Fairy tales of Asanas

We bring to your family’s attention yoga fairy tales for children, in which the main characters learn important spiritual values, while developing physically. In each story we try to tell about a yoga asana. Most of the asanas are named after what surrounds us: nature or animals. This is of interest to young listeners from the very first words. Also the spirituality concepts are integrated into each fairy tale: unselfishness, helping others, ministration, human destiny, unconditional love.

Tree pose

In one forest a large and beautiful Tree lived. There were many neighboring trees around it, and each neighbor was special, unlike the other: one had a lush crown of green leaves; the other had fluffy needles with velvety cones; the third was small and lived in the pleasant and cool shade of a giant neighbor with a mighty trunk. The trees lived happily: they always willingly responded with a rustle to a conversation with the brother Wind; held hands to help the squirrels to climb the branches to the other end of the forest when they were in a hurry to stock up for the winter; sheltered carefully nests of birds and minks of small animals from rain and snow. 

Once a Boy came to the forest for a walk. He really liked the Tree. He came up to say hello:

– Hello, Tree! How beautiful you are!

– Hello, baby! – answered the Tree. – Tell me, what am I?

– Don’t you know how big and tall you are? – the Boy was surprised.

– “No, I’ve never seen myself from the outside, because there are no mirrors in the forest,” said the Tree.

– “Well, then I’ll tell you what you are. You have very strong roots, you hold on to the ground with them so tightly that I can’t even make you sway! And what a wide trunk you have: I can’t wrap my arms around you, I’ll have to call my friends to hug you! And how tall you are and how much you can see in the distance: I will need to grow to reach your lower branches! And you also have so many leaves that it will be difficult for me to count them, even when I grow up and go to school! This is what you are, Tree. I would love to be as strong and big as you are!

– What would you do if you became strong and big like a tree? – asked the Tree.

– Oh, I would definitely help those who have not yet grown so much. You know how great it is to help others?! I know that you are always happy to transfer the message of the wind from one of your neighbors to another, so that it will definitely get to the one who is really looking forward to it; I saw how tightly you trees closed your arms-branches when a very small squirrel needed to move to the other end of the forest; and I know that different animals and birds rush to hide near you when it is cold or it is raining. I saw how you helped others every day, because you are bigger and stronger than them. And I also want to help others, but I am so small.

– Do you want me to teach you how to become like me so that you can help others? – said the Tree.

– Is this possible?! – the Boy shouted happily.

– Of course, – the Tree smiled, – here’s what you need to do:

Stand on your right foot. And bend your left leg at the knee and point it to the side. Place the foot of your bent leg on the thigh of your straight leg. Stand firmly and confidently: with your right foot, hold on to the ground just as I hold on to my roots.

Put your palms together and raise your hands high, high up. Reach up your hands to the sky and the sun just as I reach up to them with my branches.

Now try to do the same thing, just switch your legs. Stand on your left foot. And bend your right leg at the knee and point it to the side. Place the foot of your bent leg on the thigh of your straight leg. Put your palms together and raise your hands high, high up.

– How great, I became very much like you! – the Boy rejoiced. – Oh, look, the little Hedgehog also wants to be big and strong, it also took the tree pose.

– “And now I’ll tell you a very important secret”, said the Tree. – It doesn’t matter at all how tall you are and how much strength you have, you can always help others. After all, the most important thing is that your heart and soul are big. They are the ones what do Good.

– Oh, how wonderful that I can help others now! I will always stand the way you taught me to better remember your words. Thank you!

And the happy Boy ran home.