Scott Wolf (Bailey) and Why Children Should Do Yoga

I have had the opportunity to work with Amira Gaynor, Founder and Owner of Namaste Kid, an award-winning Children’s Yoga DVD company. I was hired to do the hair and makeup for her DVDs. I was also hired to promote the DVDs at various award shows like the Golden Globes and met such hotties like Scott Wolf.

Me + Scott in the Golden Globes Swag Room

Amira is one of my heroes. She’s an amazing entrepreneur with a solid vision– to help kids develop core strength, balance, and confidence. Her DVDs have already won ‘best of’ awards and have gained the attention from several children’s groups, publications, and celebrities that I am not allowed to namedrop.

Me + Amira

Recently Amira asked me if Evan would like to be part of a photo shoot for the DVD cover(s). I told her that Evan has an enormous head and a Dumb and Dumber haircut, but she could give him a try. Turns out she liked his photos and he’s on the back cover of her new DVD, Sport Yoga ($15.49), and the inside panel of the new 3-disc DVD set ($39.99).

Evan on the Yoga Motion 3-Disc DVD Set

I am not going to lie to you. My son Evan does not do yoga on a consistent basis. I’d love to tell you that we practice sun salutations in the morning before we get dressed, have a healthy breakfast and talk at length about how excited we are for the day. On the contrary, my mornings usually consist of frantically trying to find him clean underwear, asking Evan for the upteenth time not to pee on the toilet seat, and reminding him that breakfast gets served at school (but still pouring him some low sugar fruit juice to hydrate him because I am slightly anal about the amount of fluids he consumes).

However, we do practice Pranayama yoga breathing often. Whenever he gets worked up or upset about something we take deep breaths in and out, focusing on the quality of our breath. The name Pranayama, according to linguistic sources, comes from the words “prana” (life force) and “yama” (control). This type of breathing is also useful when Evan can’t slow his mind down at night and has trouble falling asleep. I lay in bed with him and guide his breath until he is relaxed and falls asleep.

It is a goal of mine to introduce Evan to the poses of yoga to add to his breathing exercises. Yoga is so beneficial for children.  Here’s a few (of many!) of the reasons why:

Children’s Yoga Helps With-

1. Concentration –moving from one pose into another teaches children how to control their focus and attention.
2. Flexibility, Strength and Balance- children are born with an innate flexibility and by doing yoga they are able maintain their flexibility, while developing  strong muscles and balance.
3. Self-Esteem-yoga does wonders for a child’s belief in his/her abilities and sense of self.
4. Present Moment Awareness- yoga helps children focus on the here and now. It teaches children not to dwell on the past or worry about the future.
5. Cultivates a calm and peaceful mind – Savasana or resting pose, allows children to understand the importance of being still and one with their breath (aka quiet time for mama).
6. Encourages Imagination- children’s yoga teachers and DVDs often follow a story- being on a farm, a safari, or acting like a certain object. This sparks the imagination, allowing children to be creative and expressive.
7. Reduces Stress- children experience just as much stress as adults do. Yoga provides an immediate outlet to reduce stress. It produces good endorphins. And whether they are aware of it or not, yoga helps children gain perspective.  By slowing down the mind and body, they are able to process things (life) more clearly, without judgement, fear or negative emotion.
8. Feeling Connected- doing yoga alone or with people helps children feel more connected to themselves, others and the world around them. It’s a great family activity!

Namaste Kid DVDs can be purchased at Amazon.com or local children stores.  For a full listing of stores visit their site, www.namastekid.com.

Say Yes To Products that Do What They Say….And my First Kiss

Last week I had the opportunity to meet Ido Leffler, Co-Founder of the natural skin care and hair brand Yes To Carrots. He was in town to promote his new lip balm collection available at Target at the end of this month (10/27).

I have been using Yes To Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Towlettes ($5.99) on my brides, clients and in my makeup workshops for a while now. Everyone swoons about the aroma when I wipe last night’s makeup off their face, the next morning.  I like these towelettes almost as much as I like  Effen Cucumber Vodka. Almost.

But enough about booze, let’s talk about the new lip balms!

So I get it. You have a lip balm on your vanity, in your purse, in your car, and probably in your washing machine right now, why do you need yet another lip balm? Because this lip balm actually works.  But how is it different than my (Insert name of inferior lip balm) Julie? Because of the unique blend of ingredients like Coconut Oil, Olive Fruit Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba Seed Oil, and Cocoa Seed Butter. This powerful combination of ingredients protects, nourishes, repairs and restores the lips. AND you don’t have to reapply it every 5 minutes. AND it comes in 3 sweet flavors: Grapefruit, Pomegranate, and Blueberry. AND they are only $2.99!

