Ignite the child in you...

I just wrote a post describing what I see when I look down upon my students in savasana.  A rewarding part of class for me is just knowing that we all can feel safe with our emotions on the mat.  Being still with ourselves for 90 minutes is not an easy thing to do - it forces us to face ourselves, our greatest fears, our deepest sadness.  But this time can also can bring out beauty, release feelings of joy and glory, and touch us at the most vulnerable of moments, both scary and fulfilling.

I teach yoga to kids every week, and today I could NOT get them to stop giggling in savasana.  It was this contagious infiltration of energy that exploded starting with one child and moving down the row to the next, and the next, and the next. Over what?  The most simple of pleasures - a lollipop placed on their heart center but only if they lay still and "close their eyes to open to this big surprise."  

As adults, we grow serious with ourselves and with others.  We learn to be guarded based on past betrayal and/or suffering. We can become paranoid that the joke is really on us.  We guard ourselves with layers of STUFF to keep us from releasing any childish behavior that may make us seem anything but professional, "adultish," and mature.  When did maturity become associated with seriousness?  When did professionalism become attached to a stearn and strict face.  

Of course there is a time and place for everything, but its important to remember the child in you.  Revisit playtime and remember to laugh.  Its good for the heart and soul.  Go ahead, gently place a lollipop in your heart's center.  

Comments

[Mike]

What a great post. Why do we take everything so seriously? It's OK to laugh and have fun even in a grown up world. Let go and act goofy or like a fool every once and awhile and see how it feels. I think we all have to remind ourselves we were once children and remember the feeling of excitement and fun being a child brought us (hopefully). Everything was new and exciting. Learning was fun and at our own pace, not forced on us.

I am reminded of this every time I am with my nieces.

This post reminds me of a Frank Sinatra song "Young at heart". It has meaning behind it. If you never knew the lyrics, well here is your shot to learn them.

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you’re young at heart
For its hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you’re young at heart

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart or on its way

Don’t you know that its worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are its much better by far
To be young at heart

And if you should survive to 105
Look at all you’ll derive out of being alive

Then here is the best part
You have a head start
If you are among the very young at heart