When was the last time you laughed so hard you started to cry? Or colored with crayons, played freeze dance and duck duck goose, and went on an arctic adventure where flying ninjas attacked your igloo…let alone with a bunch of adults? This past weekend I got to do all of those things plus some (but yogafied), and it was the best weekend I’ve had in a really long time.
Where can you find a bunch of adults willing to do all of this with you?
Well…I found them at the Karma Kids Yoga teacher training. And yes, I want to teach yoga to children, but I honestly think that every adult should do this, or at least one of their 1-day workshops, whether they want to teach yoga or not. Why, you ask? Well, most adults, especially in New York City, are constantly stressing over work or paying their obscenely high rent and bills, and when they do actually take a vacation they are most likely attached to their blackberries and i-Phones, and stressing about all the work they are going to have when they get back from vacation. Even yogi New Yorker’s stress about when they can fit in a class, or are super fidgety during śavāsana, and most likely have a running list of what else they need to do that day going through their head throughout class. Even writing this paragraph is causing stress-knots to build up in my shoulders…
One of the things we learned to say to the kids when asking how their day was in the beginning of class, is that however they are feeling, crumple up those feelings into a little ball, and leave it by the door. If they still want it after class they can pick it up on the way out, but for now, they are just playing yoga. More often than not, they are having so much fun that they forget they even had a bad day.
So, why is it so difficult for adults to leave their feelings at the door? Or as every yoga teacher in existence (including myself) has ever said, “let go”? Well one reason might be that even what adults choose to do for fun can be stressful. Hanging out at a bar, or going out to eat with a group of friends comes with responsibility and trying not to embarrass yourself. And if your idea of having fun is drinking so much that you have no cares in the world, the next morning you are most likely feeling like that crumpled up piece of garbage you tried to leave at the door.
What if for just one day, or weekend, you could just play kid games again? Where no one cares what you look or sound like, and you get to be playful, creative and have fun. I can honestly say that not a single one of the 18 people I was with had a bad time. It’s worth it, I promise 🙂
Below are some pictures from my weekend at Karma Kids. And for those of you who are parents, you should check it out. Karma Kids offers yoga for babies through teens, including family yoga, and also offers fun classes like Glo-Ga (glow in the dark yoga) and Circus Yoga – fun for everyone!
april dechagas 