The bold move to prioritize your family's well-being

​The bold move to prioritize your family's well-being: How self-care and family yoga can make all the difference.

Before I had my first child I was so worried about how I would be able to do the discipline side of things, it wasn't something I could imagine myself being very good at. Turned out I was right. I wasn't good at it, because the approach I was taking was outdated and I didn't believe in it.  

I made an effort to read up on different approaches - gentle parenting, conscious parenting, mindful parenting, playful parenting etc. This helped me find my feet with parenting a lot more. I am still learning and I get met with new challenges all of the time as my children enter different development stages and experience their own struggles. One thing that does not change is my values. I value my children's and my own well-being. I value our self-care practices. I value our time together. 

One way in which we care for our wellbeing, fill our self-care cup and spend quality time being present with each other is Family Yoga. 

In this blog post I will share why it is a bold move to prioritize your family's well-being and why self-care and family yoga can make all the difference!

Four controversial approaches I take in raising my children that I am not sorry for....

When it comes to raising my kids, it seems like everyone has something to say. I do things differently from what they consider normal and when people don't agree, they can be very loud about it. Luckily, I can be louder. I am not afraid to break cycles, and do things my own way. If you don't like these ways, no problem but this is what I do with my children (even when others have a problem with it). I don't know why these ways are controversial, I honestly think they should be the norm......but here we are.  So here are the four things I do to boldly prioritize my family's well-being.

First, I allow kids to express their emotions freely. Instead of suppressing their feelings, I encourage them to acknowledge their emotions. My aim is to create a safe space where tears, laughter, and everything in between are welcomed and respected.

Second, I let my kids know they can say no to hugs - even from me! I teach my kids about personal boundaries and consent and have done from an early age. By respecting their 'no' when it comes to physical affection (and this includes tickling playfully too), we empower them with the tools to establish healthy boundaries throughout their lives.

Thirdly, I encourage mindful technology use. Rather than banning or limiting screens, I advocate for mindful consumption. We aim to strike a balance between technology and nature.

Lastly, I have open and honest conversations about gender and provide them with diverse role models. I encourage them to express themselves in a way that feels authentic to them.

If you're onboard with these things, we're probably best friends now ??

Honestly, we could use all the support we can get in creating a safer, more inclusive, more mindful world . Don't you agree?

How can self-care and family yoga help?

I see family yoga as a form of self-care. My own yoga practice is definitely my own self-care. It really helps me to sit with my emotions, breathe through my triggers and release anything that is no longer serving me. It helps me to get out of my head and into my body. It helps me to be present - to be where my feet are. 
If I need to move, I can practice vinyasa or hatha yoga. If I need rest, I can practice restorative yoga poses. If I need to pause, I can practice pranayama. Whatever I need - Yoga seems to have my back. 

When it comes to practicing with my children it is a lot of playfulness and games (hence howFamily Yoga Game Night was born). There is a big focus on quality time together and fun. It just so happens that fun is the best environment to learn new skills in. So while we are playing and having fun, they are also learning these incredible ways that they can care for their well-being. Not only does it help children develop an early interest in health and well-being but it is also full of benefits they can experience right away. 

Benefits of family yoga

•   Improves strength and flexibility
•   Increases self-confidence and builds a positive self-image
•   Increases emotional resilience
•   Nourishes creativity
•   Helps to balance body and mind
•   Teaches self-acceptance and self-love
•   Increases sensory awareness and general body awareness
•   Builds coordination and balance
•   Expands self-awareness, and awareness of others
•   Develops self-discipline and self-control
•   Builds concentration
​•   Encourages cooperation and teamwork
•   Teaches how to relax and reduce stress

•   Helps us to stand more erect and feel taller by supporting a long and flexible spine
​•   Fortifies all bodily systems; the skeletal, nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory,  hormonal and muscular systems and improves our understanding of anatomy
•   Increases awareness of breathing and deepens the breath
•   Is non-competitive
•   Expands awareness of nature, animals and the environment
•   Helps children build inner strength
•   Encourages compassion, generosity, and respect
•   Teaches how to find inner peace
•   Yoga is fun !​

Self-care and Yoga

As you can see, with all these benefits , it is no wonder Yoga is a great choice for families wanting to prioritize their well-being. While all these benefits are wonderful though, the best reason to practice yoga?
It has to be that you can just be yourself. Not trying to fix or improve but just being present and being fully yourself. This is why Family Yoga is playful because children are playful! We don't want them to dim their light so they can join in our adult yoga practices. We want to join them in their fun and imaginative world from time to time! It can be just as important for the grown-ups to join in this world of play to be honest, so many of us have forgotten how! 

What difference does it make? 

At first it will just be a bit of fun. You'll love spending time together and it will strengthen your bonds. That in itself is wonderful, but after some time you'll see how your child starts taking breaths on their own when they are feeling frustrated. You'll see them start their own mindful practices without being prompted to. They'll ask you to meditate with them or guide them through a relaxation at bedtime. They will become more self-aware and confident within themselves. They'll speak up for what they believe in and set firm boundaries with peers and even family members. They'll start living the yoga. 

What a gift. 

Make the bold move to prioritize your family's well-being today!

Resources

Ocean Bliss - 5 minute Yoga journey for children and their grown up
Free Game Pack - Support your families well-being with these fun games
9 things your child needs you to know this summer