Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Guest Post from author of VITAMIN DEE- FITNESS, YOGA, LIFE

September is both Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and National Yoga Month, so I am writing today in recognition and celebration of these annual events.  
I have two very spirited children, a 2-year-old little girl and a 5-year-old miniature NFL lineman. (To be clear, his husky stature is quite a mystery because my husband and I are naturally smaller-framed. Our son, however, is a tank.) From the time he was about two, it seemed a pretty obvious pursuit for him would be football. But before he was anywhere near old enough for that, there was yoga.
Both of my babies have often joined me during my evening yoga practice, although I admit there have been nights that I told them I wouldn’t be doing one just so they would go to bed and allow me a peaceful session alone. For that, I am sometimes sorry but even us meditative-mommies need some stillness now and then. This entry, on the other hand, is about the many occasions that I have shared with my little-loves and the great lessons I took from practicing with them, particularly about the true meaning of fluidity. You see, I am a Vinyasa/Flow type of person (for the most part) and it can be quite difficult to transition from, say, Cobra to Down-Dog, when I have two small people crawling underneath and around me. Not impossible, just difficult. I guess it’s funny really, how almost everything in this life worth committing to is just that, difficult but not impossible. And those are the kinds of lessons that I took from these moments…I learned that laughter was just as therapeutic as traditional pranayama exercises and I realized that flexibility was not about supple hamstrings but about having an expansive heart and a true willingness to accommodate.
I’ve had the great pleasure of teaching asana to my children, while also being immensely blessed by their bringing me to a deeper understanding of core yoga principles.
Another incredible joy I have experienced as a mom is watching my son learn, practice, and play football with the Placentia Steelers team. Participation in such a dedicated and organized league has taught him so much more than just how to play a sport. He has more common sense, discipline, and responsibility than I could have ever expected of a five-year-old. He has built supportive young friendships with his teammates and is led by a team of coaches that instill in these little guys the value of being considerate and respectful of their cheerleaders, parents, and fans. He has something more than just an activity-outlet in this sport…its camaraderie, learning, sportsmanship, and commitment. Its also something I will absolutely encourage him to do for years and years to come.
My daughter is going to starting toddler tumbling classes because she seems to have a natural fascination with acrobatics. It has taken a long time for my heart to stop jumping out of my chest when I hear “Mommy!! WOOK!!” only because she has (mostly) proven to me that she does actually possess the ability to act out these wild ideas she comes up with. I never want to stand in her way, so I only stop her when I suspect true danger, but she definitely needs a coach and equipment if she plans to continue this madness of hers…
I can’t say enough wonderful things about the joys of keeping children active, involved, healthy, and fit. A parent’s initial motivation for choosing to enroll children in sports and such may be exercise-related, but the reasons for staying with it go far deeper. The positive changes and improvements you see in them will be more than enough to keep you very happily rushing through weeknight practices, spending all of your Saturdays sucked into league-duty, selling your family and friends on fundraisers, and carting around fold-out camping chairs everywhere you go. I honestly used to think all of this was complete madness, I really did. I wondered what sort of lunatics would completely over-commit themselves, stop eating dinner, and fork over countless hours of their free time to youth sports leagues. Then one day, I became one of those lunatics and now I understand. So now I shall gleefully remain one of these lunatics for decades to come…
Vitamin Dee Fitness Yoga Life
About Danielle Hewitt: Danielle has been blogging about yoga and fitness for almost three years. She began studying yoga fifteen years ago when she was a young teen and she now enjoys teaching yoga to others. Danielle is a fun-loving and straight-forward person who is on a mission to help others discover total-wellness. She is all about creating balance, using moderation, and discovering the real greatness of life. She believes that a fit body, that is fueled properly, and guided by a positive attitude can accomplish anything.

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