Good morning, Youthful Yogis!

Thanks so much for joining me yesterday for the first-ever Youthful Yogis Fireside Chat.You'll be glad to hear that I got the fire put out OK, so now we can move on....or step back, depending on how you look at things.

A lot of people had questions about the different "categories" of yoga poses that were discussed in the Fireside Chat, so I thought I would return to that topic today. I'll start by answering a few of the questions that are out there...

Question: "You mentioned in the Fireside Chat that resting poses calm people down.  Can you please ask my mom to do some resting poses when she gets crabby right before dinner?"

Answer: Gee, I'm not sure I feel comfortable talking to your mom about her moods. But we all get crabby from time to time, and often it is because we are tired...or hungry! Maybe your mom needs to eat a snack in the late afternoon? Teaching her some resting poses is a great idea, too. Here are three that you can share with her, you've seen two of them already: 

Child's Pose  When your head relaxes on the floor in child's pose, it really helps to relieve  mental stress. Your belly is soft in this pose, and the breath is smooth and deep.
Here are a couple of pictures...can you guess why they call it "child's pose"?!!                                                         

                                

Savasana   This is the pose where you get to lie down on your back and relax completely.
Let me suggest that 1) you ask your mom in a NICE way not to wear a weird green bathing suit like the mom in this picture...one of the neighbors might see her! 2) you mention to your mom in a NICE way that she close her eyes and relax her face. Remember that the whole body softens and releases in Savasana.

Mountain Pose: Even though you are standing up in this pose, it can feel very restful if you have been moving around a lot or stressing your brain in any way. Stand tall, relax your arms, your shoulders and your face. Take smooth deep breaths. And please, tell your mom in a NICE way that she does NOT have to wear a tight black unitard in order to do Mountain Pose...especially if it's right before dinner! 

Question: Can you give some examples of back bending poses...and tell me why I would want to do them?!

Answer: Back bends are very energizing...which means they wake you up and give you confidence. They also stretch and strengthen the muscles of the back and tummy and are good for your internal organs.  

Here are three back bending poses you might like to try; please be careful doing  back bends and skip them altogether if you have any injury or pain in your spine!

Cobra Pose

Wheel Pose

     

Question: "If I am standing on one leg in a balancing pose and feel like I might tip over, is it OK for me to hang onto my friend?"

Answer: No!  Please do NOT grab onto your friend, or anyone else for that matter, if you feel you are about to fall over in a balancing pose!!! It's natural to reach out to those we know and trust when we feel like we're going to crash, but it's much smarter to just bring both feet down to the floor; or you can do the balancing pose next to a chair or at the wall, so you have something to hold onto if you feel you're about to collapse!

Balancing poses are good for.... balance, of course! They also strengthen the body, help to quiet the mind and--if we're lucky--improve concentration. Here are three you might like to try:

Dancer Pose

Tree Pose

Warrior Three

That's all the time we have for now, Youthful Yogis. I hope you've enjoyed looking at three different kinds of yoga poses. Have fun trying them out; maybe you'll show them to a friend, or even to your mom...if she promises not to dress weird.

Thanks for joining me, see you again soon!

Namaste