Durga Rising: Invoking the Warrior Goddess

What if the warrior you've been waiting for already lives inside you, waiting to be awakened?

It's Navaratri, the Hindu festival of nine nights devoted to the goddess. At its heart is Durga, the invincible warrior goddess who defeated the demon Mahishasura when even the gods could not.

She embodies the strength that cuts through fear and illusion to reveal your true power—the same ferocious love that dwells in each in of us.

Durga's name means the invincible. Picture her: draped in red, riding a lion (or tiger) with grace and fierce resolve, her eight arms wielding weapons gifted by the gods. She was created to restore harmony and stand unshaken in the midst of chaos. Her myth reminds us that these powers aren't hers alone—they live in us, waiting to be awakened.

I remember sitting on the cool marble floor of her temple in India, imagining her weapons at work inside me: her sword severing insecurity, her arrows piercing through fear, her mace crushing the weight of unworthiness.

But we don't need ancient stories to understand Durga's relevance. Today's demons are both personal and planetary. There's the self-doubt that whispers you're not ready, the anxiety that keeps you playing small, the inherited wounds that tell you you're not enough.

Beyond these, we face collective battles: climate chaos, crumbling systems, and the uncertainty of living through profound global transformation.

All of this demands the same unshakeable strength that Durga embodies—the ability to remain steady in the face of what feels impossible and to act with clarity when the way forward is unclear.

The power of her story isn't only in her victory, but in how she remained unwavering and undaunted in the midst of chaos. That is our call too: to cultivate that steadiness within ourselves, not just for our own growth, but as a contribution to the healing our world so desperately needs.

This is where yoga becomes your training ground. You can invoke her power through your practice. When you hold a pose longer than feels comfortable, breathe Durga's strength into your body. Flowing through the warrior poses, embody her resolve in your stance. When you attempt a posture that challenges you, call upon her fearlessness.

Each time you choose to stay present with discomfort, breathe through resistance, and meet your edge with curiosity instead of retreat—you invoke Durga's grace and invincible spirit.

This is the gift of a transformative yoga practice. Through embodied wisdom, you reclaim your inherent power and freedom, awakening your capacity to show up with courage and compassion for yourself and your communities.

May this Navaratri remind you that Durga is not outside of you. She is within, in every breath that steadies you and every moment you choose to stand in your power.

 A Simple Meditation to Invoke Durga

Step 1: Sit comfortably with your spine tall. Close your eyes and take three conscious breaths.

Step 2: Bring to mind a current challenge—something asking you to be braver than you feel.

Step 3: Visualize Durga before you: radiant in red, seated on her tiger, weapons raised in fierce protection. Meet her compassionate yet unwavering gaze.

Step 4: Imagine her stepping forward and placing one hand on your heart. Feel her strength flowing into your chest like a warm golden light.

Step 5: Silently repeat: "I carry the strength of the invincible. I am protected. I am brave."

Step 6: See yourself standing alongside Durga, facing your challenge with her steady presence beside you. Notice how your posture may shift or your breath deepen.

Step 7: When you're ready, open your eyes. Acknowledge that this strength lives within you always.

Carry Durga's invincible spirit with you into your day.