Won't you come out to play?

With highs in the 40's expected today, the brilliant sunshine is quite deceiving.  You look at the calendar, see that it's the end of March, relish the fact that the sky is cloudless, and gleefully look forward to wearing some relaxed spring clothing - only to check the forecast and see that you'll be once again bundled under 2 layers or three.  Even still, the clear bright day is inspiring enough to get a yogi on her mat!

And who better the play with on my mat than my favorite 4 year old?  I unrolled the old yellow mat and he unfolded his older brother's kindergarten sleep mat.  He picked the red side - the root chakra, or Muladhara. It is related to instinct, security, survival and also to basic human potentiality, appropriate for a maturing Id-filled toddler!

I started in mountain pose and asked him what I looked like.  He copied the posture and said a tall tower.  We folded into standing forward bed, and I asked what we looked like.  He said, "a short tower".  We walked forward into down-dog, and he said we were like dogs (it's catching-on!).  We got into planks, and while I moved into chaturanga and told him I was a crocodile, he did a three legged plank (what a little show-off!).  I finished an upward facing dog, then told him to hop to the top of his mat, which he gleefully did.  We looked out into the world from our fold, and I asked him what he saw when he looked out into the world, and he said "The Sun!"  Immediately, the Beatles' song "Dear Prudence" came to mind:

Won't you come out to play?
Greet the brand new day.
The sun is up, the sky is blue;

It's beautiful and so are you

Won't you come out to play...

I can't tell you how much fun we were havng.  We didn't play much longer, but I was so happy to have him enjoying something that I enjoy.  Nothing was forced, nothing was really rote or routine - quite natural in fact.  This is all the motivation I need to get back on my mat a little later (perhaps when I DO want to get through a little sequence).  And next time, if my little guy wants to get involved, I'll happily let him come out to play - it's beautiful and so is he! 

What will get you on your mat today?

The joy of a spirit is the measure of its power - Ninon deLenclos