I love humble warrior. The pose hits everything I need in a yoga pose. I've taken humble warrior pose across the globe. The stretch feels amazing. The posture feels like a good form of surrender. The bowed head, the up-stretched arms, the weight at the outside edge of feet. I love humble warrior, Bhakti - devotional.
I recognize that the form in these earlier versions of Devotional Warrior is not perfect. I have improved on the form since these were taken, I think in 2013. The pose, even when practiced with a novice's understanding, is a fantastic pose.
When we bow our heads - be it in prayer, meditation, or in devotional warrior - we submit to something greater. When we bow our heads, we must slow down. When we bow our heads, we are acknowledging that we need to stop for a moment and put the world out of our view. We admit that we need to take a pause. With your head bowed, you cannot watch for existential threats. We cannot, with a bowed head, watch for danger. We are - by the very nature of bowing our heads - noticing that we are safe. When we bow our heads, we submit.
I think it's important to bow the head occasionally. I think it's imperative that we notice our safety. I think it's imperative that we take a moment, every now and again, to stop and turn inward. I think it's imperative that we submit.