During yoga class I regress to things that I did when I was a kid: tummy time, playing with blocks, and nap time.
My students have heard me say many times that adults need tummy time too! When you get on your stomach, you work your neck and back extensors against gravity. You don't need to get on a machine and push backward awkwardly. Just lift up your head. Lift up an arm. Lift up a leg. All of these motions are against resistance and most likely you will find that each is difficult.
Blocks are a great prop during yoga in order to bring the floor up. Having a hand on the floor helps to ground and support you in poses like forward bend, triangle and side angle. When you can't reach to the floor, you can use a block (or 2) to support your hand and the weight of your body. I like stacking blocks to create a tower of stability!
And then nap time...Ahh! I was talking to a young college age woman about the restorative class that she had taken at the studio. She said it was like "nap time for adults". I love this description. Even though the goal is not really to fall asleep during a restorative class or the final restorative pose, you can get the same effect: renewed energy, both physically and mentally.
So if you want to feel "child like" again, even for only 75 minutes, come and join me for class.
Namaste,
Stephanie