It's Only Natural

A tourist snapped these pictures of a female grizzly bear performing her morning stretches at the Ahtari Zoo in Finland. She makes it look so easy, doesn't she? Poised. Confident. Meditative. Evidently it was a fifteen minute routine done with the skill of an experienced yogi. 

 

The thought of engaging in either of these poses right now is daunting, likely impossible. Since the more I run the less I tend to stretch (bad combo, I know), marathon training has me feeling brittle right now. My right hamstring is almost painfully tight and tender (that's the Boo Boo part of this Yogi equation).

However, seeing these pictures reminds me of how instinctual stretching is--as is being limber and connected to our bodies. And suddenly that makes it just as provocative as running, which feels like the most natural form of exercise to me. It's a part of fitness I'm falling short on right now, but one I could easily squeeze in while watching television or reading a book. Heck, it's something I could even do with my kids or turn into a game using our deck of Yoga Pretzels cards.

So, as soon as I'm done posting this, I'm going downstairs to print off the pictures of Ms. Yogi Bear. They are going up on the fridge for the whole family to see. I'm counting on nature again-- the natural enthusiasm of my daughters' youth-- to get me on the floor and limber.  I can "bearly" wait.