Mother’s Day Yoga

At one of the schools where I teach, every year we do Mother’s Day yoga. It’s my favorite classes of the year! Both the kids and parents love it, and I love it because I actually get to meet the moms of kids I teach all year. Some I’ve been teaching for the last 3 years. And besides, it’s super sweet for all parties involved. 

Here is the Mother’s Day sequence I did this year: 

1) Name Stretch: We do a little rhyme – movement activity where we stretch in all different ways to say hello to everyone. Who doesn’t love to hear their name said out loud and get to stretch your body in the meantime!?

2) Partner Breath: The moms put their hands on the kids back, then we switch. We take deep breaths, trying to feel our partner’s breath in our hands and then we try to sync up our breaths. 

3) Back to Back Partner Breath: Then we turn back to back and sit and breathe together. It’s really sweet to watch and feels so comforting to lean against another person like that. 

4) Roly Poly: The kids demonstrate how they roll back and then forward to their feet. We practice this every class! I then challenge the moms to try it. 

5) Mountain with hands together at heart (anjali mudra): We center ourselves and get calm. It’s a great pause before the next pose.

6) Partner Trees: Partner’s stand face to face and palm to palm to help balance each other. We take one foot and place it on our leg, then switch. We always look into each other’s eyes and smile!

7) Eagle Pose: We spread our wings, criss cross our legs and then either twist our arms or give ourselves a hug. The kid eagles get to fly around, and mom’s turn back into trees! Of course we fly back to the trees and try the other side. 

8) Butterfly Pose: We fly into our nests and turn to face each other with toes kissing. We sing our butterfly song, and then the kids hide in their wings. Mom gets to put her hands on her little ones back and give a little love. Then we sing again and this time mom hides in her wings and the kids get to give the moms a little love!

9) Partner Candle: We lie bottom to bottom with legs straight up in the air for partner birthday candle or legs up the wall. We reach for our partner’s hands as we breathe and start to relax together. 

10)  Relaxation: It’s time to relax with our moms. I gave many choices of how to lay together. Everyone receives an eye pillow. It was a lovely way to end the class together. 

How do you celebrate your mom? Do you have other poses that would be fun to do in a class like this?