I was probably at my healthiest when pregnant with my first kid. Living in Los Angeles at the time, I was spoiled with healthy smoothies and lunch options, worked mostly from home, and lived a 30-minute walk from the yoga studio that had prenatal classes multiple times per day. Needless to say, staying healthy within a budget was easy.
Fast forward to my second child and everything was more difficult. Luckily, however, I had a friend who was pregnant at the same time and successfully dragged me to yoga every week whether I wanted to go or not.
So yes, even though I’ve been walking more often in Beijing and looking for ways to exercise that don’t make me feel even worse about myself, it took Theresa Parsonage from Taozi Tree Yoga inviting me to Yoga in the City before I got off my butt and worked out at all.
Even then, I enlisted a friend to come with me for accountability. I’m more likely to let myself down than someone I invite along. Also, it was held across the street from where I live and they were serving Jing-A beer and food afterward. So all in all, it was really a win-win.
Thankfully, so was the class! I’m ashamed to admit that my last yoga class was five years ago when I was pregnant for the second time. And let’s just say your center of balance is a lot different when you aren’t pregnant, as are your potential stretches. Whereas my intentions going into a yoga class used to be connecting with my unborn child and preparing to give birth, this time the purpose was simply to start. Start moving my body regularly, start stretching those areas affected by months of rejoining the workforce while still acting as the primary caretaker, and start understanding the work I really needed to do.
Maybe because it was outside – under the CCTV building, and with the strangely comforting white noise of the nearby CBD, yet still isolated by garden foliage – I found myself more energized than usual while doing yoga. Our instructor Kateryna Panasovska managed to find a pace that worked for both seasoned folks and those on my level. She gave options when we needed them but also kept the flow moving calmly and reassuringly.
Afterward, we all had a chance to socialize and chat with beer delivered to us, alongside some delicious Jing-A chicken, fries, and hummus. While we waited for our bodies to settle into what we had just put them through, chatting in a garden was a lovely distraction, and honestly, a great way to spend Saturday night.
Taozi Tree Toga hosts a Yoga in the Park event every Saturday and Sunday morning, as well as regular classes at their Chaoyang studio. Their next Yoga in the City is May 9. To try out a class or two, scan the QR code below.
Cosmic Kids Yoga
Another way I’ve been keeping up with stretches even if I don’t take the time for a full workout is by doing Cosmic Kids Yoga online. Jaime Amor takes kids (and their grown-ups!) through an adventurous story via yoga poses. Using popular stories like Frozen, Minecraft, Trolls, and more, Amor allows kids to have their own fun but really understand the poses in the best way they know how – through play. We had watched her before COVID-19 but took a deep dive into her archives during quarantine to stay fit and have fun.
Many of her videos can be found on YouTube, but she also has a new app that allows you to access the entire collection away from any suggested videos or commercials, and enjoy viewing privileges with specials like Zen Den and her Meditation stories. It’s USD 65 for one year or USD 10 per month, but there is a free trial.
I love to do her videos at home with my kids as a way to get a good stretch and introduce them to the basics of a yoga practice. I find it’s easier to ask them to take a breath when they’ve practiced with Amor, and they often want to skip directly to the Zen Den.
Try a two-week free trial at https://app.cosmickids.com/ .
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Photos: Cindy Marie Jenkins, Tim Kahetinez Photography
