My younger nieces are four and seven. They are the epitomes of energy and flexibility. I, on the other hand, am 25. By all accounts I should be a master yogi at this point.
I am not.
Somewhere in the few, short, years between seven and 25, I lost that innate flexibility that we are all born with. I also misplaced my vibrant, radiant, last-all-day energy. In the last year I was lucky enough to realize that I needed to start doing something to remedy that, or else old age was not going to look very pretty. If there is one thing I want, it’s to end a long, long, long, life as a peppy old lady with spring in her step.
That’s what yoga is for, isn’t it? Helping us to live a better day-to-day life? It’s never too late (or too early) to start considering what you can do to make your body happier and more fluid.
The last time you knelt, was getting up a bit more difficult than you anticipated? Did your knees creak a bit? Did you have to hold your back at a strange angle to make it back to standing?
No? Oh. Um…well, go read this then.
For those of you who know exactly what I’m referring to and who have made multiple promises to do something about it, here is your chance to start doing it. It’s much easier to develop habits if you start with little teeny steps. So, here are some steps.
1. When you get out of bed tomorrow morning, put your hands up over your head and stretch yourself out tall. Breathe in. Breathe out.
2. Lean over and touch your toes (or knees, or whatever you can reach). Hang for a minute, then slowly roll yourself back up.
3. Before you go to bed tomorrow night, sit down on your hiney, stretch your legs out in front of you, and reach for your toes.
4. Get on your knees into child’s pose. Before you get up, stretch your arms out on the floor above your head. Get up. Sleep well.
That’s it. Two minutes of stretching before bed and in the morning. Give it a week. Then we’ll talk about your next move. You can do it.
Published August 23, 2012 at 2:00 PM
About Lacey Thacker
Lacey Thacker is a writer and Composition Instructor. In her former life, she spent five years as a massage therapist. Her fondest memories include roller skating around her childhood health food store. Lacey is interested in the relationship between our intentions and our actions. When not working, you can find her hanging out with her husband and dog, gardening, or cooking up something in the kitchen. You can also find her online at The Pine Warbler’s Branch or on Twitter.