Misfit family yoga

About five weeks ago I was lolling about and chatting at the gym working out intensely at my Lifetime fitness when I spied a flier announcing a family yoga workshop.

I read. I committed. I tweeted.

So excited for the FAMILY YOGA workshop @lifetimefitness #lifetimefitsme twitter.com/MizFitOnline/s…

— carla birnberg (@MizFitOnline) September 27, 2012

(here is where I point out this is NOT A SPONSORED POST. merely my family yoga ramblings.)

Even though Ive been slow to return to yoga it has always been a part of my relationship with the Tornado.

When she was tiny I took a yoga-for-kids teacher training just so she and I could do it together at home.

And because I can’t do anything tiny—I created ToGa. Initially that stood for TODDLER yoga till she grew and it became TORNADO yoga.

ToGa logo.

While we still do DVDs together at home I knew she wanted more.

Id frequently stumble upon her hanging out in our playroom like this:

Before I headed to Fitbloggin she presented me with a YOGA travel mug on which she’d drawn the two of us ‘mid-practice’:

She *clearly* let me know she was curious what I did when I exited the domicile (GASP!) left the DVDs behind and actually attended a yoga class.

We marked the calendar with a big bold FAMILY YOGA!!!!!! and commenced counting down the days…until finally the day arrived.

It broke my heart it was so flipping cute when she slowly & deliberately selected our footwear with an eye to easy on and off.

Yes. we still have lottsa matching stuff.

And we headed off to our workshop.

And we were both OFF THE CHARTS excited.

She couldnt believe she had her own mat!

She insisted a ‘pre-workshop drink’ at the cafe was in order and I happily consumed the caffeine complied.

She insisted we take a photo and I happily passed the smartphone.

photo credit: Tornado

And we were off to the yoga studio.

The studio which, to our dismay, WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY.

my ‘dismay’ face

You see, the workshop had been canceled (due to lack of interest. people crazy!!) and they’d forgotten to tell us.

The Tornado? She cared not at all.

The Tornado? She unfurled our mats, gathered some blocks & got to teaching *me.*

She demo’ed.

DANG bridges were easier at age 6.

She watched.

Im a one-trick MizFit

She danced.

She would not take NO or FEAR for an answer.

photo credit: The Tornado

And when she felt ‘finished’ she insisted we drive and do one last thing she **loved** to cap off our afternoon:

What did I learn from the FAMILY YOGA WORKSHOP which wasnt?

Time is still the most important gift we can give our loved ones. One on one. Being present.We dont need no stinkin’ workshop! Free reign over an empty studio and the chance to ‘be the expert’ was far more fun for the Tornado.I underestimate myself. Im too gentle with myself. When forced to feel the fear & do the wheel anyway I easily could. I hadnt tried in years. Id been afraid.I should be as resilient as the Tornado. On all levels. She quickly & HAPPILY adapted to our change in plans. She also embodies the facet of the definition (to recoil or spring back into shape after bending) I thought I NO LONGER DID until she forced lovingly helped me to do a wheel. I need to remember/mimic both of these traits more consistently.OLD SCHOOL ROCKS. Even with fancy iphone photobooth apps etc. the old time’y photobooths still bring the greatest joy.

I realize this is a long post jam-packed with obvious yet profound to me AH HA moments. Thank you for indulging me.

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