yoga Warriors Project is organized into thematic Paths, each holding a different landscape of experience.
It’s meant to be read the way yoga is practiced—not rushed, not perfect, just present - mind, body, spirit.
Let it move you. These are stories of people who have learned to stand in their lives with presence and choice, again and again.
Each section features one yogi and two expressions of their practice:
The Warrior II pose, a shared posture that reflects strength, steadiness, and choice
A personal heart-happy pose, chosen by the yogi to express joy, freedom, and authenticity
Each story gathered explores:
Their journey to yoga
What motivates their continued practice
How yoga influences their daily movement
Discovering how to stay grounded
Facing forward with confidence and receptiveness
Embracing joy within the practice
Applying yoga principles beyond the mat in daily life
Respecting the practice as a continual, evolving process—embracing choice and trust
The narrative is unfolding as I go.
Photographs are being made.
Conversations are happening.
Stories are developing.
This project emphasizes the process as much as the outcome, focusing on listening as something that emerges. Many meaningful stories start with an invitation, highlighting the importance of openness.
The Invitation
“This project is an invitation: to notice strength without force,
to honor joy as practice, and to remember that the warrior lives within us all.”
The Yoga Warriors Project is not about mastering yoga. It is about meeting people who have allowed yoga to meet them—on studio floors, at kitchen tables, at work, in moments of grief, joy, reinvention, and return. It’s founded on presence, curiosity, and trust.
It serves as a reminder that the warrior is not someone we become, but someone we remember.
These stories highlight individuals who have learned to stand firmly in their lives, repeatedly choosing to live with awareness, love, and inner strength.
If you’re a yogi who feels called because your practice lives in your breath, your choices, and your everyday life—I would love to hear from you.
If you’re a reader, a fellow wanderer, or someone curious about yoga as lived experience, I invite you to follow along as this project takes shape.
Thank you for being here—and for standing with me in the making of the Yoga Warriors Project.
