Good morning, yoga with Adriene. So technically it is not 1-on-1 time. Since mid-December, my wife and I have turned on our smart TV to rise and shine with Adriene via YouTube. I stumbled upon Adriene after pitching to my wife the idea of living room yoga. We had done yoga together before, sporatically at different spots in Johnstown, but never on the carpet that our kids use as a picnic blanket. There is nothing like pivoting out of Warrior 1 and squashing a blueberry.
Over a month into the practice, we are reaping the benefits. After one successful 30-day commitment, we have moved on to another yoga journey with Adriene. 5:00 A,M. has never felt so good. I have a friend who lives in Seattle and she recently wrote about her fitness path to explain and inspire. Following her lead, here are some things to think about in whatever 2019 journey you are on.
Open Door, Open Floor
"Yoga is not for me" has been uttered by many before. In all my masculine glory, yoga is for me. The man brain might be stuck on the idea that we must be hunters and gathers and pillage villages. Man do not roll out mat. Man do not Namaste. Man, child posture? Man is man.
The only way to know if yoga is for you is if you try. While Adriene was not my first instructor, she has a welcoming and sometimes goofy approach to this ancient exercise. Her daily practices are often in the 15 to 30 minute range and run the gamut from calming to activating. On some mornings, when my wife and I chose to delay the 5:00 AM start, our kids joined the practice. A toddler can provide additional resistance when trying to do downward facing dog. Have you ever done a push-up with a 4-year-old on your back? It's exhilarating. Namaste.
The Jolt
Yoga has provided a mind and muscle jolt that is different than any other exercise I have done. Running, weight lifting, and basketball have been my fitness trinity for most of my life. Now, in the heart of my Dad gauntlet, I imagine those three activities as a power triangle with yoga in the center. That last sentence is my first application of trigonometry since 11th grade.
In our busy day-to-day challenges, especially for you parents out there, 15 to 30 minutes of mindfullness sounds a bit ludicrous. There have been points in my fatherhood where my mind seems full, bursting with worry and nonsense. I have come to appreciate that 15 to 30 minutes of yoga, combined with a commitment to my spiritual faith, has changed the game.
The Dinner Dad
Dinner with a 4-year old and 1-year old is my 5th exercise. It does not appear on my triangle diagram because it's sloppy. While having a Looney Tunes supper this week, there was a whole lot of jibber jabber. A little bit of eye-spy. A lot of "I want out". At one point, I was shocked by my own posture. Blocking out all the noise around me, I had anatomical amazement . I was sitting on the edge of my chair in this upright, statuesque position. It was as if I was being added as the 5th man on Mount Rushmore.
I turned to my wife and had her enter into my revelation. "Let's take a timeout from eye-spy and take a look at Dad's verterbrae" (I did not say this out loud, but I clearly tried to draw attention). I attribute this Dinner Dad moment to yoga. The stretching and bending and building I have done since December led to this January suppertime phenomenon. My girls were not impressed and continued to play suspect eye-spy.
Accountability
I have the luxury of having an enthuisastic partner on this yoga quest. There are a lot of hurdles to get over if you are just walking into a public yoga class as a lone wolf. In the comforts of my own home, my wife and I have been able to motivate each other in order to find our way onto the mat. Our only hope is that our daughters form some type of alliance for sleeping like my wife and I have for yoga practice. I think once our youngest turns 2 in March, everything will be sunshine and rainbows. This is what I imagine happening. Remember yoga is all about mindfullness:
4-year-old: "Sister, now that you are 2, it is time that we commit to a sleeping pattern that centers on structured sleep times that maximizes our ability to play during wakeful hours and helps our parents live more productive and sane lives."
2-year-old: "Sister, I concur with this strategic plan; however, I believe you have been identified as what I would call the "problem sleeper". I am not trying to place blame and I respect that you are the elder sister, but I want this alliance to be built on honesty and a pure heart."
4-year-old: "Sister, I want to scream at you right now, but I shall resist. I have been watching my parents do this yoga practice and it has helped me calm my own inner-rage. I do testify to the fact that my sleeping pattern has been divisive. I appreciate your ability to express your feelings."
2-year-old: "Sister, that means a lot coming from you. I'd like you to lead with 'I have an idea' for this strategic plan. You are really good starting out sentences with 'I have an idea'. I'll buy what you are selling."
4-year-old: "Sister, I have an idea. Let's go up to our rooms at 8PM, obviously without parental instruction, and read books on a nightly basis. Let's go to our separate chambers at 8:30PM, say our prayers, and recovene around 7AM the following morning."
2-year-old: "Sister, I'm in. May I suggest Berestain Bears?"
4-year-old: "Sister, now you have gone too far. I'll pick the literary work. See you at 8."
Yoga has opened up a new reality in my life and allowed for fantasies such as this.
Expand your mind and body, Johnstown. Namaste your way through 2019!
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