Children & Wellness Practices

I grew up in a fairly traditional, middle-class home, we went to church every Sunday, mom and dad worked full-time jobs, watched cartoons Saturday morning, played outside until the streetlights came on, we sat around the dinner table together every night, and took our antibiotics when we were sick. I was, most definitely, a product of the 80’s. I struggled with mental illness, eating disorders, and my “rebellious” side that just didn’t quite fit in with the times. Even as a young child I was told I was born into the wrong era. I was never really taught coping mechanisms for stress, what self-care was or how to add it into my daily life, or introduced to meditation.

I found holistic wellness all on my own, through books, research, and eventually schooling. Everything that I was learning was geared towards adults though. I was reading these complex concepts as a young kid and trying to figure out how I could make them work for an adolescent elementary/middle schooler. I always ended up frustrated and lacked the support I needed at home. My parents referred to it as my “hippie nonsense”, needless to say, they have never really been into any of my new age philosophies or ideals.

After I had my first child, I realized that I was perpetuating the same upbringing that I had. The one where self-care and wellness were an adult concept, not something that a child would be interested in or understand. Looking back now, I realize how incredibly wrong I was. When my second child was born 9 years later, I vowed to do things differently. We taught the boys yoga practices, breathing techniques, and meditation from day one and it has been life changing. They learned that it is ok to say you need to stop, take a moment to collect their selves, all before proceeding with the current situation (something I am still working on for myself as well). They take ritual baths that are laden with crystals, herbs, and minerals.

They ask for water more often than sugary drinks and tend to lean towards healthier snacking options before junk food. The youngest begins and ends every day with a stretching routine of his own design that helps him wake up or calm down before going to sleep. They both utilize the essential oils that we own to help with their moods, support themselves during seasonal ailments, and to help them quiet down for a good night’s sleep.

We never dumped any of this on them, everything they have come to use in their lives has been a product of small changes made throughout the years. It is amazing to me how when I begin to get stressed out my children will be the ones to ask if I have done my yoga, used an oil, or even remind me to stop and breathe. It’s helped them immensely to deal with tantrums, behavioral issues, and just living their everyday life.

Your question may be, So where do I start? I realize how overwhelming it can be to want to impart and teach all this knowledge to your children. My suggestion, keep it super simple, see where their interests are, and never force something they are not interested in. My youngest loves doing guided meditation with me. My oldest hates breathing exercises, instead he uses ASMR videos or binural beats. It is still a form of meditation, just not mine. And that is OK! Not everything will fit your child.

I am huge advocate of teaching your children yoga. I am a huge proponent of learning yoga for yourself as well for that matter. There are so many benefits to a daily yoga practice; strength and flexibility are only two on a vast list of benefits. Yoga helps to bring your mind back to the present moment. It helps limit the mind chatter and brings clarity and peace to an otherwise chaotic moment. This is very true for children as well. I can’t tell you how many tantrums, meltdowns, and hyperactivity we’ve avoided due to our yoga practice.

Please, do yourself and your sanity a favor and don’t expect a shared practice with your kiddo to look like a serious, silent, serene practice. You will be setting yourself and your little one up for extreme disappointment. There may be times when your shared practice can look serious and you’re perfectly in sync… but those moments will be few and far between for most parents. Rather, enjoy the laughter, the goofiness, and lightness that kids bring to a practice that adults sometimes take too seriously.

I was guilty of this at first. I wanted those quiet moments on my mat with my kids. Trying to force those moments only end in anger, hurt feelings, and tears. We have two yoga times in our house; family yoga and mom’s yoga. My practice is quiet, meditative, and fluid. Our family practice time ends up being…. whatever the moment brings. We’ve laughed together as the boys took turns farting in downward dog, toppled over one another in something that looked more like the game Twister than yoga, and we’ve even fallen asleep in a giant huddle before. As great as my alone time sessions with my mat are, those family yoga moments are the practices that I will remember forever.

You don’t need anything fancy to start a yoga practice either. You can use a towel if you don’t have a mat. Can’t pay for classes or have a yoga studio near you? That’s perfectly fine! YouTube is a free source of yoga videos that cover a wealth of topics from prenatal, to children’s yoga, to yoga for the elderly , disabled, and everything in between. You can use belts or towels instead of straps, books for blocks, the possibilities are endless. Yoga should always be accessible to everyone. Let me repeat that because some people get caught up in the commercialism of it all. YOGA SHOULD ALWAYS BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE!

So let’s do a quick recap to give you some starting points to help you include your children (at any age):

• Start a daily meditation practice with your child. It can be as quick as 1 minute or as simple as 3 deep breaths when they are having big emotions, but create the habit. The Insight Timer App has amazing guided meditations and classes. We use it daily in our house. (Not an ad, or sponsor, I just love the app)
• Begin a movement practice. Move your bodies! Yes, I am a huge fan of yoga but maybe that doesn’t work for your family. Go hiking daily, walk around the block, go to the gym together, find a public pool you can swim at together. Find what works for your family and do it together.
• Choose water! Even if it’s just replacing one glass of pop a day at first. You will feel better the more water you drink and it is a great habit to get your children into.
• Get outside. Play in nature! Whether it be your backyard, a nearby forest, a lake, beach, or just a patio with a plant… get out and breathe in that fresh air.

Helping your child embrace a life style of wellness will serve them their entire lives! Lead by example. Seeing Mom or Dad embrace a lifestyle based around choices that improve their wellbeing will encourage your children to follow in your footsteps. There may be resistance at first, that’s ok. Change is scary. Even to adults. It’s the consistency that matters. Children learn by example, not by being told what is best for them. Here’s to a lifetime of positive choices to create a lifestyle of wellness!

Dayna B.

(While most of these photos are of my youngest, my oldest does partcipate in our wellness lifestyle more often than not. He does NOT, however, like having his picture taken or posted. I understand and respect his wishes. So enjoy #TheGremlin’s antics 🙂 You can find more of #TheGremlin on my personal Instagram)