Friday, September 19, 2008

Teaching Yoga to Mom

I taught some yoga today!  To my mother.  A couple years ago I tried to teach her yoga but it was disastrous because I just launched into sun salutation and it was too much too soon.  At least I didn't scare her so much that she wouldn't try again.  Today (with a new Lulu's training under my belt) I went for a gentler approach.  This is what we did: 

Savasana (with Wah! music to transform the living room into a serene yoga studio)
Eye of the needle 
Supta padangusthasana (i allowed for a moment to 'feel the effects' between each leg and she said 'i feel like i have more length.'  kind of magical to teach that to someone for the first time!)
Cat/Cow
Here we tested out down dog but it was probably too much for both my yoga-speak proficiency and her strength and flexibility.  
Instead- extended childs.
Uttanasana
Roll to tadasana very slowly (she commented that she really enjoyed the rolling up.  i do too.)
Warrior 2 with the dance in and out which seemed to make it less rigid
Childs
Uttanasana/roll to tadasana
Repeat other side
Half lord of the fishes 
Yin badokonasana (she found this one hard)
Hug knees to chest and rock
Savasana

and that's it!  (that's actually what i said after she came back to seated...not the most graceful ending)