Sitting in the Redwoods at the ENC. Listening to the birds. Smelling the trees, the decaying plants and the earth. Feeling the coolness of space on my skin. For a moment, I forget what I’m doing and enjoy just being here.
I look at the faces in front of me; all ages, sizes, and shapes, their eyes closed, enjoying the moment too. I say, “Inhale as you stretch up. Say ‘hello’ to the trees.” I see beautiful arms reaching toward the sky, our arms mingled with the trees. I close my eyes and say, “Exhale as you fold forward. Say ‘hello’ to the earth.” Hands touch the ground, our senses perceiving the shift from above to below, our finger camouflaged in the leaves on the ground. One more time, we inhale and stretch up then exhale as we bring our hands to our hearts.
As we move to another spot, the group is laughing, talking and enjoying the space in a different way. We stop to do some standing poses. The younger Yogi’s focused then laughing as they fall about. Our bodies aren’t used to doing yoga on the uneven ground. It feels weird. The ground shifts and moves while we’re trying to balance.
We end with relaxation pose, lying between the stream and the meadow while we watch butterflies and birds fly over us. We stretch out, wake up our bodies and say our “Namestés.”
I’m so happy to be teaching yoga at the Environmental Nature Center and look forward to exploring with Yogi’s of all ages. – Kim Mason, Yoga Instructor
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