Yoga in Idaho

So I've fallen down a little bit in my pledge to bring the shanti (peace) and enlightenment to the readers of My Life With Dogs by sharing my experience of yoga with you. What can I say, I've been selfishly hogging the enlightenment for myself and basking in the joy of playing with my nieces, nephew and daughter while on vacation. I do however have a few points to share today.

When you go on the road, take yoga with you!!

1) Yoga is good not only at home or in a yoga class, but also while on vacation. I was sure to pack my yoga mat in my suitcase and have unrolled it a few times since arriving at our destination. It's a nice way to loosen up your body when sleeping night after night on a strange bed (or on the floor) and after vigorous wrestling matches and sessions of basketball and football with your 5 year old nephew.


2) Yoga on the road is a great way to refocus, recharge and destress. We all know that when we are traveling or playing host to out-of-towners for that matter, tensions can build as can frustration and fatigue. A quick session on the mat is a great way to re-energize.


3) In my particular situation, practicing some yoga on the road is a blast because you can do it with 3 children under the age of 5, as demonstrated thus:






Please disgregard the large bottom in the far back, but the children did need a teacher. And in case you are wondering, that gentleman in the black jumpsuit is Spiderman who funnily enough turned out to actually be my nephew Jayden. And they've been telling us all this time it was that Peter Parker guy.

Anyway, the first pose we are in is Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana), great for strengthening and toning the spine and torso, strengthening the arms, opening the chest and lungs and is considered therapeutic for depression and asthma. Another view of it:



And that last pose we are all practicing is Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). This pose is another of my favorites and is good for stretching shoulders, hamstrings and calves, strengthening shoulders and legs, improving digestion, relieving headaches and fatigue and calming the mind...specific impact on children pictued above yet to be observed. Here it is again:

Until next time, Namaste!