Yikes! Apparently, last week's goal was too ambitious - obviously I've hardly posted at all recently, and I'm way behind on some posts I had scheduled. I'm still learning how to balance my schedule and still find me-time (computer and wifi issues don't help either), but one thing I've been managing to keep up with is practicing at least one yoga pose every day. What I originally thought would be a difficult habit to keep became incredibly easy once I discovered Yoga Cards from Think Fun.
Though I know this game was created with kids in mind, I actually wanted to try it to grow my own personal practice. Especially for the "pose a day", it has been so convenient to simply pull a card from the deck and focus on that pose. The game itself focuses on "mission cards" that require you to perform multiple poses that share a common theme (such as animal names); on days when I had enough time, I focused my practice on one of these missions and created a more well-rounded session. Actually playing the game would be really fun, too, I think! I don't have any kids to play with (yet, we'll see someday), but I have an itch to take these to the gym and see if some of my class ladies would want to play with me.
The cards aren't a total substitute for a broader yoga practice, though. Some of the pose names listed on the cards aren't entirely accurate, so for true beginners to learn traditional yoga, they'd need accurate names. Additionally, none of the cards offer pose variations or alternatives for people who may be dealing with injuries or other limitations, nor do they suggest how to incorporate props when needed. Some of the more challenging poses could also benefit from a build-up sequence. Maybe little kids are bendier than I am (most certainly!) but I will need some serious work before I can actually perform some of these cards! It's easy enough to consult another resource for suggested variations and build-ups or prep poses, but one of the things I wanted out of Yoga Cards was portability. I'd like to take my deck into the woods on a beautiful day and create a flow without needing to haul technology with me!
Overall, I think Yoga Cards are a really clever development! They're only $5 a box, too, which makes them an incredibly affordable yoga resource for any level of practice. I'm very pleased with this addition to my mindfulness toolkit and my fitness collection, even as an adult with a semi-established personal practice. Someday, I think these cards would be a great way to introduce my kids to the practice of yoga as well. And in the meanwhile, I'll have fun with my friends instead!
Have you ever played a yoga-focused game? Do you think Yoga Cards have a place in adult practice as well? Would you play this game with your youngins?
No comments:
Post a Comment