Get Curious!

 
For the past four years I’ve had the privilege of being invited to Cleveland Music Settlement’s Early Childhood Preschool to share yoga with the children. It’s something I look forward to each year. This week it was CMS yoga time- two days, 10 classes and over a hundred adorable little faces.

Kids have such a wonderful way of connecting (and even disconnecting) with themselves at any given time. One minute all eyes are fixed on me as I dramatize a story, and the next, they’re rolling around on their backs staring at the ceiling . You know exactly where you stand with 3 and 4 year-olds. But what ALWAYS brings them back is my magic singing bowl. The chime and vibrational sound of this bowl is a magnet for attention and curiosity. In one class, as the vibration came to an end, one little boy energetically clapped his hands and the entire class joined in. Pure appreciation for this beautiful sound.

The image that stays with me for days after these classes is the one of their eyes- blue, green, hazel, brown and so full of joy and presence-so unafraid of being invited inwards. I’m always amazed how well they listen. Yes, 3 and 4 year-olds can listen! How many adults do we know who have trouble with this basic skill. How alive are our eyes? How open are we to experience new things?

Our yoga practice is a perfect opportunity to experience ourselves in a new way. It’s a unique opportunity to become curious about how we move. We get to stop and listen, and we’re given the space to explore the edges of ourselves.

This week, get curious! Do something spontaneous-anything. Try a new food, go to a movie alone, make conversation with someone, sit in nature and study the landscape. There is much more to discover!

Thank you, CMS yogis for sharing your light with me!