TGIF | Yoga Baby

It’s Friday.  Get fired up. 

We traveled to Colorado last weekend for a photo shoot with Yoga: Vinyassa, a ‘hot yoga’ studio in Grand Junction.  The owner, Tessa Canterbury, has two little children (which, if you look at her body, belies the laws of nature… but that’s a different story).

The shoot began in the studio (which is nearly 100 degrees… and that’s another story) and later moved to the Colorado National Monument for some evening shots — and I’m super excited to reveal the entire shoot next week.  But, for now, I want to pass on one of the most precious scenes I’ve come across in some time.

The shoot commenced, and Tess got out in front of the lens to begin showcasing a few poses.  I was focussed on the shot, V was focused on the lights, and Tess was yoga’ing, so no one noticed baby Charlie Marie crawling into the shot.  By the time I saw her in frame, she’d sat on her adorable little bum and was intently watching her mom.  We figured we’d keep shooting; after all, it was pretty darling.

But then… this tiny creature started mimicking Tess’ poses, totally unprovoked; and at one point, she rolled over on her side (facing me) and, raising one hand to the sky and keeping the other on the ground, she positioned herself exactly like her mom.

It’s not as though Tessa practices yoga with her one year old, or keeps Charlie in the classes with her as she instructs.  This, to me, was pure instinct.  Learning, right in front of my eyes.  A child absorbing something new, taking in material and movement from someone she trusts with her whole heart.  Maybe the sincerest form of flattery (imitation); maybe ‘monkey see, monkey do’; or maybe I’d just witnessed one of the most amazing things about children: their capacity for curiosity and discovery.

I know parents see this stuff all the time.  But I’m not a parent, and this was a first for me.  And it just kinda melted my heart.