I hear more and more parents express feelings of concern about their kids not being able to relax. The general feeling is that we are setting up our kids in a very competitive environment from the time they are very young. So much academic, social, and athletic competition.
This competition can send kids a message that they have to fight for being the best or they won’t get into the best college and they won’t be successful in life.
Kids live in a very sympathetic nervous system state.
Sympathetic nervous system is when our bodies are always ready for action and the mind is constantly scanning for possible threats. The fight or flight response which is located in the limbic area of our brain takes care of our survival. For kids whose sympathetic nervous system is engaged all the time they are living in survival mode making it very difficult for them to relax and be calm.
Parasympathetic nervous system is when the body can rest, heal, and grow. The mind can integrate new information and see the bigger picture. How do we get kids to relax?
“Mindfulness is paying attention to your life, here and now, with kindness and curiosity.”
Amy Saltsman
Yoga offers a pathway towards mindfulness, grounded in practice and accessible to all.
Tools to help kids relax and be calm:
Start kids off with Connecting
These skills can help children and adolescents connect to their emotional experience, to others in their community, and to their environment.
An example: Use a Loving Kindness Meditation
Have kids say to themselves with their eyes closed if they feel safe
May I be happy
May I be healthy
May I be safe
May my life be filled with joy
Then have them think about someone they love and have them say:
May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you be safe
May your life be filled with joy
Then have them think about someone who annoys them and they don’t like. Have them say:
May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you be safe
May your life be filled with joy
Next you want to help kids Breathe.
Heart and Belly Breathing
Have kids put one hand over their heart and the other hand over their stomach. Have them close their eyes if they feel comfortable doing that
Say to them:
See if you can find your breath
See if you can make both inhalation and exhalation be the same length
See if you can breath in air around your heart
Langhana Breath is also very helpful. It is a calming breath.
Inhale freely and exhale sloooooowwwlly. Inhale and count 1and 2 exhale 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Alternating Nostril breath is also very helpful.
It is a neutralizing breath.
Warrior I Yoga Pose: Increases Self Esteem, Self Discipline, Self confidence, and Self Worth
Why is the Warrior I pose called Virabhadrasana I?
The Warrior pose was created by the Hindu God Shiva to avenge his wife’s death. They say the demon, also known as Virabhadra, rose up from the ground with a sword raised up over head striking the very first Warrior I Pose.
Using Virabhadrasana I can help increase your self-esteem, self-discipline, personal power, and self-confidence. This pose opens up the Third Chakra also known as the SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA.
SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA which is the color yellow is located directly under the sternum has to do with personal power and helps with boundaries. There are energy draining entities out there ready to suck our energy leaving us feeling depleted. Placing your hand over this center can help protect against this happening.
Lessons in this Chakra are related to:
EGO
PERSONALITY
SELF-ESTEEM
CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENCE
So many children and adolescence are bullied in school or in their neighborhoods. A child being bullied is a perfect example of someone robbed of their personal power with low self-esteem and a low sense of self-worth being the result. Children and adolescence who lack personal power are often too scared to stand up for themselves.
ADULTS
Many adults feel a lack of personal power as well. They often walk around feeling badly about themselves and have no sense of self-worth or self-confidence.
In order to help you increase your self-worth, self-discipline, self-confidence, and self-esteem, I have listed 10 steps to help you use the Warrior I pose to accomplish these goals. Practicing this pose will help you restore a healthy sense of personal power within yourself.
TEN STEPS IN HEALING YOUR POWER CENTER
STEP ONE:
Stand at the front of your mat with your feet hip width apart and your weight evenly distributed between them, your spine erect, and your arms at your sides.
STEP TWO:
Spread your legs three to four feet apart so that you are standing in a straddle pose with your hands at your thighs.
STEP THREE:
Turn your feet to the right so that the right foot turns to face directly toward the right side of the mat and the left foot turns 45 degrees toward the right side of mat.
STEP FOUR:
Rotate your torso to the right, and try to square your hips toward the right side.
STEP FIVE:
Bend your right knee at a 90 degree angle so your shin is perpendicular to the ground and centered over your foot.
STEP SIX:
With your palms together, reach your arms up, lifting your ribcage up from your pelvis as you lengthen your lower back. Keep your shoulder relaxed.
STEP SEVEN:
Look up at your thumbs or straight forward.
STEP EIGHT:
Hold the pose for 30 seconds or so as you breath deeply and smoothly, keeping your torso and hips turned facing the right leg.
STEP NINE:
Release the pose by pressing your left heel into the mat and straightening your right knee, then rotate your torso back to the center and drop your arms.
STEP TEN:
Repeat pose on left side, holding it for the same amount of time.
Warrior I is such a powerful pose. It helps in HEALING, CLEARING, and BALANCING your personal power center bringing an increase in self-esteem, self-discipline, self-confidence, and self-worth.
ENJOY!
~Namaste~
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