This is my dad, Fred, diligently bending forward in Uttanasana during today's class. He'll be 80 years old in July and he decided to take up "the sport" a few months ago. Usually, he's the only man present in this Wednesday morning class, which I think IS the reason why he comes.
The man can bend! His mother could do a full squat well into her 90's, so these are the DNA donors I'd like to draw from. My dad has always been interested in bodies....and fenders, fast cars and racing. In fact, he's wearing a drag racing t-shirt to this Gentle/Stretch yoga class!
The last class of the month is dedicated to restorative poses and due to the size of our Wednesday classes, ALL of the props come down off the shelf. I've had to split the class in two, half of them in one pose and the other half in an alternate prop pose. Today we did 11 repetitions of the Five Tibetan Rites followed by at least five restorative postures.
Fred, and his wife of 55 years to his right, are in Supta Baddha Konasana. They bowl three times a week, come to yoga on Wednesdays and feed my body and soul every Sunday night. Many times, when I think of "the one thing that you are truly grateful for" (a suggestion at the end of class), it's my dad and my mom. They ARE one to me.