Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Om

Yoga was awesome again this morning. I want to do it every day. Hmm - some crazy people do. Even 6 am hot Bikram yoga, like I said I might start doing.

Come to find out, the very same muscles that enable me to toss a 40-lb kid above my head repeatedly and wear both of them at the same time on my back & shoulders while I prance about town have rendered me almost unable to clasp my hands together and lift my arms behind me like this:
Clearly I will need remedial help in the shoulder-stretching department. I would rather look like yoga chick up there than this:


I have no idea how to make my arms loosen up. I'll have to ask my instructor to suggest some poses that I can breathe into in between scraping Play-Doh out of my hair and removing the tractor toy from my thigh. My kids never let me entirely forget they are RIGHT THERE WITH ME in yoga class. Today they convinced all the other toddlers to share their foam yoga blocks and build a barn for Pequita's pink plastic unicorn with the sparkly mane and tail. It was the hit of the yoga studio, as its feet and horn light up when you press a button on it. The other moms near me just breathed into our respective downward dogs and smiled.

I really liked ignoring the kids to the song Navah Shivayah from this album which was played at one point. The heavy drumming makes it easy to drown out all but the most persistent calls for 'Mommy!' I may buy it for motivation to yogify in my own home. The kids liked it as well, and took time out from their play to dance a bit when it came on. A little more yoga and meditation exposure and maybe we'll all be more calm. And perhaps we'll cobble together a 'spiritual practice' that works for us after all; the children already have a favorite Hindu deity, but that is a no-brainer. Ganesha is part elephant, after all.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Do the same pose as the "yoga chick" but with a strap (or belt) between your hands. Stand in Mountain Pose and hold strap in each hand, hands about 2-3' apart and slowly lift the strap up and overhead, perhaps lowering it even a little behind your shoulders. Tuck your tail bone and engage the muscles in your legs for a steady foundation as you do this. Breathe.

Unknown said...

You can also do the same pose folding forward with much wider legs (easier). Legs 4-4 1/2' apart. Make sure you are hugging the muscles of your legs close to the bone, esp your quads (muscles at the front of your thighs). Hope that helps! :)