One of the questions the Yes To Team asked us  at the launch party was when we experienced our first kiss. Well I was 22 years old.  Just kidding. Anyone that knows me knows that’s a bold face lie.I think I was 6 years old when it happened. I had the biggest crush on a boy named Tom. He was an older boy. I knew this because he was growing leg hair, and also because I knew his age.The rest of my family was sitting down to have dinner but he hung back with me in my living room. I remember staring at him and maybe because he just wanted me to quit being a creepy girl, he kissed me.I just sat there stunned, not saying anything. Eventually we met up with rest of my family and acted as if nothing happened. I doubt Tom remembers kissing me, he probably has a phobia of Asian women and can’t quite figure out why,

Anyway, I am a huge proponent of the Yes To Carrots products, not only because they do what they say they will do but also because they are organic, free of parabens, SLF, petroleum and phthalates (bad stuff) and affordable! Check them out at Target, Ulta, Walgreens, Whole Foods, CVS, Amazon, and at www.yestocarrots.com.

Yes To Carrots Hand Cream ($8.99)

Must Reads: “10 Mindful Minutes” by Goldie Hawn

I’ve always loved Goldie Hawn. I remember growing up watching her movies, seeing glimpses of her real personality come through each character. If ever a celebrity that I wanted to emulate, it was Goldie and her effervescent free-spirited nature. It comes as no surprise that once again, I find myself drawn to her, but this time it’s not just her personality and spirit, it’s her quest to help children learn ‘mindfulness’- a proven way to strengthen social and emotional intelligence.

In her book, “10 Mindful Minutes”, Goldie explains the importance of helping our children develop stronger, more functional brains. This isn’t woo woo, patchouli smelling, hippie discourse. This book and her MindUP program (a ‘mindful’ curriculum being used in North American public schools)  is based on science, specifically neuroscience, the study of our nervous system, a.k.a our brain. She has collaborated with experts in disciplines such as Neuroscience, Human Development, Psychology and Education. Having been married to a Neuroscience undergrad/ Doctor of Clinical Psychology and having had brain surgery (to remove a benign tumor), I have a good foundation of how our brain functions. But this book blows my mind! (No pun intended.) Goldie covers how each part of our brain works in an easy to understand and approachable way. But enough about brains, how will this book change your life?

“‘10 Mindful Minutes‘ can change the direction in which society is moving today by strengthening the minds of the next generation. In these pages you find an educational (and entertaining) narrative that provides the scientific groundings as well as the practical strategies for developing your child’s- and your own– mindful awareness. You and your child can learn to live in this new way: being aware in the present moment, letting go of judgements and expectations, and being more fully available to others and yourselves.” – Excerpt from the Foreword, written by Daniel J. Siegel, MD

I bolded and your own, intentionally. We, as parents, also need to practice mindfulness. Studies show that children are only as happy as their parents. In other words, if we’re not happy, our kids won’t be happy. I believe myself to be a happy person, but my struggle is being a ‘present’ person. With a million things on my to do list, I am often scattered and overextended. My child often mirrors my behavior by acting restless, overly emotional, and suffers from separation anxiety (he gets upset when I leave him alone in a room.) Yikes. It takes a lot of my own mind strength to gather my thoughts into one brain command, JULIE, SLOW DOWN, BREATHE, BE PRESENT.

Goldie offers practical strategies on breathing, mindful sensing, optimism, happiness, gratitude, empathy, kindness and living a more mindful life. She also addresses anger, sadness, and fear. Her goal is to help parents and children “find 10 mindful minutes every day to reduce stress, renew your mind for clearer thinking, and create greater focus and connectivity with your children”. My goal is to get you to read the book so we can discuss it (who wants to go out for a glass of wine and talk about the stress hormone cortisol?).

“By sitting and mindfully breathing for 10 minutes a day, in as little as eight weeks you strengthen the part of the prefrontal cortex involved in generating positive feelings and diminish the part that generates negative ones.”

-Richard Davidson, PhD

Available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com

Photos courtesy of Berry.com and Barnes and Noble.com

Foods for Restful Sleep

Ever wonder why you get the craving for cereal at night? It might be because your body knows it’s lacking magnesium, potassium and other minerals found in whole grain cereals that are known to support sleep. Cereals are also a complex carbohydrate which help increase the availability of tryptophan in the bloodstream, increasing the sleep-inducing effects.

So the next time you’re feeling like an insomniac, pour yourself a small bowl of cereal, but don’t forget the soy/almond/cow’s milk. Milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which is converted into melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin helps regulate your sleeping cycle while serotonin helps you fall asleep.  For tryptophan to be effective in causing sleep, it must be combined with foods that are low in protein and high in carbohydrates.

For a low calorie, low sugar, but high in all the good stuff try Kashi GOLEAN Original Cereal.

If that doesn’t help, well, there’s always sex. I’ve heard that works too.