Transitions

This month marks the beginning of a new year. Some adults mark this transition to the new year by making "resolutions" which are agreements with ourselves to make positive changes in our lives in the upcoming year. As we know, not all changes we experience are by agreement and can throw us into a state of upheaval, confusion & stress. This can be especially difficult for children & teens that have not yet developed sufficient coping skills and do not realize that changes are a part of life, but are also a temporary in the big picture. 

The general themes in all of my children's Yoga classes this month revolve around some form of transition and adapting to change: whether it be a new school, new friend or new family situation, such as a new sibling, an illness, family stress due to job layoffs or separation/divorce.

I emphasize to the students that although these changes are sometimes emotionally stressful or painful, that they also hold the key to personal growth and new experiences. We cannot stop changes from occurring, however we can change the way we react, respond & navigate through during times of upheaval & transition.

Its important to note that along with the lesson of adapting to change its equally as important to teach our children how to create & embrace new experiences & personal challenges  in a positive way as a part of our everyday learning & growing understanding of relationships & the world around us. New experiences can give us new insight, new skills and a new appreciation for ourselves, our abilities & all the things we have, know and want to learn.

By creating change by choice, childre can be empowered to understand how to adapt to those changes they have no control over, making for a smoother transition during the bumpy rides of Life. Striking a balance between adapting to change & creating change through new experiences ensures that we are always able to appreciate what we have, what we are learning at this moment and that we look for the right people to support us & the lessons to be learned in each transitional experience. It also creates a sense of empathy for others going through transitions & changes also.

I strongly encourage you to guide your children to identify the changes in their life and one lesson they can learn from it. Also guide them through ways to support someone who is also going through changes. Sometimes all it takes is to be a really good listener. A notebook or journal is a useful way to help create focus around this idea & brainstorm strategies to use to help adapt during times of transition.

Take 5 minutes each day-whether at dinnertime, before school or before bed, to talk about adapting to/creating new experiences during the month of January. No child is too young-or too old-to begin to learn this skill. Attitudes will transform & opportunities will expand and confidence will grow by leaps and bounds with this simple but important practice.

Our stories & activities this month will reflect the idea of transitions & new beginnings. Our Yoga S.M.Art™ Activity book," Dragonfly Adventures" is designed for parents & educators to to take their children through activities that teach & reinforce this theme. We have found that this beautiful story takes on so many different meanings to children of all abilities, and we hope you & your child will enjoy it as well!

Purchase "Dragonfly Adventures" Yoga S.M.Art Activity Book  Here!

May all of your transitions be smooth ones!

Happy New Year to all!

~Barbara