"Happy Family" Yoga

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to teach a private family yoga class to friends of mine. The mother and father have been attending my yoga classes since I started teaching literally, they were my guinea yogis in the very beginning, they took my first workshop and continue to practice. It has been a great experience to teach them over the last 8 months.....so when they mentioned their daughter was coming in town from Europe....and they were interested in a family yoga class....I thought this would be a wonderful family bonding moment especially over the Christmas holiday.

Their daughter was a bit nervous and excited to try yoga, and as it was her first time ever, I wanted to ensure I covered the basics, but I also love to throw in some fun back bends and poses that create a sense of accomplishment and exhilaration (Half side plank, with a backbend is my favorite pose to do this with).

I always love it when students teach and remind me of things during class without realizing they are doing it.....The family had this fun willingness to try anything together, as together they were strong, and yet at the same time supple and willing laugh and fall and play together. Really...it's what yoga is all about, being willing to explore and experiment...and yet not take things too seriously. The first time the family broke out in giggles across all 3 of them.....there was a moment I didn't know what to do...be authoritative and bring them back to focus or just laugh with them....so I laughed and smiled. It was the perfect reminder to just be in the moment, have fun, breathe, learn and move on to a new moment, and repeat.

My favorite part of class was when I cued coming into happy baby pose and roll around, the family set off in smiles and laughter...and the mom said 'Happy Family' pose! Just Loved this!

Hopefully a lasting family memory for them, as it will be a lasting memory for me....and just to be fun and provide them with evidence of their yoga bonding...I snapped this during Savasana! The Happy Family.....