Preventing Snot

Kids (and adults) often get snotty as soon as the weather turns cold.

And, snot is totally avoidable.

Families on the SAD diet (Standard Amercian Diet) don’t connect their daily choices with the body’s responses. Snot is simply a by-product of poorly digested food. Feed your kid cold cereal and milk when the leaves outside get crispy… and you’re sure to end up with SNOT! Layer on kit-kats, snickers and 3 musketeers and you get a kid with a cold between now and Turkey Day.

What is the problem with snot?

Here is the scoop: snot is a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. It’s also a sign that the stomach lining is full of wet, soggy, mucus. Gross. Mucusy stomach lining means that the next time you eat, you’ll generate more mucus. You’ll absorb less nutrients. You need a strong digestive fire to turn food into vibrant tissue. Having mucus is a sign that your agni is less than adequate. Here are some more signs of poor digestive fire:

• snot
• fatigue
• malaise
• a white, coated tongue
• stinky breath

Here is what poor digestive fire leads to:

• colds, viruses, flues
• headaches
• sinus infections
• poor immune function
• asthma and allergies

Snot-Free Kids

Snot-free kids are simple to design. Here is what to do:

• Eat warm, spiced foods on cold days. Like oatmeal with cinnamon.
• Drink only water between meals.
• Take “boo candy” at the first signs of snot, bad breath or a coated tongue.
• No more ice-cream or cold dairy (including yogurt and granola) after Columbus Day.

Cate’s Recipe for Boo Candy

Get out a cutting board and a wide knife.

• Add 1/2 cup raw honey to the cutting board.
• Add 1/3 c. turmeric powder (you can dry roast it first in a skillet for added benefit).
• Add 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
• Add 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• Cut the spices into the honey with the knife until you have a smooth texture. Add more spices for desired taste.
• Store in a small tin or small glass jar.
• Put on the kitchen table in reach for all ages. Little ones like to roll it into pea-sized balls.

Add

For Cate’s Healthier Kids Workshop: Click Here

One of my children’s favorite family activities is when we give each other a foot massage.  As a Mom of four I am constantly looking for ways to replenish myself.  I also like to show my children that there easy ways of taking care of yourself right at home.  These self-care practices are a way you can make your body, mind, and heart healthy.  In fact, foot massage can have a direct impact on your immune system.  When your senses have time to soak in the relaxation of muscle, fat, and nerve tissue it can actually strengthen who you are. This sense of self is the base for cellular intelligence. In  Chinese Medicine and in Ayurvedic Medicine this relationship or understanding reinforces where you begin and the outside world begins.  There is superfine hormone like material that helps control your immunity.  It is considered the first physically recognizable matter in all bodily tissues.  In Ayurvedic Medicine it is called “Ojas”.

How to Teach Massage to Kids

We can teach our children to “Love thyself” and to love their bodies at any age.

I find it interesting that “Ojas” means “essence of love” when translated from Sanskrit.  This matter is also known as your creative potential. Therefore, for your body to have immunity it must know itself deeply in its present moment and in the receiving of its future growth.  “Love thyself” is not just a way of treating yourself, but becomes your body’s code for identification.  This “Ojas” shows up in every cell of your body. When the body is producing and maintaining Ojas in its system it can give off a blissful state to the consciousness of the individual.    To build love, builds your immunity, builds your bones, builds your connection. No one can deny the love that little children exude on the planet. Self massage helps them to learn how to contain and cultivate their creativity and strength.  It will provide them with a lifetime of wellness.

I like offer times for foot massage when we are tired, feeling over- active, or at the changing over of a season.

How to do foot massage with your kids:

• Get out your towels
• Make the room cozy(you can burn some candles, incense, light a fire, turn down the lights)
• Take off your sox
• Take turns giving and receiving

If the feet are dry use oil(cooking oil is fine(sesame or coconut is recommended)- just keep it safe from your rugs and very little hands).  **Note- it is not recommended to use oil when someone has a fever.

First, I give them a foot massage so they can feel it or have them watch me give someone else a massage as I put it to a story.  You can make up your own.  I like to use a story so that the younger children have something to picture in their heads. I recommend using a story where the children are traveling so that they pick up the sense that they are needing to be gentle, quiet, and watchful when giving massage.

Kids Massage- Make it fun!

Telling a story is one of the best ways to make kids massage even more fun.

