Yoga & Meditation for Toddlers

I have already posted this on Insta…and didn’t quite keep up to pop this post on the blog.

So here it is:
Let’s talk about yoga for children

Is it a good idea? Just a trendy fad? Do kids need meditation and yoga classes?

Does Faye practice yoga? 

Let me start with a little known fact about myself: 

I am a certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher. ‍♀️

While I don’t currently teach any classes I am devoted to my own practice, meditation and trying my best to live a yogic lifestyle. 

Yes, Faye does practice yoga and has done so already in the womb 🤰🏼

She grew up with all the chanting, mantras and movements.

She has been crawling all over us ever since we started to get back into our morning practice at home...(let’s be honest here, we don’t keep it up all the time)

I think parents probably need yoga more than their kids. If we practice mindfulness and model self care then it can become a natural part of family life. 

If our kids see us do yoga then they would want to do it too. Toddlers want to be in on EVERYTHING we do, right?

Now at 2 Faye loves practicing Yoga.

We found some great toddler picture yoga books with simple illustrations of poses, which make it really fun. So I wanted to share some of these treasures...

OUR FAVOURITE KIDS YOGA BOOKS

Faye’s first Yoga book was “Little Yoga” at around 20 months. She got it out every day and wanted to practice. The illustrations are cute and simple and they can definitely be followed by the youngest yogis.
There is no story here, but she illustrations and animal names, were engaging enough for Faye to love it.Great for mimicking and body awareness and a sweet intro to yoga poses.

We got “Good Morning Yoga” & “Good Night Yoga” as German titles, becuase I try to speak and read as much German as possible to Faye. These two are real cute treasurers. Very beutiful illustrations. There is a bit of guidance on the breath here as well. They are recommended for older (school age) children andFaye can’t do all the poses yet, but she loved the beautiful illustrations and really enjoys them. They also both finish with a guided meditation, which is a bonus. Both feature girls and boys and global diveristy, without gender stereotyping. Big thumbs up.

”I AM YOGA” is more artistic in it’s sketchy illustrations. It is also a book that can simply be read without trying to copy the movements and poses. It offers a great insight in how to use Yoga as a tool in daily life to stay calm and centered. It really teaches yog aas a coping strategy for hard days and hard feelings. Kids can copy the poses while listening to the story. It’s a great little book.

”Rachel’s Day In The Garden” is a great yoga story book, which allows to integrate a simple yoga practice into a lovely nature story. It really is fun and Faye enjoys that there is a story. It’s wo a few awards for a good reason. LOVE this one. It’s also a great one for kids yoga teachers to have and use during a lesson. Charming illustrations, easy to follow poses and tips for parents/teachers are included in the back!

I hope you enjoyed these!

I think yoga is great for children, whether you simply practice at home or sign up for a lesson.
Just keep in mind to not overschedule your kids weeks. It is more “yoga” to live simply then trying to race to another activity/childrens enrichment class even if that one is yoga!

Raising Girls And thoughts on motherhood

Maybe it was because she wore her NASA jumper today, or maybe it was just a day to feel a little emotional in general but when I tucked in Faye for her nap today my mind traveled back in time and replayed the day we found out that we were having a girl.

I had known all along, somehow you just know as a Mum to be, but to actually have it confirmed and to hear the words "It's a girl" was still a shock, a positive, butterfly feels, good surprise type of shock.
Like an engagement... or saying I love you for the first time or like the day Dave asked me to move in with him...one of these BIG moments in life.

Don't get me wrong here, I totally had no preference for one sex or the other. I was just beyond grateful and happy to be carrying this precious soul in my body and about the chance to become a Mum. Now that we got that out of the way...

It was just that all my hopes and worries for her came to me at once.
Being a woman I just felt somewhat anxious and that night I didn't sleep.
I was thinking about all the challenges women face in the world, of how to explain the world to her, to raise her to be strong and to find a way of being herself. It would have probably been the same for raising a boy, but with being female myself I just somehow felt more emotional.
It also puts on even more responsibility on me as her Mum. The way I treat myself and others, I am her role model for now. I am the one she hangs out with day to day.

So what do I want her to see? How can I be the most kind and accepting of myself?
What are the priorities in my life? Being a makeup artist, I see women's insecurities all the time. I also sometimes contribute to the "perfect" images of created "beauty" and I just wish that Faye can stay clear of these things. I want her to stay pure and beautiful the way she is, you know?
To understand that real beauty is on the inside.
We will do what we can to accept her 100%. Gender is a funny thing.
I strive to nurture her interests and preferences no matter if they are "boyish" or "girly" 
I guess the gender reveal made everything even more real and raised all sorts of concerns and wishes. How to bring up kind and confident children in today's world?
How can I be the teacher and guide she needs?

There is so much to learn about this journey and about Faye. I am conscious of the time and the attention she needs from me. It's a full-time job.
Now how to not lose sight of all the creative things I do besides mothering, my business and how to contribute financially to our family at the same time?
Women have many roles today and a high price to pay for our feminism.
How come that we are always multi-tasking. How do we find balance? And mostly, how do we stay present and raise our own children? It's a big job and I hope we will all find the love and support to make it happen.