Family Yoga

Matt and I slipped away to Asheville this weekend to celebrate with my siblings and parents the upcoming birth of my brother and wife's first baby. All siblings came without kids. We came without kids! What a difference this makes! For the first time in many years, we all were able to just be ourselves, take care of ourselves, be grown-ups, get into the essential nature of who we are besides being a parent. I offered my services as a yoga teacher to my family, not sure of who would want to partake, and what the response would be. Everyone came! The setting was divine! Our mats were placed on a lower deck with mountains and giant oaks surrounding us. The morning was perfect, sun with a few scattered clouds, a light and warm breeze, and of course, the birds were singing. We first centered our breath, and offered our love and support to the new baby growing within Becca. I then unfolded a practice to loosen the hips and create space in the low back. It was so much fun to see my family so eager and willing to practice the art of yoga! They were such good sports, and even did several partner poses and stretches. The responses were "I feel like I can run again!", and "My pain is significantly less, for the first time in 3 weeks". "If you moved to Asheville, you could teach classes on my deck, and people would come!!" It felt great to share my love of yoga with them, and I think for the first time, they caught a glimpse of another side to me, a side that is part of my essential nature, my yoga love.