I recently walked in on my 8-year-old daughter, Kendra, practicing some yoga poses before her bed time. This is not her normal nightly routine. I was excited to see her doing this, but not completely surprised. She was introduced to the idea of practicing stress reduction at a very young age. It is not a daily lesson from me, but stress reduction is definitely talked about and practiced between the two of us from time to time. Like most children, Kendra has an abundance of energy.  Energy is a beautiful thing, but it is also awesome to watch her stop and breathe with me and focus on a calm moment every once and awhile. It gives me hope that I can teach her to do this on her own in the future when it may be needed... kind of like she did the other night. Even if it's a rare happening, it still gives me hope :)

Kendra's action to relax with yoga before bedtime inspired this blog. It made me think about what brought her to this point and how important it is to start practicing stress reduction at a young age. The longer children are exposed to small lessons like this, the more likely they will apply relaxation techniques on their own. I am happy to share some of my ideas and our experiences so far and maybe you can bring this into your home as well. While every child is different and some things may not work so well for your child, it doesn't hurt to try. I can say for sure that I have benefited from these ideas too.

1. Start talking to your child about stress reduction as young as possible. It may seem silly and it may seem she doesn't quite understand, but the more you do it and the more you talk about it, the sooner she will learn. Do not choose to introduce relaxation moments during stressful times. It is less productive to start out this way. Introduce them when your child is more quiet or during a time when you are playing with her one on one. The end of the day at bedtime is a good time to start. Talk to your child about why it is important to practice relaxation techniques. Once she gets used to it, then the techniques can be used later at more stressful times.
2. Use music for relaxation. Kendra has been listening to relaxation CDs for a very, very long time. She loves them. It makes her room so cozy at night; Keep a variety handy. I usually pick one for her; When she wants a change, she mentions it. My husband and I listen to a thunderstorm CD every night. I fell in love with the rain when I was young and stayed overnight at my aunt Dona's tin roof camper. I remember clearly the first time I discovered how peaceful rain hitting the rooftop sounded.
3. Go to bed with some quiet reading. First, either my husband or I take some time to read with Kendra. Then she is given the time to use low lighting or a flashlight to read on her own. Reading to Kendra has always been a tradition. Kendra reading to herself started around the age of 4 or 5; She was little and read tiny books. She looked at pictures and even "read" to herself when she couldn't yet technically read. Given this privilege, she felt independent. She was given the chance to pick two books and when finished, was to turn off her flashlight and fall asleep. Now she practices this naturally. This is a great form of relaxation for her.
4. Buy your child a book about relaxation. Don't just hand it to your child and expect her to be motivated on her own; Read and do activities with her first, and then see where it goes. Kendra recently pulled a cute book from her shelf called "The Girls' Yoga Book: Stretch Your Body, Open Your Mind, and Have Fun!" by Michaela Caldwell. Do some research to find fitting books for you and your child.
5. Practice what you preach. This makes sense, right? Your child sees you do it and she wants to do it even more (we hope :))
6. Try guided visualization. This is a fun activity at bedtime. Tell your child to close her eyes and imagine the story you tell. Try to make all of the senses come alive! Recently, I had Kendra imagine the feel of soft white sand between her toes while she listened to crashing waves at the ocean. In our story, we walked slowly in the sand. We imagined picking up seashells and feeling the smooth curves of the twisting shapes in our fingers - the colors that they had. We tossed them in the waves along with any worries we had that day. It was a great experience. After we were finished, Kendra opened her eyes and asked, "What worry did you think about, mom?" and we were able to talk about it. This type of conversation can be very therapeutic. It aids in releasing stubborn worries from your mind for a good night's rest.
7. Breathe colors :) Sometimes I ask Kendra to tell me a color that makes her feel calm. I also ask her to tell me a color that does just the opposite of that. Her calm color is blue, her opposite is grey. My color to breathe in is soft pink; I breathe out red. When we take the deep breath in, our colors fill every inch of our bodies. Our exhales are liberating and fun! We both agree that we especially love the exhales. This activity is really helpful in hectic moments and at the end of your day. It teaches you to slow down.
8. Massage at home. The simple stuff feels so good and works like a charm. Use a little oil or lotion and start with the face and scalp. Have your child close her eyes and trace her facial features; tiny finger twists and pulls feel so good to them as well. Massage up the arms and do light compressions on the legs over the blanket. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?
9. Take your child on a quiet walk. Stop and listen to the sounds. Bring a journal. Listen to the birds singing. Maybe even bring a bird book and use it to identify them. If you show passion towards something, it is likely your child will too. Walking in the middle of the woods is ideal, but Kendra and I even carry bird books on our walks in the city neighborhoods.
10. Participate in a group meditation or a kid's yoga class. Seeing other people take part in relaxation together is extremely inspiring.
11. Finally, bring your little one to our center :) We have an amazing "Mommy and Me" session that wraps this blog's idea up perfectly. It starts with you and your child relaxing and chatting quietly with an aromatic and soothing foot soak and neck wrap. After soaking the feet, you will both receive a foot scrub to help soften the skin. Then the two of you will lay on separate massage tables and receive a half hour of massage on the face, scalp, arms, hands and feet with delicious smelling lotions. It is reassuring to your son or daughter to see you take care of yourself; To make him or her a part of the experience is even better!