New Yoga Poses

Helen’s teacher at school has the kids do yoga when they come in from playing outside, to help them calm down and be ready to work in the classroom (it’s a Montessori school, and it has been SO GOOD for Helen so far. She’s been there for about two months and the changes in her have been amazing to watch).

Apparently, the kids are LOVING it. At Parents’ Night the other night, other parents were talking about their kids coming home and demonstrating the different poses, so it’s something that they all really enjoy.

Helen likes to sit cross-legged, close her eyes, and meditate (she hums and breathes deeply). She likes the child, the bow, and her favorite is the tree.

Today, while Alice was napping, I laid on my stomach on the floor of our living room and Helen and I played Blokus, which is a FANTASTIC game, even if you don’t really “play” it (since Helen is just three, we just put pieces on the board and she tries to figure out what shapes will fit in spaces, etc. So it’s really good for spatial understanding. Like Tetris, in a way, but without the timer. And with more strategy since you’re playing against someone when you play it for real)…

Of course, after we had filled up the board twice, dumped it, and started over, Helen started getting bored. So she started instructing me on yoga poses. She did the first one — the sitting, meditative one. And then she did the butterfly (bottom of foot to bottom of foot, and you gently bounce your knees)… And then she started making them up.

My personal favorite was, “And this one is the Glongly.”
“Glongly” is Helen’s word for anything when she’s making it up.
“You start by reaching your foot out like this.” She pointed the toes on her right foot.
“And then you put your other foot on top of your juice.” The heel of her left foot was resting on top of her juice cup, which was nearby, at the ready, as it always is. She’s a lifetime member of the CPC (Clear Pee Club).
“And then you lift your arm over your head and str r r r r r r retch!”

I told her that she was a silly goof. But I secretly love that my three-year-old is making up yoga positions.