My oldest still remembers from when she was four and I taught her class about some astronauts landing on the moon.  That was five years ago and my kids correct me if I forget a part. This is a version of that story:

Pretend your hands are a rocket ship taking off. First, heat up the rocket boosters by rubbing your hands together until you feel the fire then blast off your ship (hands interlocked) into space.  Find a “moon” foot to land on making sure to take a slow approach so you don’t crash your ship.  Once landed, take out you first two fingers for these are the bravest of your astronauts. These astronauts will want to explore, but remember they have special boots that make them move very slowly.  They have to push off from one finger to the next to get around the moon.  The astronauts find a hill at the top of the “moon” foot and so they climb up and slide down landing on a toe.  This is great fun so they do this many times.

One time they slide so far they almost fall off the top of the moon and without any gravity they have to hold on to the toes to keep from flying away.  As they are hanging off the toes they discover the underside of the moon.  It is built up with rivers and mountains.  It looks so beautiful that they quickly run back to their ship to get all the other astronaut fingers.   They climb to the very top of the foot. All together with one giant push they slide down the foot and as they hold onto each toe they are able to make it to the other side.

They decide they would like to stay on this part of the moon for a long time.   Luckily they brought tents for the trip and their tools.  They would need to set up camp and then go out looking for food.  Twisting their knuckles gently along the bottom of the moon they are able to make holes for the stakes. Once they get the tents up they hammer each corner stake in case it gets windy.   The camp is all set up so they head out to find food.  First, they climb to the bottom and look around the heel. There is no food. So, they venture to climb up the foot towards the toes. Almost by accident they discover when they touch the tip of each toe out fall some “moon” apples. These were quite good.  The skin of the apple was a shiny yellow color and it made them feel strong.  They jumped up and down with delight.

They spent three days exploring the bottom of the moon and on the third night they decided it was time to clean up. They gently collapsed their tents. And, with their shovels this time they covered the holes they had made for their stakes. Once finished, they packed up their bags and made sure everything was picked up. Then, they swept up (using the tips of their fingers) and hiked back to the ship. Saying goodbye they warmed up their boosters and blasted away back for home.

Have fun creating your own foot massage adventure.

Sarah has recently moved to Harvard,Massachusetts with her husband and four children (Chloe, Jocelyn, Declan, and Violet).  Her approach in the pioneering field of mindfulness and wellness for children draws from more than twenty years experience working and playing with children of all ages as coach, teacher, wellness practitioner, and mother. After finishing her psychology degree at Providence College, she went on to become certified as a Neuromuscular Therapist, a certified practitioner of  Zen Therapy®, and is presently a student of Ayurveda.  Sarah cultivates a child’s innate vibrancy for a lifetime of wellness.  You can email her at Sarah@sarahwellness.com and check out her site www.sarahwellness.com.

For Cate’s Healthier Kids Workshop: Click Here

A posse of my yoga mom + yoga educator colleagues have rolled out some great books, videos, teaching tools and audios

Check them out, and let them know I sent you

Make sure to scroll down to the amazing teaching tools from Go Grounded

Indy and her friends love the Whale Yoga DVD  – it’s our party hit and wind down tool for sleepovers

Giselle’s stories and coloring books make hip birthday party gifts

Amy Saltzman is taking on the teen realm of mindfulness and filling a void that needs more voices

Lisa Flynn’s Yoga 4 Classroom is going straight to my kindergarden teacher

(Yup – Indy wanted to ride the school bus and go to kindergarten until we depart for Mexico… despite all the unschooling talk

Check it all out below

Kids Yoga Stories

We have three books from this publisher: Anna and her rainbow-colored yoga mats,  Sophia’s Jungle Adventure, and Luke’s A to Z of Australian Animals

Anna and her rainbow-colored yoga mats is about a girl who has a hard time hearing

She starts at a new school and practices yoga by herself on brightly colored yoga mats during recess

She images traveling the world and having new experiences

At first her schoolmates just question her behavior, but eventually she meets a boy who also has hearing loss, and who also reads lips like she does

They begin practicing yoga together during recess, and before you know it more children joined in the fun of practicing yoga and imagining new adventures

A great inspirational, fun, and engaging story filled with colorful illustration and large type

Luke’s A to Z of Australian Animals

Written by Giselle Shardlow and illustrated by Emily Gedzyk

This is a yoga book, an alphabet book, and a coloring book all rolled into one

 Starting with the letter A for anemone, this book features coloring pages for each letter that feature an animal or fish

