More kids

Kids approach yoga with great enthusiasm; it’s more like play than practice!

Tadasana, Mountain Pose. Stand at attention! Cecillia Danson sent pictures of her nieces Daisy Blair, age 7, and her little sister Doris Blair, 5 years old. They were playing in Cecillia’s yoga room in Umeå, Sweden.

Vrksasana. The trees are waving at you. Can you wave back?

Adho Mukha Svanasana, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana. Down and up, and up and down!

Chatturanga Dandasana — push, push, push!

It’s more fun when we do it together! Aileen Kingerlee, from Kerry, Ireland, ran a week long yoga camps for kids during the summer at the Muckross Traditional Farms in Muckross National Park. They started each day with a yoga class, then spent the day out in nature, bread baking, butter making, milking cows, etc. Later, they did quieter poses, finishing with Sarvangasana. They each had their own yoga journal in which they wrote and drew about their day and their favorite poses.

Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Upside-down Tree Pose Facing the Wall. Climb your feet up the wall.

Kick up into this safety version of Adho Mukha Vrksasana, Upside-down Tree Pose.

Upside-down Tree Pose with the feet together.

… and spread the legs wide!

Setu Banda on the Ropes. The world looks funny when you’re upside-down!

Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana on a chair. This is what chairs were made for!

Dhanurasana, Bow Pose. Anaya, 9 years old, and her sister Isya, 4 years old, love yoga.  It’s fun to rock back and forth…

….. to push up from the floor: Urdhva Dhanurasana, Upside-down Bow Pose….

… and to feel your hair tickle your toes. Fern in Kapotasana with arms up. Photo by Suzy Dodd.

Bekhasana. Balancing is fun, too. This boy is strong!

Savasana. And now it’s time to relax.

Thanks to everyone who has sent me photos of their kids who were inspired by my book, Watch Me Do Yoga; please keep sending them in. I try my best to correctly credit all the photos, but if I’ve forgotten your child’s name, please send it to me, and I’ll update the post.

© 2016 Bobby Clennell.

Monterrey, Mexico

Workshop at Centro de Yoga Luz.

Adho Mukha Virasana. Place the lower forearms on blocks to provide space for the breast tissue to ” breathe” and shoulder joints to open.

Sirsasana. Time to get off the wall!

Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana over Crossed Bolsters. This student experienced low back pain which was threatening to interfere with her staying power. A horizontal bolster was placed under her feet. Instant relief!

Do Bharadvajasana at the wall for great leverage. Now you can lift and turn more.

…and the same for Marichyasana 1.

My long and flexible spine says I need a higher support in this pose. Now my diaphragm can open, which means my lungs are working more efficiently.

Place the hips at the wall – the sit bones should be dropped back off the edge of the support – and make sure the top of your shoulders are rolled under – opening the chest.

Monterrey

On my last night in Monterrey, on La Guadalupana Day (Our Lady of Guadalupe Day), we took the Santa Lucia boat tour on the recently built canal.

While I ate my tostadas, my hosts munched on deep fried chilies. One of my hosts in Merida lined up his raw chilies along side of his dinner plate.

© 2016 Bobby Clennell.