An early start to yoga
I started Hatha Yoga when I was around 8 or 9 years old.
My Mum sent my sister Rebecca and I, to a local lady who taught a small yoga group for children on a Tuesday evening. We received a little folder (which I still have!) with matchstick men pictures of different poses. It was a simple class but with a warm, relaxed feeling and I cherished those nights.
Pat, our teacher, lived in a small cottage at the top of a hill. Her yoga room had glass doors and looked out towards the fields and the setting sun.
We sat in little rows going through the simple asanas; cat, cow, dog, cobra... Then towards the end of our sessions, she would distribute golden yellow blankets, and we would wrap ourselves up whilst bathing in the evening light and listening to the slow passing tractors and the bird song outside. At least that is how I remembered it.
But the best was still to come… a warm glass of apple and cinnamon to finish off, our small hands clasping her earthen ware mugs.
Memories and timings of events are vague at that age, but somewhere during or following the few years that I visited Pat’s yoga classes, I had a few moments of little awakenings and feelings of an understanding about what yoga can do for us.
The first was in relation to my physical health.
When sports day came around and I prepared myself at the start of the 200 meter, I looked towards the finishing line, and took off as fast as I could, somewhere near end of the race that flashed past I sensed the very tall Sophie to my right, who was set to win with her long, long legs and I charged ahead determined to win.
Now competition and yoga don’t really mix. However, my body felt leaner, longer and lighter, and before I knew it, I passed Sophie in a flash and won.
I remember distinctly and instinctively applying that ‘win’ to yoga. In fact, that thought was very clear. ‘I won because of yoga!’
The next realisation came later when the first inklings of what was to be a long journey with anxiety for me began at the age of 11.
As daily worries and disturbing thoughts began to crowd my mind, I used the breathing techniques that Pat had shown us when I needed to find comfort and release.
‘Going inwards’ became a safe place, the cocoon of the golden yellow blanket could be found in most places, under the towel at the beach or nestled under a hedge in the garden.
Pat’s classes inspired me, and I have since tried to find her and thank her.
Yoga classes for children in the 80’s were probably hard to come by in the south of England. So I feel very blessed that I was given that experience by my parents. It’s because of them and my experiences at such a young age that I now run Yo-Chi ~ Seasonal Yoga for Children.
Yoga, relaxation and mindfulness are skills which all children can learn and should be freely available to them.
In recent years, the speed of life, social media and Covid have all had an effect on our childrens’ emotional and mental wellbeing. Yoga for children and teens offers young people simple tools and the much needed space and time out they need to re set sometimes. It also gives them a chance in a non-competitive environment to learn new skills and make new friends. In the Yo-chi programme we use drama as well as yoga to explore our feelings and find ways to manage our energy.
To find out more please visit www.yo-chi.co.uk