What is your favorite flower?
Super Stretch’s favorite flower is the Lotus Flower. In yoga, you learn a lot from the lotus flower. Did you know they are a kind of water lilly? They rise out of yucky water and grow up to be beautiful and vibrant. At night, they close up and sink under water. When the sun comes up, they rise out of the murky water and open again. If you think about it, the same could be said for people. We go to bed at night and then wake up all fresh in the morning.
The flower teaches us no matter what happens in our life, we have the potential to shine brightly and be the greatest we can be. Every day, we get a fresh start with new opportunities.
Did you know that a lot of the words that we associate with flowers could apply to our bodies and our lives?
Colorful: We are all unique. Not one of us exactly the same. Even identical twins have the slightest differences. Appreciate how people all look different on the outside, because we are all much the same on the inside.
Spring: Just like plants, changes in the season can impact us. There are more hours of sunlight in the spring than winter, giving us more time to play outside and blossom. Do you have any annual flowers like tulips that disappear each winter and then magically come back every spring?
Grow: Just like flowers, we all need nourishment to grow. We need water, food and oxygen. So we drink, like a flower soaks up rain. We eat, like a flower takes in nutrient rich soil. As for oxygen, while we breathe it in, flowers make their own.
Blossom: When we treat our body right, we blossom, just like a flower. Have you seen a wilted flower? Sometimes flowers start to look sad and sickly if they don’t get enough water or sun, or if they get too much. But, with just the right amount, they perk right up!
Petals: Think of your arms, legs, fingers, toes and even your head like the petals of a flower. All the parts that make up your body are extensions of your stem. When you nourish and strengthen all of your limbs, you nourish and strengthen your whole body.
Sun: The sun is one of the key nutrients for plants. For people, the sun has vitamin D. Did you know vitamin D helps put you in a better mood? (Just make sure to wear sunscreen.)
Water: Just like flowers and plants, people need to be hydrated. You know the saying, “April showers, bring May flowers.” How many cups of water do you drink a day?
Love: Many flowers need a lot of care and attention. When it’s not raining they need someone to water them. If it’s cold outside, sometimes they need a blanket. Just like flowers, we need love and support to grow healthy too.
Bees and Bugs: They work with the flowers by collecting the flowers’ nectar and pollen to create honey. Did you know that one-third of human food supply depends on pollination of flowers from bugs! You are like a flower because you contribute to society to make the world a better place.
Will you be a Lotus Flower with me? Here is how:
Sit up tall with legs crossed. Bring your hands to your heart. Can take 5 deep breaths in this pose? Our breath brings purity and ease to stay happy, healthy and strong just like a Lotus Flower.
Breathe. Stretch. Play. Make NAMASTE a part of every day!