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Guests learn kid-friendly yoga at library
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .During the Boardman library's Jan. 13 program "Yoga Before Bedtime," yoga novice Zoe Frank showed ease in contorting into the lotus pose.
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When the parents and kids were asked to meditate, yoga enthusiast Rob Rule (left) fell into an easy meditation. However, his son, Austin (right), had to really concentrate to go into a meditative state.
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Maddie Kagarise (left) and her grandma Connie Barker (right) were in perfect sync as they practiced the thankful pose that usually ends a yoga session, called Namaste.
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When the yoga students were asked to try a version of the warrior pose, not everyone could completely balance, but everyone did give it a try.
By SARAH FOOR
On Jan. 13, the usually boisterous activity room at Boardman library became quite quiet, reflective, and peaceful late in the evening. The relative calm in the room was thanks to the library’s first “Yoga Before Bedtime” story time, hosted by librarian Allie Graf.
The journey to yoga story time started with the Graf and her library co-workers wanting to try something new. “We’ve been aching to do something different, and also something that will get the kids moving. I had the idea for yoga one day, and it just took off from there,” Graf explained.
To make the activity both literary and more kid-friendly, Graf used ideas from the help of the book “Storytime Yoga” by Sydney Solis. Both kids and parents participated, and Graf began by explaining basic yoga positions, like the cross-legged sitting lotus flower and the standing sun salutation. After the warm-up with basic positions, Graf told a story called “The Rabbit in the Moon,” and the crowd had to retell the story with yoga positions.
Most of the children reacted well to the new experience, although some moves were not without a kink or two.
With a grimace during a pigeon pose, Maddie Kagarise said, “Grandma, I can’t keep my legs like this any longer,” before letting go with a relieved sigh.
After yoga mats were rolled up, Graf shared, “I’m not the yoga type at all...I’ve always done physical sports, basketball in particular. So I was doing something new right along with the kids.”
The library will be having a second yoga story time on April 20 at 10 a.m. called “Schools Out: Time for Yoga!”