How do I lead my daughter in asana?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi all! My stepdaughter is a fun-loving, athletic, bright and 16 years old. Last night, she was saying how much she hated softball taking over so much of her time because she couldn’t attend yoga classes at our local gym. The times of these classes are at 7 when she’s starting homework, as softball gets out at 5-5.30 and we’re supping together between 6 and 7.

(SIDE NOTE: I had attended the gym classes and I was concerned for her attendance in them because some of the postures switch so rapidly I am afraid it might compromise her safety by creating an injury. I’ve told her to go slower than is necessary to maintain proper form, that even the instructor hasn’t always been a pretzel and that sometimes child pose is just what your body needs right then.)

ANYWAY… last night, after her comment, I said “Want to get up really early and do yoga first thing?” She said yes, and while she couldn’t be talked into getting up at 4 a.m. , we met upstairs at 4.30 and followed a portion of a Searn Corne video together. I thought this was a great time for us to spend together and alone (as we were silent except for our breathing).

I would, however, like to lead the asanas, because you can watch/listen to a video only so much before you get bored to death. I have to be able to compete with reality tv, myspace, and sleeping in, and (the ever dreaded) texting.

So what are some routines, poses, etc. that can be performed by the least flexible, most energetic yet distracted of teenagers? Also, I understand that yoga is more than just asana, so how can I transition our practice together to become something deeper for both of us? Share some tips on how to keep it fresh and fluid!

(ALSO: We’re looking at only sharing a 30 minute practice and I’m not pressuring her into doing it everyday. I told her I’ll be up at 430 and she is ever more than invited to join! I’d hate to beat her into yoga submission!!!)

#2

Hi, how nice to practice together! I don’t know how to answer the “how to lead” question, hopefully someone else can help you there, but I can suggest perhaps a small variety of dvds to rotate through to stave dvd boredom. Two sets I thought of for you are: Sara Ivanhoe has a really nice “Yoga Makeover” set of five 20-ish minute routines that are now in a 2-disc set (now called Target Zone) for under $10. Also “Namaste Yoga” Season 1 (was a tv show) contains several 20-ish minute practices that are just beautiful with lovely fit young women demonstrating. More expensive but totally fantastic and more “fluid/meditative” yoga. You can preview both of them on youtube to see if you and your daughter like them.

#3

How fantastic that the two of you will practice together!!

I certainly understand the predicament (how to do it with safety, effect, and without boredom) but… how can a person lead something they cannot lead? How can a teacher not trained to teach a subject teach a subject? It seems, at least from the sideline, that it’s a recipe for a bumpy road.

An asana practice is crafted by a teacher who is not only fully versed in the poses in their own body (through their own practice) but also one who comprehends the effects of poses AND their sequencing, or lack thereof.

And while there is certainly craft to teaching asana, teaching it as a part of yoga is far more complex.

If you must forge ahead in this direction I suggest using the first few minutes of your practice to get centered (whatever that means in your practice) then progressively open the body up for asana. Do a brief practice then savasana to close.

Many of the poses come with both benefit and risk. Managing the first is quite easy. Managing the second seems to mandate a professional. PLease consider avoiding headstand and shoulderstand and do not do twists after backbends. Also it is best to have an altered practice when either of you is on your cycle.

This is, at best, a rudimentary reply.

#4

Namaste,

I would suggest that you perhaps consult your yoga teacher about this one as well. Pay her/him for a few private sessions, in a one-on-one situation it is easier to see how a teacher sequence the asanas and ask your teacher to workout a few sequences for you, taking into consideration time and other issues such as health problems as well.

#5

Can you please tell more about this. Why no twists after backbends?
Thanks

#6

It is contra-indicated for vertebral well being.

#7

Well, as an update, I did lead the 4.30 am asanas this morning. Together, I mimicked yesterday’s dvd, but I did incorporate other poses that involved variety of movement of the knees. She’s noticed that stretching her knees earlier in the morning has improved her well-being later in the day, especially during softball practice.

I am not close to being a certified anything (other than an English teacher and that’s in a year after I finish my credential) but I cannot say no to a girl who would rather sleep in until lunch if she could help it. I had us move slowly through the postures and sink into them rather than race through them or cut them short. She felt really good, or so it seemed, and I heard her belting out up-beat songs in her bedroom after her shower.

This morning ritual is something I would like to keep up. Sometimes God places us in roles that we can’t comprehend. I feel like there is something deeper to this morning set than just downward dogs and chattarangas (the latter of which neither of us can do very well and, without realizing it, I said “…slowly, attempt chattaranga…” and we laughed at my emphasis on the word “attempt”). I feel like there is something deeper than us connecting, or even our sharing a same space individually.

I guess I am trying to understand the full meaning of Yoga, and be able to move beyond just posture. And I sense that a part of her feels the same way. She is very artistic, so I toyed with the idea today to incorporate 10 minutes of artistic expression after savasana. I would more than likely write, and she could do whatever form of expression she desired. But it would be an outward form of an internal shift captured on paper, canvas, etc.

What are your thoughts? Advice? Concerns? I really don’t want to lead her astray nor myself nor anyone else. At the same time, neither of us have the luxury of time to attend these yoga classes, classes which speed through advanced postures we can’t hold or some we simply shouldn’t do at all (such as inversions during our periods).

#8

*correction: by “well-being” I should have said “has improved her PHYSICAL well-being”. My daughter’s knee bothers her at times…

#9

Thank you, I have to ask also my teacher because when we do backbends in a class, we move in Adho Mukha Svanasana afterwards to lenghten the spine and than we often do some twists…

Sorry Zo that I borrowed your thread for my questions:-)

#10

Yes, please DO ask your teacher.

Generally speaking, twists precede backbends.
Not everyone adheres to this just as not everyone embraces safety as the prime directive in their asana practice/teaching.