Annie Buckley

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the idea of health as a whole package—body, mind, spirit; work, play, learning; self, family, community—so many triangles, so much to balance! In honor of three-sided paradigms, this month we turn to the Triangle Pose, or Trikonasana, one of the elemental poses in yoga and one of my personal favorites. I love the way it stretches all along one side of the body and then the other, and how its beautiful asymmetry provides a perfect metaphor for balancing the various parts of our lives.

For the whole family: Do the Triangle pose together. Ask children to look at the pose (or the picture here) to find the triangles. When you do the pose, ask children where they feel the stretch in their body, and how it feels different on each side. Try back-to-back Triangle together and support each other as you stretch and balance. You and your children can expand the pose into the world by looking around to find triangle shapes in your home and community.

Let your triangle search inspire a related art activity: On a large sheet of paper, draw as many kinds of triangles as you can see around you and imagine. These can be large, small, lopsided, equilateral, filled-in, outlined, or any kind of triangle. Use multiple colors to make your own triangle picture.

For parents and caretakers: In thinking about the Triangle pose, ask yourself: What receives the majority of my attention each day and what areas of my life could use some T.L.C.? Consider aspects such as home life, friends, work, creativity, and wellness. Take an inventory of your commitment to each one. Aim for an attitude of appreciation and guidance. Imagine yourself helping a friend reflect on her choices and look at the whole picture to see which areas are strong and which are in need of attention.

Perhaps you haven’t exercised in a while; go for a walk or take a swim in the local pool. Perhaps you haven’t made time for friends; invite someone to tea! Is your day filled with email and voicemail, Internet and Twitter? Give your brain a break and unplug for a day. Balance isn’t about stasis, but finding a way to flow with the certainty of change; we can observe the waves of our breath for practice.

~Annie

For more information on Annie Buckley’s Kids Yoga Deck or Once Upon a Time: Creative Writing Fun for Kids, please see Chronicle Books.com or anniebuckley.com.