Misfit family yoga

by

About five weeks ago I was lolling about and chatting at the gym working out intensely at my Lifetime fitness when I spied a flier announcing a family yoga workshop.

I read. I committed. I tweeted.

(here is where I point out this is NOT A SPONSORED POST. merely my family yoga ramblings.)

Even though Ive been slow to return to yoga it has always been a part of my relationship with the Tornado.

When she was tiny I took a yoga-for-kids teacher training just so she and I could do it together at home.

And because I can’t do anything tiny—I created ToGa. Initially that stood for TODDLER yoga till she grew and it became TORNADO yoga.

ToGa logo.

While we still do DVDs together at home I knew she wanted more.

Id frequently stumble upon her hanging out in our playroom like this:

Before I headed to Fitbloggin she presented me with a YOGA travel mug on which she’d drawn the two of us ‘mid-practice’:

She *clearly* let me know she was curious what I did when I exited the domicile (GASP!) left the DVDs behind and actually attended a yoga class.

We marked the calendar with a big bold FAMILY YOGA!!!!!! and commenced counting down the days…until finally the day arrived.

It broke my heart it was so flipping cute when she slowly & deliberately selected our footwear with an eye to easy on and off.

keen flip flops, keens, kids keens, womans keens, flip flops,tattoo

Yes. we still have lottsa matching stuff.

And we headed off to our workshop.

And we were both OFF THE CHARTS excited.

yoga mats

She couldnt believe she had her own mat!

She insisted a ‘pre-workshop drink’ at the cafe was in order and I happily consumed the caffeine complied.

She insisted we take a photo and I happily passed the smartphone.

photo credit: Tornado

And we were off to the yoga studio.

The studio which, to our dismay, WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY.

my ‘dismay’ face

You see, the workshop had been canceled (due to lack of interest. people crazy!!) and they’d forgotten to tell us.

The Tornado? She cared not at all.

The Tornado? She unfurled our mats, gathered some blocks & got to teaching *me.*

She demo’ed.

DANG bridges were easier at age 6.

She watched.

Im a one-trick MizFit

She danced.

She would not take NO or FEAR for an answer.

photo credit: The Tornado

And when she felt ‘finished’ she insisted we drive and do one last thing she **loved** to cap off our afternoon:

 

What did I learn from the FAMILY YOGA WORKSHOP which wasnt?

  • Time is still the most important gift we can give our loved ones. One on one. Being present.
  • We dont need no stinkin’ workshop! Free reign over an empty studio and the chance to ‘be the expert’ was far more fun for the Tornado.
  • I underestimate myself. Im too gentle with myself. When forced to feel the fear & do the wheel anyway I easily could. I hadnt tried in years. Id been afraid.
  • I should be as resilient as the Tornado. On all levels. She quickly & HAPPILY adapted to our change in plans. She also embodies the facet of the definition (to recoil or spring back into shape after bending) I thought I NO LONGER DID until she forced lovingly helped me to do a wheel. I need to remember/mimic both of these traits more consistently.
  • OLD SCHOOL ROCKS. Even with fancy iphone photobooth apps etc. the old time’y photobooths still bring the greatest joy.

 

 

 

 

I realize this is a long post jam-packed with obvious yet profound to me AH HA moments. Thank you for indulging me.

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Comments

  9. I love how you and your daughter make the best of all situations.
    I’ve done a number of workshops and never achieved the full wheel.
    Your instructor is fab! 🙂

    • I wish Id know this when she was even tinier–but the selfesteem boost and PRIDE she feels when she teaches me is palpable…

  15. i can’t believe they canceled it. Boo. i would have come. But it looks like that time to play and have fun with yoga by yourselves was much more beneficial!

  16. Dang woman…look at you in that pose! That stinks that it was canceled. I’m glad you two made the best of it though. I miss working out with my boys. This summer, they worked out with me almost everyday! Our schedules are just too all over the place right now, which kinda stinks.

