Now that my girl is nearly two years old she’s saying all kinds of things. Some of them are less than pleasant, like yesterday when she screamed “NO, Mommy, NO!” as loud as she possibly could for a solid 5 minutes while I was trying to interview a source for an article. (To my credit, this particular interview had been scheduled for nap time but the source wasn’t available then and called me back later–when my daughter was feeling particularly disagreeable.)

But she also says a lot of really insightful things that, with a little imagination, can could easily be really profound themes for a yoga class.

Things like:

1. “Take ya time, Mommy! Take ya time!” Confession. She got this little phrase directly from an episode of American Idol a couple of weeks ago when we had it on in the background as my daughter played in the floor because she was refusing to sleep at her predetermined bedtime (8 p.m.). She looked up just at the moment when one of the judges told a contestant not to rush through a song. “Just take your time.” My sweet girl has been reminding me to slow down, move more deliberately, and stop re-examine my definition of the word “late.”

2. “This is fun! This is fun! This is fun!” Sometimes it’s swinging at the park or bouncing with me on my yoga ball. Other times it’s just running in circles around the living room or throwing a toy for the dog. My little one feels (and expresses) joy and happiness in so many moments that I take for granted each and every day.

3. “Wake up!” It’s true that these words are most often uttered at me when I’m pretending to be asleep on the couch–often following the direction of a toddler with mad leadership skills who just told me to “Close ya eyes!” But, I also think that she might be catching on that life is a lot better when you’re fully engaged in the moment. There are many times when I’m basically asleep at the wheel–incessantly checking my email or Facebook feed while I could be taking in (and enjoying–see No. 2 above!) the moment.

I can’t wait to find out what’s going to come out of her mouth next. Om Namah Shivaya?

What profound little nuggets have you heard your little ones say?