As I reached down to lift him out, he quieted immediately and started to shiver and shrink away from me. He did not appear to be hurt, so I guessed he was either scared or cold as it had been a chilly night and I had no idea how long he had been down in there.
I took him inside, wrapped him in a towel and warmed him up. He never purred nor made a sound, he just lay there, a bit calmer now, letting me hold him and scratch his ears, surrendering to the moment. I sat outside with him as it warmed up hoping the mother, with a collar and tags (with an address) would come looking for him, but she did not. I went and asked the neighbors if they lost a kitten and none of them had. After several hours, now attached to this beautiful creature, I reluctantly decided to take him to a local animal hospital to see if they could find him a permanent home. (I cannot have pets due to my lease agreement.)
When I brought him into the waiting room, he suddenly came back to life, climbing out of the towel, up onto my shoulder looking around. I took him to the receptionists counter & he climbed right out of my arms & onto the desk. He purred and meowed and sniffed and everyone fell in love with him. I left feeling confident that this was the right decision and he would find the perfect family. I named him "Midnight".
All the way home and ever since then, I cannot not help but think of how life is a series of experiences-of moments- requiring and sometimes challenging us to either 'hold on' or 'let go'. Sometimes we hold on to people, memories and things for far too long, and other times we let go of them far too quickly. It requires inner calm, emotional maturity and our full attention to know when we should do which. Each time we let go of something we no longer need, we make room for something else in our life. Every time we hold on to those things we no longer need, whether things or anger, painful memories or relationships that no longer serves us, we block ourselves from experiencing life the way we truly envision it for ourselves: Peaceful, loving, happy and fun. Its a lesson we all will learn either by choice or by force.
In my own practice, I think 'Cat Pose' illustrates this: Alternating between stretching the spine up and releasing it down towards the ground deliberately along with the movement of breath encourages us to release physical and emotional stress and pay attention to what we are doing, thinking and holding on to. It shows us through our body, that is absolutely OK for us to 'release'. For this reason it has always been one of my favorite postures to do at the end of the day.
For kids, its a fairly easy posture to *practice, and to adapt, either on all 4s on the floor, seated on the floor, exercise ball, in a chair or even a wheel chair. Cat Pose helps release tension in the spine and shoulders (where many of us 'hold on' to physical/emotional/mental tension) and helps to stimulate digestion, elimination and other functions of the internal organs. It also improves posture and improves concentration. Most children find it fun to 'meow' or 'purr' and will tell stories of their own cats or other pets which encourages interaction, verbal expression, communication & other social skills. 'Purring' or 'meowing' releases tension in the vocal chords. (Encourage them to meow or purr loudly and then softly, etc.) Most children find it very calming and will ask to do more of Cat Pose. (It also falls in with the upcoming holiday theme of Halloween.)
It also is something common that they can all relate to & provides a non-threatening way to teach about adjusting to transitions: holding on and letting go.
A mantra or 'chant' can be added with the movement & breath for children who are old enough and when its appropriate: "Don't hold on-Let it Go" or simply "Hold on-Let go".
Sensory aspects addressed are proprioception, interoception, balance, auditory and tactile ( practicing on different surfaces: mats, carpet, furry area rug, etc.)
Some simple illustrations for Cat Pose are below. Remember to encourage children to move slowly, and to breathe (exhale as you round the spine up or backward and inhale as you move the belly button down toward the ground or forward.) The can do this with a 'meow' or a 'purr' to encourage them to take a full breath and release it. Its best to practice on an empty stomach and allow the children to hydrate with plenty of water after exercising, (and throughout the day) even if only moving around a little bit.
Please check with a doctor or therapist to be sure that the posture is safe for the child to practice. (For example, Cat Pose would not be practiced if a child had a rod or pins in the spine for some reason. If you are ever in doubt always ask a professional.)
Keep in mind that for children the postures do not have to be purr-fect (I couldn't resist that one!) just as long as they are not injuring themselves or others, let them move and explore in a fun environment!
*Please supervise children at all times when practicing yoga, exercising or on exercise equipment!
For further adaptations, please contact me: barbara@bodylogique.com
To see full, illustrated instructions on how to practice "Cat Pose", visit Yoga Journal .
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| Cat Pose on all 4s |
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| Seated Cat Pose (cross legged on a mat or the floor) |
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| Seated Cat Pose (feet flat on floor seated in a chair) |
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| *Seated Cat Pose (on exercise ball-feet flat on floor) |
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