Family Yoga

It seems every day our lives get busier – work, school, travel – where is the time for family? Often I feel like my family consists of "ships passing in the night." We see each other, but we don't seem to engage in much quality time. Our activities are different and take us in opposite directions. How do we find the time that we want and need to spend together as a family?

This past week my daughter asked me to do some Sun Salutations with her in the morning, before leaving for school. Being a yoga teacher, I am always up for a few minutes of yoga! It was really fun to move through the quick series of simple movements with her, sharing a few quiet minutes together before launching off into our busy day. But it was the time that we spent together sharing a common activity that really brought me joy.

Being a dedicated yogi, yoga instructor and mother has afforded me a unique opportunity to provide in-house yoga to my children from infancy. As infants, I would gently massage and move their tiny limbs, fingers and toes. When they would fall asleep in my arms (and all the laundry was done) I would lay or sit quietly with them, our breath falling into rhythm with one another, my mind quieting for a brief moment. As my children grew and began crawling and walking they enjoyed rolling out their little mats and imitating poses and I practiced. We'd watch and play along with the "Yoga Kids" videos, posing as birds and meowing like cats. And now that they are school aged they are also beginning to explore the other aspects of yoga – the yamas and niyamas (personal observances and social restraints), concentration, meditation, and pranayama. Breath control (pranayama) is particularly helpful and easily done for youngsters. It helps them find peace and calm quickly when they become scared (new situations), nervous (before a test), or angry (when things don't go their way). In our fast-paced world, information is fed to our children quickly and in large amounts. Yoga gives them the chance to slow down, observe, and make their own decisions.

In October, Two Rivers Yoga is offering a truly unique opportunity to slow down, and tune into family. Join us for "Family Yoga: The 1 To 1 Connection" – a 4 part workshop that focuses on bringing families together through the practice of yoga. Class will meet Sundays at 11:30am. Registration is required – call the studio or go online to register.