Well, while Joseph was certainly Buddah-like in the belly department, “zen” and “calm” are not the words I would use to describe him, not as a newborn and not today more than three years later. Don’t get me wrong, in my humble, unbiased (? ) opinion, he is the sweetest, smartest, most charming kid ever, but he’s a busy, active, strong-willed boy! He didn’t sleep through the night from Day One or Week 8 or Month 3 or anything like that, he asks a million (billion?) questions every day, and he gets a little too physical with his younger sister for what I’m comfortable with.
But despite all that, he is a yoga baby. He’s a Bikram Yoga baby when I really start to think about it.
As Bikram Yogis know, Bikram Yoga is a very specific style of heated yoga. It’s not just “hot,” it’s 105 degrees and 40% humidity hot. These precise conditions allow for the healing magic of Bikram Yoga to do it’s work. And as teachers, we don’t just talk about the postures, we give exact, direct instructions on how to do them. This helps even the most inexperienced beginner yogi get maximum benefit simply from following along with the words. In Bikram Yoga, there’s not much, if any, deviation from the original series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercise because that formula truly heals and transforms.
Now, Joseph is a very specific kid. He likes things done in a certain way, in certain form, by a certain time. For the past several months, he asks me (not dad, me) to bring him his milk in the morning. But not in just any old way. And certainly not in any old cup. No, the ask (command? demand?) goes like this:
From his crib, with his head buried in his pillow, Joseph calls out:
“Mommy! You can bring me my COOL-WARM milk in the cup with the blue cover. Please. THANK YOU!”
You got that right. He’s not asking. He’s telling. And what’s cool-warm milk anyway? I’ve come to learn, after much trial and error, that cool-warm milk is milk heated in the microwave for 45 seconds. Not 30 seconds. And certainly not 60. Forty five. And how does he receive this milk? From Mommy. In the cup with the blue cover.
At first I couldn’t believe this, and I’d send my husband in with cold milk in whatever cup was clean and figured that would be fine. But it wasn’t. And then I realized I was in fact responsible for creating this “Yoga Baby” …….
The details and specifications of Bikram Yoga are so important to me because I’ve seen and experienced how well they work, so I preached them my entire pregnancy. And Joseph was with me, in my belly, that whole time. He wasn’t picking up on the zen and meditation stuff (well maybe he was, but that has yet to show itself!), he was learning the importance of being clear, telling someone what to do and how to do it.
I know, it probably seems like I have this task master for a son, but that’s not the case at all. I don’t like drinking ice cold stuff either. And there are definitely certain coffee mugs that I prefer in the morning over others. And the fact that he is able to verbalize what is going to make him happy and get his day started off well? That doesn’t bother me at all.
All I can say, is that if Joseph follows in my footsteps and becomes a Bikram Yoga teacher, he’s not going to miss a thing when he’s teaching!
Namaste! And Happy Sweating ?
