Out of the mouths of babes…

Every Wednesday at 3:30pm I get to teach one of the most enjoyable and rewarding classes of the week, when a lovely bunch of boys and girls aged between 8 and 11 come to the studio for their weekly yoga class.  Some of them know each other from school already, but even though it’s a really well-bonded group, it’s great to see how they welcome a newcomer with support and encouragement and lots of fair play.

For example, every week I read a piece from a book of “Meditations for Children”, to help them settle into their Shavasana at the end of class. The kids take it in turns to pick the “story” every week, but at their own suggestion, if there’s a newcomer in the class, they are allowed to pick the story over the child whose turn it is.  It’s amazing too to see just how much these high-energy, chatty, bouncy and flexible kids (who probably climb the walls at home when asked to sit still) will lie down for 10 whole minutes, absolutely quiet and still, in perfect Shavasana at the end of their class.  They adore that part of the class, and even watch the clock, making sure I’ve left enough time for “the lying down at the end!”.

The kids came back last week for the first time since the Christmas break.  As we had a chat at the beginning of class, I asked them if they were all happy to be back. After a big “Yes!” resonated around the room, I asked them to explain why.  Best answer of all came from Jamie, aged 10, who sat quietly, deep in thought while he waited for his turn to speak, then looked up at me and said “I’m happy to be back at my yoga class because yoga is like getting away from the world”.

Wow.  Stick with it Jamie – you’re already a great little yogi!