Child's Pose

Day 1 Child’s Pose

It’s interesting to me that we sometimes have to be re-taught how to do something so simple, like child’s pose.  There’s not much to it.  Kneel on the ground, arms stretched out, and bring your butt to your feet. It’s almost like a prayer.  A yoga resting pose, but as I did this, I was corrected.  Arms further out, toes pointed together, with feet separated.  This is the child’s pose.  Isn’t this one of the easiest poses out there since it is a resting pose?  Have I been doing the pose wrong all this time or was it just today?

Today I sat in on a yoga class, utilizing my one week free yoga pass found online to sample my first class at the Yoga Works studio in Larchmont.  It was more of a beginning class, and so I felt comfortable in being able to accomplish all asanas demonstrated today. 

I have been contemplating doing a yoga teacher training at this studio and other studios for the past several years, but need an instructor to sign off on a my application.  I asked the instructor before and after class, she pushed it until later.  At the end upon request, she did not sign the form, but requested I sit in on another instructor’s class.  She reminded me of the cost of yoga teacher training, commitment, and necessity to jive with the styles of the teachers for that series.   I began to question any other underlying motivation behind this.  Did she not think I was prepared enough? Was it another way for the studio to get more money? Was she trying to veer students to take her yoga teacher training course taught later?  But I chose to stop myself before I catastrophized even further. 

Child pose. Resting

I wonder why this specific pose was given this name.  Many of the poses exemplify the image of their name: triangle, warrior, cat, cow, and downward dog.   But how is this a child? I never have seen a child lie like this.  Arms outstretched and feet back.  Calm but not sleeping.  But I think it’s more to the actual name.   Be like a child, relax, forget about other responsibilities.  If another pose is too difficult, you can return here to rest by catching your breath or centering yourself. 

Anyone can do this pose.   And there is this submission quality to this pose.  You are submitting to the moment, where you are, that you need a break from the other more difficult poses.   Your head is not exposed, arms outstretched.  It’s as if you are bowing to life.  Take me now, I am here.  Bowing, appreciation.

And so I take this pose today.

Submitting to life and the world. To this moment.

And it’s enough.