Florida Lobster Mini-Season: Strength, Breath, Safety and Family Yoga
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Strength, Breath and Respect: Preparing Families for Florida Lobster Mini-Season
Florida lobster mini-season is almost here, and the Lower Keys are filling with families who are excited to get out on the water, search for Florida spiny lobster and make special memories together. I understand that excitement because, for many years, I was one of those visitors. I used to bring my own family to the Florida Keys for lobster season. We looked forward to the adventure, the time together and the beauty of being surrounded by these crystal waters. Now I feel incredibly grateful to call this beautiful place home—and I still love watching families come here to enjoy this tradition. As we prepare for mini-season, I keep thinking about how much catching a lobster has in common with yoga: both require strength, steady breathing, patience, awareness and respect.
Strength for the Adventure
Swimming through a current, climbing back onto a boat and moving carefully through the water all require a strong, capable body. In yoga, we build that strength with mindful movements such as squats, lunges, balance poses and core work. The goal is not simply to become stronger. It is to develop strength we can use in everyday life and in the activities we love.
A Steady Breath
Excitement can make us move quickly and hold our breath. Yoga teaches us to slow down, breathe steadily and remain aware of what is happening around us. That same calm breathing is valuable on the water. It helps us conserve energy, stay focused and make thoughtful decisions instead of rushing.
Respect for Our Waters
The ocean gives us so much. In return, we must respect its rules, its wildlife and its fragile habitats. Before going out, families should review the current Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulations. Know the size and bag limits, measure lobster in the water, release undersized and egg-bearing lobster, and take only what is permitted.
Divers and snorkelers should remain close to a properly displayed diver-down flag. Boaters must watch carefully for those flags, stay 300 feet away, and give divers plenty of room and slow to idle speed when required.
Most importantly, never touch, stand on, hold onto or damage coral. Coral is a living animal and an essential part of the reef community. Lobsters naturally find shelter in reef crevices, beneath ledges and in other protected spaces—but people must admire these habitats without disturbing them.
Our reefs are living communities, not simply places from which we take.
A Family Activity: Try Lobster Pose
A children's 5-minute chair yoga video featuring Lobster Pose. A child performs a seated side stretch beside a Florida spiny lobster with the affirmation, "I am calm."
This is a perfect week to bring out my book, “Breathe and Stretch on the Beach”, and introduce children to one of its playful movements. Lobster Pose is Child’s Pose with the arms reaching forward like the Florida spiny lobster’s long antennae. It gives children an opportunity to stretch, become still and practice slow breathing. Here is how:
1. Begin on your hands and knees on a yoga mat, towel or another comfortable surface.
2. Gently move your hips back toward your heels.
3. Fold your body forward and allow your head to rest comfortably.
4. Stretch both arms out in front of you like a lobster’s long antennae.
5. Become very quiet and still, like a lobster resting safely in a rocky crevice.
6. Take five slow breaths—in through your nose and out through your nose.
You might say to your child:
“Can you become as quiet as a Florida lobster hiding safely in its shelter? Stretch your long antennae forward. Breathe so slowly and stay so still that no one can find you.”
After five breaths, invite children to wiggle their “antennae,” slowly rise and share what they noticed. Do they feel calmer? Did their back or shoulders enjoy the stretch? Was it difficult to remain still?
This activity is fun, but it also teaches meaningful skills: body awareness, self-regulation, patience and respect for wildlife.
My HOPE for Mini-Season
My prayer for this mini-season is that every person returns safely to shore, that boaters remain alert, that divers respect one another and that we leave our beautiful waters as healthy as we found them.
May families laugh, explore and create memories they will treasure. May we take only what is permitted and needed. May we protect the coral, seagrass and marine animals that make the Florida Keys so special. And may gratitude guide every adventure
