Fun With Yoga

Dots the giraffe, Stripes the zebra, Trunky the elephant and Boo the monkey were very bored during the summer vacation.

“It’s so hot”, cried Boo.

“And there is nothing to do”, sulked Trunky.

“Zzzz”, snored Stripes.

“Friends, I have an idea”, beamed Dots.

“Do you know what day it is on the 21^st of June?”, asked Dots excited.

“It’s a Friday”, yawned Boo.

“I meant what is so special about that day?”, asked Dots.

“Hmm wait, I think I know. Is it World Yoga day?”, asked Trunky.

“Yes, it is!”, smiled Dots.

“How do you even know that?”, wondered Boo.

“Well, I saw Simba the lion and Brownie the bear practicing yoga poses by the lake. They were talking about a Yoga fair in the morning”, said Trunky.

“Oh really?”, asked Stripes.

“You’re awake Stripes”, asked Dots.

“Yes, I was just practicing plying dead with the 'Corpse pose’ and slept off”, grinned Stripes.

“Come let’s all go tomorrow morning and check it out”, said Dots.

In the morning, all the friends went to the lake. A cool breeze was blowing.

There they saw Simba the lion, Brownie the bear, Tarzan the gorilla, little foot the lizard and Hip Hop the frog all ready with their yoga mats.

“Welcome to the World Yoga day- Yoga fair practice”, they all called.

“We will show you one by one the Yoga poses named after us and you can have some fun learning Yoga”, said Simba.

“Thank you! That will be fun”, said the friends excited.

“Let’s start with the Lion pose and have some fun roaring. Watch what I do and copy me”, said Simba.

Simba knelt on his mat and sat back on his heels. He pressed his palms to his knees and opened his claws out. “Grrr”, he took a deep breath through his nose and stretched his tongue out wide till his jaw. Then when he breathed out through his mouth he let out a huge roar. “Grr and Roar”, was the rhythm he followed.

All the animals copied Simba and the lake was echoing with roars all around.

“That was fun”, laughed Boo looking at Trunky whose roar sounded more like a trumpet.

“Now it’s time for learning the Bear pose and have some fun balancing”, said Brownie the bear.

Brownie sat comfortable on his behind on the mat. Then he put up the soles of his feet and grabbed his big toes sitting back to balance on his bottom. Slowly he extended his legs far out as he continued to breathe in and out.

“Wow, that’s some cool balancing”, said Trunky as he wobbled while trying to balance and fell on his bottom with a loud “Ouch!”.

Everyone laughed at poor Trunky.

“Oooo, oooo, ooo, Time for the Gorilla pose”, said Tarzan beating his chest.

Tarzan folded at his hips and bent forward. He then lifted his toes up, sliding his hands underneath his feet with palms facing upward. He breathed in and out lifting his hips to the sky.

   

“I really enjoyed this pose”, said Boo jumping up excitedly.

“Time for the Lizard pose”, said Little foot as she stretched her feet flexibly with the right foot next to the right hand and her left leg behind, all the while looking up and stretching deeper.

“Ooohooo”, shouted Trunky as he lost his balance while trying to do the pose.

“Try again”, guided Little foot gently and finally Trunky did the pose and everyone clapped.

“Ready for some hopping? It’s the last one friends- the Frog pose”, said Hip Hop the frog.

Hip hop brought his hands and knees together and pushed his knees out as wide as possible. Then he placed his elbows and forearms on the mat with his palms flat on the ground.

All the animals copied what hip hop was doing and joined the frog dance.

“That was fun. Thank you for the Yoga lesson”, clapped all the friends.

“Practice the poses every day at home and you will get better and better”, said Simba to Trunky.

Do you also want to learn Yoga like the friends? Why not try some animal poses and see how well you can do them?