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Recently I was fortunate to be able to interview Lori Lite of Stress Free Kids and Shark Tank fame. She is an amazing woman whose life work is to reduce anxiety, stress and anger in kids, while building self esteem and promoting a peaceful sleep.

Visit My Interview with Stress Free Kids Author Lori Lite to listen to the entire interview.

We talked about how vital it is to help children reduce the stress in their lives. Kids today are more aware of what is happening in the world, are victims of violence, live with the repercussions of divorce, and have greater stress and anxiety than ever before.  It is vital that we teach children the skills they need to combat these stressors. Lori’s books and CD’s use well known and effective stress management techniques in an engaging and age appropriate manner. During the interview we discussed four different techniques and how useful they are in reducing anxiety and stress.

Diaphragmatic Breathing

Becoming aware of your breath is vital. Once you become aware, your breath deepens and evens, and the mind becomes calm. Children need to learn how to breathe properly and diaphragmatic breathing is the first step in reducing stress. It is easy and is how babies breathe naturally, using their belly instead of their chest.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Active & Passive

Focusing, in turn, on specific parts of the body and tensing, then releasing (active) or simply willing the stress to leave (passive) are commonly used relaxation techniques during savasana (corpse pose). These techniques help to dissolve tension and teach the body what it feels like to be relaxed. Children can then recall that sensation during times of stress or use the techniques themselves to reduce anxiety and promote calm.

Visualizations

Taking a mental vacation is a method of stopping the chatter in your mind. Guided imagery and visualizations provide a focal point that replaces the mental chatter with the imagination to heal the body. These often involve colours or scenes such as the beach, park, etc. to encourage the body to relax.

Affirmations

Affirmations are extremely powerful at improving self-esteem. These are personal positive statements that help empower and relax children. Children can create their own affirmations to help them throughout the day which they can use anytime, anywhere. The words we think and say influence how we act, feel and live. Affirmations are a potent tool in the battle against stress.

For more information on these techniques listen to My Interview with Stress Free Kids Author Lori Lite.

You can learn more about Lori Lite or her many books and CD’s which help kids reduce stress and anxiety by visiting her website Stress Free Kids.

Lori Lite of Stress Free Kids.

Listen to my interview from BlogTalkRadio with Stress Free Kids Author Lori Lite!

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Here in Alberta, Canada we notice the solstices. Today the sun will rise at 8:48 am and set at 4:16 pm local time. Yes, you read those times correctly. Not quite 71/2 hours of daylight. It’ll be dark as you go to work/school and dark as you come home. For someone who loves the sun and thrives in the long days of summer, this is a challenging time of year. I am always thrilled when the Winter Solstice arrives because it means that we will now gain daylight minutes with each new dawn.

With the darkness of the early hours around me I have enjoyed two wonderful posts about how to take care of yourself during these long, cold, dark days of winter. Both of which come from the always engaging elephant journal.

Winter Solstice = Kidney Kindness by Cora Wen

Provides Chinese medical insight into the solstice and how to nourish your kidneys living in harmony with the seasons and your body’s natural rhythms

Winter Solstice Yoga by Nancy Adler

Yin yoga explained with some wonderful pose suggestions to help you stay on your mat during the winter, using it as a time for rest and renewal

Until the sun begins to shine in at least equal amounts each day I will continue to ingest copious amounts of vitamin D supplements, try to appreciate the natural ebb and flow of energy levels, take care of my body with respect and compassion, and follow the advice of these sage women.

A recent article in The Oakland Tribune reports on the power of yoga to help relieve stress in schools in the South Bay area: a tough part of town known for gangs, drugs, violence and low socio-economic conditions. It started as a pilot project and how extends to a 6 weeks program for entire Freshman class. Administrators, parents and students who have participated have noticed a difference in how they manage stress. 14-year-old Gina de la Rosa recently stepped away from a classroom confrontation after remembering to breathe and realised, “I don’t have to scare teachers.”

