Release You Inner Elephant

Stand Strong Little Tree

Down Dog, Up Dog and in between – my yoga mat gets a lot of use at home.  

Whether I’m trying to challenge myself with something new like Vasisthasana  or  I’m warming up with Sun Salutations, my toddler watches my every move. Lately, his curiosity has led him to the mat trying to imitate my practice.  

This week, I wanted him to grow some roots.  

At first, we looked outside at the mighty pines swaying in the wind.  We stared as the snow melted and gracefully slid off the branches.  Winter in New England hasn’t been easy on the trees this year.  Snapped branches and toppled trunks have led many to their ultimate demise.  But the trees with the strongest roots remain steady.  Nature has so many beautiful lessons to teach.

 Next, I introduced a book that has been sitting on the shelf since my son was an infant. Babar’s Yoga for Elephants, by Laurent De Brunhoff uses colorful illustrations and step-by-step instructions to guide your little one into fifteen poses.   It’s the perfect book if you want to introduce your child to yoga.  The descriptions are a little too daunting for a two-year-old. Instead, we used the pictures as our guide as we stepped, hopped and jumped into each pose.  

The first pose we practiced together was Tree Pose (Vrksasana).  

I didn’t get my expectations up – but much to my delight, he caught on during our second session.

Babar’s Yoga for Elephants, not only teaches yoga and meditation, it also takes you on a journey around the world.  From New York to Italy and from San Francisco to Greece Babar and friends use different postures to imitate famous landmarks.

It’s cute, it’s funny and it’s a great tool for teaching your kids yoga.  I highly recommend it!

RELAX AND DRAW STRENGTH FROM YOUR INNER ELEPHANT!

Namaste!