Yogis Unite

One of my favorite things right now is Zack Kurland's book Morning Yoga Workouts.  You can choose from a bunch of workouts of varying intensities and lengths, which is perfect if you don't have time to squeeze in a full practice but want to stretch or center or whatever.  I do them every night (so much for morning workout).  If it's Eric's turn to put Addie down, I get to do an hour's worth.  If it's my turn, I'll just do twenty minutes.

Addie's been doing yoga with me for a long time.  Well, not "with."  Alongside.  And not really "yoga."  But more like non-stop chatter and fidgeting.  Sometimes I'll abandon my practice and just make up a kid routine that we do together.  But other times, I just let her ramble on beside me while I try to move.  It goes like this.

"Mommy, can I do yoga with you?"

"Mmm-hmmm."  Exhale, inhale, mountain, standing forward bend.

"I'm just going to roll this mat out here right alonside yours and do yoga with you."

"Mmm-hmmm."  Exhale, inhale, upward-facing dog, downward-facing dog.

"Cause I'm really good at yoga.  Except I do kid yoga and you do mommy yoga.  But first I'm just going to roll myself up in my mat like a burrito.  Mommy, can you roll me up like a burrito?  Then I can be all cozy?  And can you get me my babies?  Then we can be all cozy in here together?  And you'll be the grandma bunny, and I'll be the sister bunny, and there will be baby bunnies?  Bor, no!  I'll be the mommy fairy unicorn princess, and you'll be the baby fairy unicorn princess who does yoga, and we will have three sisters?"

"Mommy's doing yoga, Addie.  You'll have to go get your babies by yourself."  Exhale, inhale, lunge, standing forward bend. 

"I guess I don't need my babies.  Now I'm going to do yoga with you.  What's that pose you're doing, mommy?"

"This one's called Warrior, Addie.  See how straight and strong my arms are?"

"I see.  But it doesn't look very hard.  I'm going to do my favorite yoga.  It's hard yoga.  It's called 'Breathe and Calm Down Your Body.'  No, I call it the 'really body calmer.'  See?  All you do is put your foot up like this, and then you can even lick your toes if you want!"

"Addie!  Gross!  We shouldn't put our feet in our mouths!  How did you get your leg up that high?"  Exhale, inhale, crouching mommy, stretching toddler.

"But I can also do this one, mommy!  Look!  I put my head down like this, and stick my leg out and my arms out...oops!  I tooted, mommy!"

"Ew, Addie!  I'm trying to breathe deep!"  Exhale, inhale, giggling mommy, tooting toddler.

"Also, Mommy?  What is that bag on your tummy?"

"What bag?"

"This one--the one on your tummy!"  Grabs mommy's belly roll.

"Oh.  That's my yoga bag, honey.  It helps keep me balanced." 

Exhale, inhale, mommy-gives-up, toddler-wins.

Namaste, Addie.