At schools hard hit by neighborhood violence, gang pressure, parental job loss and homelessness, the centuries-old Indian discipline of yoga may turn out to be an effective tool in helping young people cope with both crises and day-to-day life.

This is great news for everyone. The more teens who can be exposed to yoga and access its benefits, the more can use the breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and asanas to cope with the stress of growing up in the modern age. The four years of high school are often considered the most stressful time of life. Providing youth with tools to stay calm, manage their anger, and combat the negative effects of stress is vital.

Yoga is well known for its stress busting qualities but many teens don’t have access to the practice. Yoga classes geared especially for teens needs and interests are often hard to come by so this program is great news. And taking it to kids in high risk neighbourhoods – FANTASTIC!  Street Yogais another program doing similar work. If you are interested in helping de-stress teens, a great resource to help teens manage stress while building self-esteem is Indigo Teen Dreams by Stress Free Kids.

I think Alejandro Adame, 14, an Overfelt freshman, summed it up best when he said, “You just take a moment to not get angry.” Now if we all can simply follow his example.

Next week, my husband is taking me to Montreal. Yippee! I’ve wanted to go since grade school and finally have a chance to explore, discover, and shop in this beautiful city. Can’t wait.

However, that also means leaving four kids with a sitter with calendar, prepared meals, clean clothes in the drawers, rides to extra-curricular activities arranged, and all the makings for healthy school lunches available. Mix in having the house completely under control for someone else to live in, rearranging my schedule so that I can drop everything during the hectic month of December,  and being at least semi-prepared for the last week of school before Christmas break. Add to that, my husband’s and niece’s birthdays. And for good measure a rounded portion of trying to get my book finalized and to the printer before I leave. Voilà: a recipe for STRESS.

So I was wonderfully pleased when YogaMint sent out this lovely Keep Cool affirmation video and spent six luxurious minutes breathing my way to calm, cool bliss. It also helped remind me how beautiful winter can be as we head into the deep freeze with snow flurries.

• Establish a bedtime routine. We all function better with routines, but children especially appreciate knowing a pattern of behaviours will lead to a specific situation or response. A ‘getting ready for bed’ routine which includes tidying the toys, healthy snack, dental and physical hygiene, changing into PJ, reading a book with Mom or Dad, etc., will teach them that it is time to slow down mentally and physically, and prepare them for sleep. Some great books which focus on relaxation before bed can be found at Stress Free Kids- Relaxation and Stress Management books and CDs for children, teens and adults.
• Avoid sweets and anything with refined sugar as well as caffeine hidden in sodas or chocolate throughout the evening. Some children are especially sensitive to the stimulating nature of sugar and caffeine. Eliminate them well before you want your children to relax.
• Introduce soft lighting and calming music in the home or bedroom. This will help to ease the transition from activity to rest as you physically make the environment serene and peaceful.

Yoga to Help Kids Sleep

There are  a variety of poses which calm and relax the body and mind. Here are some of my favourites to use with my own children and at sleep-over parties. Hold each pose for a few breaths, breathing deeply and evenly through your nose.

Seated twists

Child’s pose – Balasana

Rag-doll

Cobbler’s Pose – Baddha konasana

Plow pose – Halasana

Pigeon – Eka Pada Rajakapotasaana

Turtle Pose – Kurmasana

Reclined Heroes Pose – Supta Virasana

Corpse Pose– Savasana

While in Corpse Pose be sure to use a guided visualization to complete the process of preparing for sleep. One example of this would be a progressive muscle relaxation such as: 

Tense and Release

Tighten the muscles in your feet. Really clench them, then let go. Feel your feet relax completely. Now tighten your feet, then your legs. Release and breathe. This time start with the feet, add the legs & buttocks. Squeeze, then let go. Once again, start with the feet, legs, buttocks and torso. Really contract those muscles. Then relax them completely. Now tighten the feet, legs, buttocks, torso, and arms. Squeeze those hands tight. Last time—start with your feet, next legs, buttocks, torso, arms, and face. Tense your entire body, hold it tight, and release. Enjoy the feeling of complete relaxation from head to toe.