Warrior II, or Virabhadrasana II as it is known in Sanskrit,  is a power pose for children. Hang out here for a moment or two yourself and notice how strong and powerful you feel. You don't have to be in this posture long to feel how it helps to strengthens your legs, core, shoulders and arms, as well as helps to open the hips. If you want to help your kids feel strong, increase confidence and improve focus, introduce Warrior II into your day. You can start by having them come into the pose for a bit and gaze out over their hand … then focus on one finger … then one finger nail .. and finally just the very tip of that finger. This pose is a workout for the body AND the mind.

​While it IS a physically powerful pose, that's not the only thing to focus on here with kids. This pose offers a great opportunity for kids to look inward, and discover what makes them a powerful person on the inside. Ask them, what makes you a powerful person? What type of special power do you have? If they need a little help figuring this one out, you could suggest, is it your courage? your kindness? your determination?

Svādhyāya is a sanskrit word that means self study. With poses like Warrior II we give our kids the opportunity to learn and discover more about themselves, their inner being and their strengths. Give this one a try at home with your kids any time they need a movement break or some increased focus.

Here are some tips for making Warrior II fun for your little yogis:
1) Place bean bags or small, light  stuffed animals on their hands and head and ask them to balance them while in this pose.
2) Challenge them to a Warrior II stand off! See who can stay in this pose the longest.
3) Turn it into a dance party! How many dance moves can you do in your warrior pose?
4) JUMP SWITCH! Can you jump from warrior II on the right side to warrior II on the left side?
5) Pretend your yoga mat is a surf board and your out in the middle of the ocean. Do a little warrior surfing, and don't forget to jump over any sharks you see coming your way!

As the days in quarantine drag on, it can be easy to lose motivation to do...well just about anything. You can start to feel like everything is the same, day in and day out, like we have lost control, lost direction, lost purpose. Anyone else?

There is a way to take back that direction and purpose. That way is intention setting.

An intention is a word or a statement that describes how you want to show up in the world and what you would like to attract into your experience. It is a purpose. Setting your intention is the first step towards embodying how you want to feel. 

If you wake up in the morning and think to yourself, today I will be full of patience, or this morning I'm going to find more peace with my kids, then you are setting an intention. The difference between an intention and a goal is that a goal is future oriented and focused on an outcome and an intention is all about the present moment and focused on a feeling, a state of being. 

Intentions can be as simple as 1-2-3.
1) Set your intention upon waking up
2) Complete this sentence: Today I intend to ___________ (see the good in everyone, focus on the positive, take care of myself, etc.)
3) Remind yourself of your intention throughout the day

Your kids are definitely not too young to start beginning this beautiful practice, especially if you teach it in a fun and playful way. Here's how you can combine the power of the breath with the power of intention setting for children (and for You ,too!)

This is best done as a morning activity, but don't sweat it if you forget! Do it whenever you can remember it. Give your kids a sheet of paper and some crayons and have them trace their hands in super slow motion, taking a deep breath in when they trace up, and a deep breath out when they trace down. So every trace of a finger completes a full inhale and a full exhale. By doing simple, yet effective breathwork before the intention setting, we are giving them a chance to slow the breath and the heart rate, to calm the nervous system and to get clear and focused. After they finish tracing their hand, ask them to think of 5 things they would like to experience today, and each thing gets written on a finger. Allow them the freedom to choose and try not to discourage their answers, no matter how different they are from your expectations! (your kid might very well say they want to experience more tv or ice cream for breakfast) The key here is that we are introducing a powerful practice in a simple and non-forceful way, so don't worry if their intention isn't quite in line with what you are thinking. If your kids prefer to chose just one intention for the day, they can write it right in the center of the palm instead of on each finger.

After they fill out what they would like to experience, they can decorate their hand any way they wish, and then hang it somewhere they will see it throughout the day as a reminder of what they are attracting. You can have them do this daily or weekly, and to be a little more eco friendly, you could use a chalk board or wipe off board so it can be cleaned off and reused each day.

Take power of your days. Teach your children that they have the ability to do the same. 
Enjoy and have fun! 😉

This is the newest activity in our home, and it has been a huge success in so many ways. 

Affirmations are short, positive statements that describe a goal in its completed state. So for example, if you are experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety and you would like to use an affirmation to help feel more at peace, your affirmation could be I FEEL AT PEACE.  By wording your affirmation in a way that describes your goal as already being completed (saying I FEEL at peace instead of I wish I were at peace) you are working on reframing your beliefs (the belief that you are not at peace already) as well as putting out the energy that will attract more peace to you.  Affirmations can be used to help create the reality that you want. Have you ever heard the quote, where your thoughts go, energy flows?  By creating and repeating affirmations, you are giving energy to positive thoughts so they grow into your beliefs, your words, your actions and your reality. 
Affirmations aren't just for us adults. Kids can use affirmations, too. And why not introduce them to affirmations while they are young so that they can learn the power of positive thinking and positive energy early?

Years ago I was introduced to a book called Praying In Color, an alternative to traditional prayer. It involves expressing your prayer through coloring. I recently began doing this with my affirmations as a way to deepen my experience and feel more connected to the affirmation. When my 5-year old daughter noticed that some pages in my journal were written on and some were colored, she and about it and that's how I began teaching her about coloring affirmations.

Coloring affirmations is a fun activity for both kids and adults. You write your affirmations in the center, and use crayons, markers or colored pencils to decorate all around them. There is no right or wrong way to do this, just let your creativity flow! I usually write my affirmation inside of a circle and then draw and color designs around it, almost like a mandala. You can also write out several affirmations and connect them with your drawings. Writing out the affirmation and coloring around it allows us to stay focused on the affirmation for a longer period of time because we are actively engaged in creating and decorating it. For kids who aren't writing yet, you can write an affirmation for them or they can draw pictures of their affirmations. When I taught my daughter how to do this, she began creating her own affirmations and asking me to write them for her. She has come up with some beautiful ones: You get what you believe in, stay yourself, be happy, be healthy. While I like to say my affirmation silently to myself several times while I am coloring around it, I don't give her any other instruction about what to do, I enjoy seeing how she makes this her own project and does it in her own way. I gave her her own affirmation notebook which makes it even more special for her.

So, why should kids color affirmations instead of just saying them?
1. Sometimes sitting still or quietly focusing on an affirmation is a challenge for kids
2. This is a visual, concrete way for them to create affirmations
3. They can express their affirmation with creativity
4. Coloring is a fun, relaxing & meditative experience
5. The physical action allows them to stay focused on the affirmation longer

Here are some examples of affirmations you can teach to your kids to get started.
* I am happy to be ME
* I am an amazing person
* I choose happiness
* Today is going to be a great day 
* I believe in my goals and my dreams

When you first begin using affirmations, it might be hard to remember them or make them a regular part of our day. That's one of the reasons I am loving coloring affirmations with my daughter - we recently began making coloring a regular part of our day so remembering our affirmations has become a lot easier. Give this a try at home with your kids! Start creating and sharing positive affirmations together. Happy coloring :)