As I’m sure most of you know by now, July has been “self-care” month here at Healthoholics.

Today, I’m excited to be sharing with you this wonderful post by Thea from Amma Yoga. Below, she helps us explore many of the ways yoga can act as a tool of self-care and discovery for the entire family.

If you want to hear more from Thea about yoga and self-care, please be sure to join us tomorrow evening at 6:30 for our Self-Care Night! We both hope to see you there!

Until then, happy reading!

Yoga doesn’t have to be quiet or serious, or involve sneaking away from your kids for an hour… though that can be nice as well! A Family Yoga class is an opportunity to bond with your loved ones, while sharing the benefits of yoga practice.

Yoga helps equip children and parents alike with tools to help them balance the stresses they face in life. There is something powerful in the simple act of noticing our breathing, and in a family class we make it playful. We might take a big “balloon breath”, or share a loud sigh. We can hum like bumblebees, hiss like snakes, or pretend we’re breathing fire! One of our regulars recently shared a story about when her three year old needed stitches. After so bravely staying still for the doctor, she proudly told her mom, “I was doing my Ocean Breath from yoga!”

Family yoga provides a space where there is some structure, yet there is room for each person to explore and find their voice. Our kids have so much to teach us about the joy of moving our bodies, and “animal walks” are great exercise! Many yoga poses are animal-inspired, and adding the sound effects can help keep the focus of our littlest yogis!

We like to incorporate partner poses, which are a great opportunity to practice communication and problem solving! Maybe one body is significantly smaller than the other, or your balancing pose is toppling over. How can you work together to create the shape, and move with consideration and respect of each other?

Shared family recreation time has been documented as an important factor that supports resilience and adaptability, while helping children develop cognitive and social skills. Yoga improves our confidence, optimism and, of course, our sense of humour. Humour is an important part of a family class, as things rarely go to plan!

Family Yoga is a reminder to be playful. We spend too much time being stationary – at our desks, in our cars, or on our couches – but we are meant to MOVE! Next time you’re at the park, climb something! Go exploring in the woods. Have a stretch on the floor while you watch Netflix. Try a Family Yoga class and learn new ways to play, while planting seeds of self-care for your family.

Family Yoga happens weekly on Wednesdays from 6:15-7:00pm & Sundays from 10:30-11:15am. Come early or stay afterwards to play and chat. We want you to feel at home. Email thea@ammayoga.ca with questions, and check out www.ammayoga.ca for more information.