Grandma Yogini
- jodiwebb9
- Aug 14
- 4 min read
I first "met" author Raven Howell last summer when I read Blink and Glow and reviewed it HERE. Loved it! And so did my daughter who had just become a mommy - which made me a nanny! As a nanny, I want to be as cool as the grandmas in Raven's books. I'm joining Raven's WOW Blog Tour by writing about my go-to yoga pose when I don’t have time and need to unwind. Because Raven's latest book is about a cool grandma who does yoga: Grandma Yogini. After my post, scroll down for more about the book, author and a giveaway!
Yoga and Me
Let me just say that I have a weird relationship with yoga. I started it with just a lady on my computer to keep me company (Hi, Eliz!) after I was down-sized from my job. And I really hated it. I got dizzy. I couldn't do half the things. At one point I hit my head on a chair. But then my daughter gave me some advice that is good for yoga and life. "You don't have to do everything. You're allowed to skip things." What?
Although it seems to be the cornerstone of yoga, I almost always skip Downward Facing Dog. Vertigo is a real thing in my family so that position and I are not friends. It's not great if you have to "rest" after a position because you feel like you're going to faint. Until my daughter's advice, I decided that not doing that one position meant I couldn't do yoga at all. When I replaced that position my whole attitude about yoga changed. Love, love, love it! Except for the weird part about my cats watching me. I know they're secretly laughing at me.
My absolute favorite position when I'm at home stressing about something is Warrior 2. It makes me feel powerful but calm. Very Mulan (one of my favorite Disney princesses). Of course, you can't go into Warrior 2 in public. Well, maybe YOU could but I'm a little shy. So if I'm stressing in public I replay Eliz's advice about breathing and try to picture the air coming in, making it way all the way down to my stomach then slowly releasing. Also, the balloon attached to the top of my head lifting me into great posture. Since I spend a lot of my day in front of a computer, I try to avoid the hunched posture computers seem to encourage with the help of the invisible balloon, which in my imagination is always red.
One more yoga tidbit. My daughter took me to do yoga at a lavender farm. Doing yoga outside, between rows of blooming lavender bushes while listening to the bees buzzing. I was nervous - between the getting dizzy doing certain positions and never actually doing yoga in front of other people I was a little intimidated. It was amazing! Everyone should try yoga outdoors. Afterwards we had lavender ice cream. Another thing everyone should try!
More About Grandma Yogini
Henry and his sister, Meredith can hardly wait for Grandma to arrive for a visit. But what should they expect? Among the children's diverse friends and their grandmothers who bake, create art, and speak Spanish, will Grandma be able to share something unique and fun with the kids?
Henry's fears are alleviated when, not long after arrival, they flutter like butterflies, slither like snakes, and enjoy other challenges of stretching their muscles and calming their minds. This is no run-of-the-mill grandma, and when it’s time for goodbye, the kids know this was the BEST grandma visit ever.
More about Raven Howell
Raven Howell is an award-winning children’s book author. She works as a writer, journalist, columnist, poet, and publishing advisor. Raven's work is featured in magazines including Story Monsters Ink, Ladybug, Highlights for Children, Humpty Dumpty, and The School Magazine.
Her books have won several awards, including Excellence in Children's Literature, Creative Child Magazine's Best Children's Book, Mom's Choice Award, and the NYC Big Book Award. She writes preschool storybooks for educational publishers worldwide.
Raven enjoys library and school visits and has been practicing yoga for over four decades.
Website: https://www.ravenhowell.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/atpearthkeeper
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atpearthkeeper/
Thoughts About Grandma Yogini
There are so many things to love about Grandma Yogini. First, each grandma mentioned in the book has a special skill that gets the kids excited. Something that makes spending time with them fun. I think its great that everyone (grandparents, parents, children) gets that "grandmas can be fun" message. It's wonderful to see that generational relationship portrayed as active and learning. I think it might make grandmas out there musing over what skill they could bring to their grandchildren. If yoga is your thing, this book provides a nice map for transforming yoga poses into kid-friendly versions with fun animal names for you and the little one in your life.
I grew up in the house next door to my grandparents and eleven of their other grandchildren lived in the same town. Families don't have that situation very often these days. Our grandchildren are in other cities, states, countries. But in this book we see the excitement of grandma coming to visit, something I'm sure all families want to encourage whether the visits are once a week, once a month or only on major holidays. That's why I think everyone would enjoy this book, even if they aren't yoginis. We want to see the possibility of strong relationships developing despite distance. This would be a great book to read when anticipating a visit from a grandma or grandpa.
Also, cheers to illustrator Alexander Santos. The images are bursting with energy. And even though the grandmas come in all shapes and ages they share one thing in common: they are full of spunk. You go, grandmas!
Want to Win?
You could enter to win a copy of Grandma Yogini and learn more about Raven and her writing on the WOW-Women on Writing Blog Tour on the Muffin. You only have until August 17 to enter to win HERE!
Follow Along the WOW Blog Tour
Thanks, Jodi!