#20 Field of Flexibility

Instructions in English

Congratulations, you found a UC 4-H Community Adventure Challenge! Let’s have some fun!

Your challenge is to hold your body in difficult positions while seeking to retrieve your stolen treasure. You never know when an adventure will make you reach, bend, crouch or crawl.  

These adventures are located all around Yolo County (a complete list of locations can be found on the navigation bar on the left).

Below are directions for the different poses. While reading the story, act  out the movements by mirroring the poses shown. 

There is also an activity you can do at home below.

Directions

1. Open the timer app on your smart phone. Set the timer to the number of seconds you want to try to hold the pose, plus five extra seconds to set the phone down and get into position. 

• For beginners, your challenge is to hold each pose for fifteen seconds. 
• For intermediate, your challenge is to hold each pose for thirty seconds.
• For advanced, your challenge is to hold each pose for one minute. 

2. Now try to do these poses while following along with the story. Your adventure awaits.

You are in search of retrieving a sacred treasure that has been stolen from you. You recently received an unsigned mysterious letter in the mail that it had been spotted in a nearby medieval castle during a party. A blueprint for the castle is included with the letter. It shows you how to sneak in underneath the castle, and pop up the secret floor board entry in the sitting room. 

You tuck it in your pocket for safekeeping, remove your shoes for the best and quietest entry, and start out. As you pop up out of the secret floor board entry, you hear the guard. The first thing you must do is hide from the night watchman. You spot a small table and climb underneath: 

Snail pose- Rest on the ground with toes together. Have your knees spread hip-width apart. Take both palms and bend forward, while kneeling, and reach as far as you can. Imagine yourself trying to hide under a small table!

After hiding for a while, you listen carefully, but hear nothing. You are not sure if the watchman has left, but need to move on before the tenants return home. You peak up to check out the surrounding space to determine if it is safe to come out from hiding. 

Cobra pose- Rest your legs and pelvis on the ground. Stretch your head upward, locking your elbows so your arms are straight. Imagine peeking over an object to look around you!

Whew! The watchman has gone. Your next step is to sneak across the room undetected. There are laser beams across the room that will sound if you trigger them, so you must slide underneath. 

Inchworm pose- Lay down on your back with your legs bent so that your feet are flat on the ground. Take your arms and with palms flat, move your hands so that they are next to both sides of your hips. Stretch them as close to your feet as possible. Then raise your hips off the ground, tightening your booty and stomach to hold your core in a straight line. Imagine having to sneak under a laser beam!

You made it under the first laser beam without sounding the alarm. Great work. But there's another on the floor you must navigate. You have to carefully position yourself over it. 

Dog pose- Place your feet shoulder width apart. Reach forward and bend down, placing your hands on the ground to support yourself. Lift your booty to the sky and lean back. Trying to put your heels on the ground, while keeping your knees straight. Stretching your legs and back, hold this position. Imagine balancing over a laser beam! 

You have made it across the room safely, without sounding the alarm. You tiptoe to the door and look down the long, dark corridor. It is lined with old statues, armor, pots, and other items. As you begin to creep in the direction of the library, you hear voices approach. Quick, stand like a statue to blend in! 

Flamingo pose- Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Take one foot and rest it on your other knee cap. Switch legs and try on the other side.  Imagine pretending to be a statue while voices approach!

Another close call, but your balance and flexibility saved you. The voices disappear down a different hallway and fade away. You slowly tip toe as quietly as you can in the direction of the treasure. But after passing several closed doors and windows, you come to an open window. You must get past it. Not wanting to turn you back towards a possible ambush, you flip into a backwards crawl pose and inch slowly along. 

Crab pose-  Sit down on the ground and place both your hands and feet on the ground so that your back is facing the ground and your belly and face are looking up at the sky. Imagine crawling under an open window undetected!

At the next door, you see rows and rows of books lining the walls. It’s the library room you seek! You gently push the door open to reveal the entire space. At the far end is a pedestal with your stolen treasure on top. It is partially obstructed by stacks of teetering books. Additionally, there are booby traps all around it on the ground, so you must be patient and reach slowly between the stacks of books to retrieve it. Don't know anything over!

Starfish pose- Lastly the starfish pose! Start with standing. Then take your right foot forward about four feet. Your front foot should point forward, and your back foot perpendicular. Bend your right knee forming a lunge position. Keep your left leg straight behind you. Raise your arms straight parallel to the ground and level with your shoulder height. Imagine reaching for a treasure in front of you while balancing on shaky ground! Change legs.

You got it! It shines beautifully in the candlelight. Congratulations on using your flexibility and balance to get your stolen treasure back. What do you think your treasure is? Type it into the comments section below.  

AT HOME ACTIVITY

Want to do another activity like this at home? https://littletwistersyoga.com/for-parents/exercises-activities/

What was the treasure that you retrieved?