| I don't think I have to start off this article pointing out | | | | are reasons enough to promote yoga, but getting back |
| the importance of our environment. Every day we are | | | | to nature, how is yoga an exact fit? Let me explain... |
| bombarded with the cold, hard facts of how many | | | | Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years and |
| species are going extinct at an alarming rate, how | | | | has essentially been associated with nature because |
| many acres of rainforest are being chopped down | | | | when we are in this relaxed state, we begin to see |
| and how alarming the polar ice is melting. These gloom | | | | and reflect on things we normally take for granted or |
| and doom reports are becoming a fact of life. What | | | | don't notice in our hurried world. Many yoga poses |
| we sometimes forget, though, is that these problems | | | | reflect back to animals and things in our environment, |
| affect our next generation...our children. Unfortunately, it | | | | showing how the original practice emulated our world |
| becomes apparent that are sons and daughters will be | | | | and it's incredible beauty. It helps us to open our eyes |
| the ones to fight these very real problems. So, how do | | | | to the world around us - seeing all the beauty and then |
| we as parents start to prepare them for this difficult | | | | bringing those positive thoughts into our hearts and |
| task? First off, we must teach them to love their | | | | minds. Children in this relaxed state will soon begin to |
| world! So many kids are nature-deprived these days, | | | | see their own backyard in a whole new way. Rather |
| locked indoors because of factors such as crime, both | | | | than just a place to throw a ball or ride bikes through, |
| parenting working, and let's not forget hours of | | | | they may begin to see this relaxing place as their own |
| homework. What this is leading to is an | | | | little peaceful haven where they can go to release |
| under-appreciation of outside activities and nature. | | | | tension. This leads to further exploration of why the |
| Children typically know far more information about | | | | flowers are important to the bees and why certain |
| video games and the newest electrical gadget than | | | | birds look for worms rather than eat birdseed. |
| they do the names of flowers growing in their own | | | | It sounds so simplistic, but this really works. Take a child |
| backyard! Staying shut up indoors is leading us into a | | | | away from their electronic music/game gizmo for a |
| generation of poor health habits, obesity and mental | | | | while and place them in this state of rest and they will |
| stress. Thus, we can now segue into my topic! Yoga | | | | begin to appreciate their world. Yoga is the fulcrum by |
| and the outdoors! | | | | which children can receive exercise, relax, and learn to |
| Why yoga, you may ask? First off, yoga promotes | | | | "smell the flowers again". Don't we owe it to our |
| exercise through stretching and movements that can | | | | children to give them this inner peace so that they can |
| be done virtually anywhere. Likewise, yoga moves can | | | | face the environmental challenges ahead and care |
| be done in just moments a day and doesn't require | | | | enough about them to do what's right. We can also |
| any outdoor equipment (catcher's mitts, basketball | | | | learn so much from the world around us. We can see |
| hoops, bad mitten rackets, etc), so any yard, garden or | | | | positive character traits all around in nature - patience, |
| park will do to practice it. Secondly, yoga helps us | | | | perseverance, trust, acceptance. Our world, our |
| become more limber so that we can do other sports | | | | animals, our air, our trees...they are worth fighting for. |
| or exercises that we might not be in the shape for | | | | Let's help give our kids another tool so that they can |
| starting out. Yoga likewise helps us to relax and | | | | face the challenge. That tool is yoga! |
| release stress built up from our busy day. All of these | | | | |