  17. I want to write so much after reading this but all I can write now is:

    I LOVE THE PICS & THE LOVE THAT SHOW IS THEM

    I LOVE THAT YOU TEACH BY EXAMPLE… she just assumes it is great because you do it & share it with her.. she knows no difference

    I LOVE THAT YOU STILL DID IT – that she even wanted to & it was FUN for her

    We can learn so much from this post & you Carla! YOU ARE SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!

    I used to be the bomb with gymnastics & have not tried a backbend in years & years. Time to try!

    HUGS!!!

  18. Love this! I love spending time with my kiddos as well, and it’s usually the most unexpected adventures that turn out to be the best! 🙂

  22. What a bummer it was cancelled. It looked like you had a wonderful day. I need to do some yoga with my daughter. I think she would LOVE it (although she is a bit of a tornado herself and I am not sure if she has the focus).

    Great post!

  26. I would like to take a class with the Tornado. Seriously love her. The resiliency (and flexibility) that kids display never ceases to amaze me. I can’t believe they cancelled the class but I’m so glad that you two had time to play and be together.

  28. I love how resilient kids are. I have to constantly remind myself to hold back my own feelings of disappointment when things don’t turn out as planned. Children pick up on those feelings so quickly.
    Letting them lead is a GREAT message!

    P.S. I am terrified of wheel too. My instructor even pointed out that he could feel my fear of inversions. There’s an inversions workshop at my studio this month; I should probably go and conquer that fear…

  29. That’s too bad about the workshop! I do love how you two adapted and made “lemonade” out of it:-)

    You reminded me of how when I was only a green belt in Karate, I would go to the dojo on very hot summer days and no one would show up but me!

  34. That is so, so great! I love when simple things seem so profound. Sometimes we just need a reminder and it’s great when they come in such fun packages!

  37. You sure made lemonade out of the lemon of them not telling you it had been cancelled. I so wish bridge poses got easier instead of harder as time goes by!! 🙂 You are both wonderful and I’m sending big yoga hugs your way. Have a good Wed.
    PS: Love “photo credit The Tornado”.

  39. You’re my Mama role model 🙂 Love! I totally want to do yoga with Kay. My mom took me to kids group fitness classes and I want to take Kay to those too

  45. How great! You’re right about how much we can learn from kids. i’d be sulking or moaning but nothing can quell their excitement!

    She’s gonna have such lovely childhood memories!

    Deb

  46. I just loved this post 🙂 I love how the Tornado just goes with the flow so easily 🙂 and that you guys still had your “yoga class” together 🙂

  49. I will admit I am a full blow yoga hater.
    However, I am in mad, crazy love with you and your daughter. It is so fabulous that you two get along so well. I am in my thirties now and just finally realize that my mom is the coolest person on the planet and my new best friend. Wish it didn’t take me almost 30 years to figure that out. So glad you and your daughter have that already.

  51. It’s pretty cool when there’s a full yoga class. Love the energy but also cool when you have room to spread out. Glad that you all practiced despite the “canceled” class.

  53. Tornado not only continues to teach you life lessons but when you share them with us the reader, we also get to learn.

    Even though my “children” are now grown and living on their own, guess what they still want from me? Time, yes they still want to spend time with me. We text, we email, we phone call and when it works with their busy college life we squeeze in some together time.

    Keep living the good life. It’s the time shared that is so important.

  54. Cannot believe there was lack of interest. Glad you had your family yoga anyway!
    I was ‘gym helper’ when Thing 2 had yoga in kindergarten. Talk about precious seeing all those kiddos in tree, etc.
    You’re so right: time!

  57. Great take-away lessons! It’s so beautiful that your precious daughter tells you in her own ways that she wants to spend time with you. That melts my heart. And, what’s even better is that you are aware and attuned to her and take the time to give her that quality mommy-daughter time she craves. Beautiful. 😀

  60. What a fabulous post! How wonderful that your daughter is so involved and excited about yoga – and you can do it together!! Lovely – this post really made me smile 🙂

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