How would you like to begin this school year learning, growing and sharing in some awesome daily practices that will support you to be a thriving family? I figured you’d say yes to that ….
I am inspired to support conscious families to create activated, loving environments for their kids to grow up in. In this article I offer seven easy ways for families to grow, connect and celebrate life together.
I’m all about creating powerful, long-lasting and fun daily practices that support our lives – we are habitual beings after-all, so what we do everyday is who we become over time.
How would you like to support your kids, self and family by sharing some simple spiritual practices that are fun and heart-connecting?
1) Intention Setting For The Day
Your intentions act as a spearhead for your day. They support you to slice through any challenges that arise and maintain a positive outlook. They also keep you focused and grounded in something, rather than floating through life on autopilot reacting to every mishap or happening.
Take the time in the morning to share your intentions for the day together. Don’t intend to “get something or do something” instead intend to “be something”. Set simple intentions like: ”today I am going to be grateful, I am going to pay attention, I am going to listen, I am going to stand up for myself, I am going to be happy no matter what”. As a family, at the end of the day, you can ask how you each did and celebrate.
2) Gratitude Time At Meal
Before eating take a few moments to acknowledge the earth for providing your food, the farmers for growing it, all the people who had a hand in getting it to you and the abundance you have in your life to pay for it. And then go around the table and each share at least one thing you’re grateful for. A grateful family is a happy one.
3) Practice Breathing Together
Breath is the thing that connects all of us. It is the space between spaces. There is something truly profound that happens when people come together for the purpose of consciously breathing. Take two minutes, 10 breaths or as long as what you can do to breathe together in silence. No words are needed. Just take the time to breathe away your day, connect into your hearts and be together as a family.
4) Encourage The Sharing Of Feelings
Create authentic relationships with your kids. If you feel like crap, you’re angry or upset and your kids asks you if everything is alright and you say “yes, I’m fine”, you’ll begin to create and demonstrate a habit of lying. Kids aren’t stupid, in fact they’re more intuitive and tapped into the energy around them than you are. So be authentic. Share the truth of how you feel and encourage your children to express their honest thoughts and feelings too.
When they do, give them all your energy and intention by listening. It took me years to learn how to express my emotions authentically because it was never taught, demonstrated or encouraged growing up, instead, I was fed candy and treats when I felt sad. This created a pattern of emotional eating which I’m only now healing from. Be authentic and honor the truth.
5) Om And Smudge Before Bed
Chant the Universal vibration of om. This powerful vibration is a cleansing force. Before putting your kids to bed, take an opportunity to om three times, 10 times or as many times as you want. Clear the energy of the day and open a beautiful, peaceful, safe space for your children to fall asleep in. I also encourage smudging the bedroom by burning some sage, sweet grass, palo santo or incense. Do this as a daily ceremony in gratitude for the gift of another day. With your intention, ask the smoke to cleanse your energy field, thoughts and the room.
6) Be The Change Your Kids Need To See You Being
Your kids are like sponges, especially up until the age of around 12. You are like a God to them and what they see or feel you do, they will copy. So remember, it’s not what you say to them, it’s more about what you’re doing or energetically putting out that they pick up on.
As a parent your biggest responsibility to your kids is to be authentic and live with integrity. If you want to help them create healthy, peaceful, successful lives then you need to do that for yourself. If you want to encourage your kids to go for their dreams, then you’ve got to live for yours. The “do as I say, not as I do” way of parenting is not good enough anymore. Learn to have your words and actions align. Your child is a copycat and will follow in your footsteps; whether leading by positive or negative example. Be the change and raise yourself how you’d dream of raising your kids.
7) Take The 40-Day Family Meditation Challenge
Take a meditation challenge as a family and set a bit of time aside to meditate together everyday. You may find it difficult at first to commit to the practice, but I guarantee this will change ALL your lives forever (for the better).
These are just seven amazing ways you as a family can connect through daily practices that will support you to become a thriving family! Do you have any additional ways? We’d love to hear them!
