I realized this during last years’ relay; the grownup yoga is fun, but doing the little raps and songs and jumping around in the kids’ yoga series is GREAT.

I was lucky that I got exposed to yoga by my mom at a very young age [in utero if I understand correctly] and even had time to savagely turn on it as an adolescent before I finally got smart. I was dancing as a kid [from about age 3 to age 17] and while I certainly enjoyed myself I was pretty awkward, and then eventually got a bit too…substantial…to professionally dance, at the point when being able to do things professionally suddenly becomes relevant.

So my only real body awareness at that time came from having to look a certain way from the outside. [Which, what adolescent girl doesn't need a little bit MORE of that in their lives, right?] The idea that in yoga, the postures were generated from the inside, because of the way they felt, didn’t make itself fully understood to me until I moved to Vancouver 6.5 years ago. I’m sure my teachers mentioned this most central tenet of practice but I just couldn’t fathom it; I was still trying to “deliver the goods” in yoga class.

It’s pretty heartwarming to see yogic youngsters telling a room full of adults what compassion or patience means to them. Those little ones have the jump on the rest of us; they are starting to collect all the tools they will need to build a better world.

The whole event was beautifully set up, with different rooms veiled with tall translucent scrims and themes of Water [for sleeping] and Fire [for chatting, and for watching the Unofficial Video Sponsor of the Yoga4Kidz Society Relay: “Planet Earth”. That blue bird-of-paradise can cause quite the giggling fit in the chakra-flattening early morning, I hear] and The Tent with the Cookies [for cookies, also other foodstuffs, also a giant portable waterbottle with a urinarily intense sounding faucet, also the Silent Auction]. The actual yoga classes were held in front of the stage and that space became 1. energetically charged 2. a bit ripe in short order.

What I’ve taken away from my experience at the Relay is how much it pleases me, as a teacher, to see students open and dedicated to ALL forms and styles. In many cases I had the little mental battles that “experienced” yogis have with themselves: “why are we doing it this way? that’s not good for people with hypermobile sacroiliac joints. feet together? gaaaaaah” &c. All that debate really tells me is that being “experienced” doesn’t actually make you more experienced, if you know what I mean. I did everything I was asked, as a sort of openness meditation, and got to enjoy the offerings of many many different techniques and languaging over my practice period.

Periodically I’d look up and see some students and/or my team, digging on whatever they were doing, with the little almost-invisible smiles of people who are totally immersed in their inner world. I’ve been in, and taught, many yoga classes where students are just doing their own thing, and while I have no particular desire to remove that choice and that autonomy from them, I think what can be upsetting about that is that they are missing out…they are missing the experience of openness, of solidarity with their classmates, of experimentation if they are used to something else. Of course specific conditions or bodies may need variations and solutions, and I’m not really the kind of cat who naturally breaks out in a rash when they see mats out of alignment [although placement is important, I don't have the natural congenital allergy to it that some yogis do].

But so many of the teachers this weekend were just pouring their heart out, volunteering their time and energy to support this excellent cause, and when that is reciprocated by an openness and receptivity in class…well, then you’re cooking with gas. Feet together or feet apart? Back foot turned in, or parallel to the back of the mat? Spine straight, or backbend? Fingertips to the floor or to the ankle/shin? Do your yoga: take a breath, soften, LISTEN. What is being asked of you in this moment? Are you receptive to it? What does it feel like? Is it different than usual, and what is your response to that? And then making choices with full awareness and discrimination.

It turns out you can do pretty much every different form under the sun over a 24 hour period, and the only thing that will happen to you is that your eyes will have a glow from inside with the knowledge that you’ve done a wonderful thing.

1 Comment »

December 4th, 2008 Karan Says:

A great new DVD was just released called ‘Shanti the Yogi – Mountain Adventure’ that has a kid’s yoga class accompanied by a beatifully illustrated story and really good music for kids.

Check it out here:
http://www.spiritvoyage.com/yoga/Shanti-the-Yogi—Mountain-Adventure-DVD/Snatam-Kaur/DVD-002410.aspx

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