Each page also has yoga pose on it (anemone is “Happy Baby Pose”), and an image of a child doing the pose

In the back are tips and instructions for parents and/or teachers to help you make the most of this multitasking book

Sophia’s Jungle Adventure

Written by Giselle Shardlow and illustrated by Emily Gedzyk

Sophia and her family go on a jungle adventure

Along the way, they see objects and animals that can also be yoga poses (canoes, for example, suggest boat pose)

Filled with colorful illustrations, each page in the book moves the story along and also shows sophia doing the specific pose related to the animal or action on that page

In the back is a list of poses with illustrations as well as tips for adults to help their kids make the most of this book

Imaginations: Fun Relaxation Stories and Meditations for Kids

By Carolyn Clarke

This book is an all around good time! Beginning with an introduction for adults on the importance of relaxation and one for children, this book takes kids on journeys of their imaginations! But before adventures begin, there are relaxation yoga poses for kids to do in order to prepare

Photos of a child doing each pose help children see how to do each pose

Then, children are asked to imagine they are in a large hot air balloon, under the sea, planting a magical seed or living in a tree house! Each page of text guides the imagination, and a full-color illustration on the facing page adds a little creativity to each idea

CDS

Still Quiet Place – Mindfulness for Young Children

This would be a great album to play when you lie down for a nap with your child, or when you just want to relax

Dr Amy Saltzman narrates this cd, and she gently instructs listeners to find their still quiet place

She notes that this place is available all the time

“It’s always inside you,” she says

still quiet place place mindfulness for teens

Still Quiet Place – Mindfulness for Teens

Facing the stresses of teenage life head-on, this album aims to give adolescents tools for being mindful and being happy

After a brief introduction, the second track begins, aptly, “Give it a rest …” then into a soothing guided medidation that enourages letting go of the stresses of homework, school gossip, family life, etc

Dr Amy Saltzman narrates, and speaks softly, smoothly and calmly

In the ninth track “Movin’” Saltzman instructs the listener to hear her instructions and then crank up a cd of their choosing, and move, paying attention to the effects of just being with the music and nothing else

This CD is something I wish I had when I was a teen!

Kings and Queens of the Forest – Yoga songs for kids Vol 2

This CD by Kira Willeytakes kids on a new adventure with every song! Folksy and soft yet upbeat, this album gets kids up and moving! Whether it be doing the cricket hop or tapping a drum, each number engages little ones to skip to the beat and be silly at the same time!

DVD

Whale Yoga -for Kids Ages 2+

This interactive DVD is great for younger kids! My daughter, Indigo, 5, and her friend were glued to the TV and mimicking whale yoga moves and waves the entire time! Throughout the instruction, the yoga teacher speaks slowly and articulately, giving simple instructions kids can easily follow

She takes everyday yoga poses such as Mountain Pose and (the pose where you bend down and touch your toes), Cobra pose etc and turns them into fun whale yoga poses the kids just love

Images of real whales between poses were a hit!

GAMES

Grounded – The Elevator Series

Flash Cards

Elevator Series Pose Cards

This game features poses on flashcards that demonstrate how the pose should look

Adult instructions and suggestions to talk about the pose on the back of the cards, so you can give more instruction to your child

The cards also what the effects of the poses are on the body

When kids are in a focusing mode, this seems to work and they love to try new poses and do “harder ones” after a few easier standing poses

My daughter said she liked it and would like to continue to play the game

The poses correspond with the chakra system

Chips

This is the flash cards, to go! Pose chips in a convenient travel tube allow you to take the pose cards on the road!

 Rainbow kids yoga ABC yoga cards

Each card has a costumed child in a yoga pose that is shaped like a letter of the alphabet

No words, just pictures, with an intro card for adults

Pure fun all around

Written by Lisa Flynn, Illustrated by James Vaughn

This great set of educational cards can be used in the classroom or at home

It starts with six basic concepts: Let’s Breathe, At Your Desk, Stand Strong, Loosen Up, Be Well, and Imagination Vacation

Each concept is accompanied with text and images for adults to review, and then the fun begins

This oversized set of cards shows illustrations of students doing certain things that relate to each concept

One, titled Balloon Breath, for example, focuses on calm, focus and clarity

It shows a student clutching a balloon at her belly

On the reverse side are instructions on how to do the balloon breath

Each card also features fun facts for adults to read that relate again to the concepts