I rearranged my
living room furniture to make floor space for three yoga mats, one each for
myself, my daughter, and my husband.
Once a day, we
drop everything else we are doing, roll out our mats, and exercise together. Following
the instructions on our iPhone apps, we do "yoga sun salutations,"
then a "7-minute workout."
The important
thing is, we do it together, and with a smile. At the end of our session, whichever
one of us it was who had first broached the subject that day with a cheery "Let's do
yoga!" and got the rest of us to drop everything and exercise for a few
minutes (and, so far, it has always been my daughter), they are heartily thanked for motivating the
rest of us to move. Once we are in position, my daughter calls aloud the names of our movements,
"cobra," "downward dog," "jumping jacks," and whatever the
other words are that recall for us the series of motions we expect will improve
our health if we do them earnestly. We do our best to assume the poses and jump
the jacks vigorously.
We have
rearranged our furniture, but also rearranged our lives, committing to one
another that when one of us says, "Let's do yoga!" the rest of us
jump up and start rolling out the mats without question.
I guess we have
formed an exercise support group. And I'm glad it's working.
I will be so sad
when my daughter goes back to college in a few weeks. I hope she calls daily,
if only to say over the phone, "Let's do yoga!"
I promise I will
drop whatever it is I am doing and roll out my mat.