Name: Sunflower & Marissa
Location: Asheville & Los Angeles
Occupation: Artist + Entrepreneur / Artist + Teacher Company: Little Luminaries
Insta: @littleluminaries FB:@littleluminariesFB
Promo Code: MINDFULKIDSCOACHING for 50% off
What inspired you to start your business?
Marissa: Working as a Special Education teacher, I worked with many children who held a negative self image and lacked confidence or resiliency from a young age. While many schools have begun developing a social emotional curriculum, I felt called to develop a resource for families, school personnel and therapists seeking tools that are easy and fun to use.
Sunflower: I was supporting adults as a self mastery mentor and witnessed how this narrative had intensified into long held self limiting beliefs, anxiety and depression. After losing multiple loved ones to suicide, I was ready to dedicate my life to tackling the mental health crisis. When Marissa called me about an actual dream she woke up from about creating a deck for kids, I was ALL IN and we hit the earth skipping!
ENTER: Little Luminaries
Both: A playful mindfulness company specializing in providing the tools for kiddos to support them in navigating their big emotions, celebrating their unique genius and feeling confident in their own skin! I CAN BE ANYTHING, our animal affirmation deck and discovery book that we call, "chocolate covered broccoli" is planting positive thought patterns while the brain is forming and therefore, developing a solid foundation for kiddos to blossom from.
Our mission is to positively impact the mental health of 1 billion children. This may sound GINORMOUS, but we believe in the combined power of our expanding team of change makers (YOU!) and the good buzz created around purchases of purpose to reach our goal.
Why do you think it's important for children to practice affirmations? Both: Well, you probably already know that kids’ brains grow the fastest between the ages of one and eight. In those precious years, our little ones are actual sponges- soaking up anything they hear, see, and perceive! Neuro-scientific research and MRI evidence suggests that certain neural pathways in the brain are built when people practice positive affirmations. A more adaptive sense of self means kids are more resilient and optimistic when difficulties arise. Little Luminaries is the secret sauce that is contributing to a more wholesome and harmonious humanity--the children are the answer! When we pour goodness into them and set them up for success with inner wellness, we are investing in outer wellness and a healthier planet through and through. What are some ways parents can help their children implement a mindfulness practice?Both: Developing a mindfulness practice at any level is highly beneficial for creating tools to access during challenging times. Taking a moment to set an intention in the morning or having a conversation to reflect about the day's events before bed is highly supportive of nurturing positive self talk for children (and adults!). The affirmations in our I CAN BE ANYTHING deck create a wonderful entrypoint for families, as children deepen their understanding of the positive qualities they are working to embody. The carefully crafted activities included in our Discovery Book provide games and exercises for families to build a mindfulness practice through PLAY! Again and again we learn that play is one of the most powerful ways to learn. Favorite books or resources for parents that want to start practicing affirmations/mindfulness for themselves? Sunflower: My favorite journal for integrating affirmations into my life is "The Power Affirmation Journal" by Betsy Finkelhoo, Marissa: I love using the 21 day Meditation Challenges from the Chopra Center as an opportunity to reset emotionally. What do you hope to see in the future for children and families in regards to practicing mindfulness?
Both: Historically and tragically, most of us were never taught to love ourselves or how to navigate our big emotions. We feel cultivating unwavering self-love and the capacity to be with and lovingly navigate the emotions that naturally arise on the daily as emotional beings is vital.
We are all contributing to a more compassionate existence when we show up for ourselves and choose to evolve as a species. Openness to growing and acquiring skills to be the best we can be is truly transforming the planet.
We are looking forward to a future where mindfulness is a part of every school's curriculum and of course, where it is widely practiced in homes and communities. It starts with YOU!
When is your next product coming out? Our next creation, the I CAN BE ANYTHING-- Mystical Creatures Expansion Pack, is set to debut around September, just in time for the holidays! Get ready to be dazzled by a mermaid, wizard, unicorn, and dragon, along with a team of other phenomenal creatures! Each mystery pack will contain a different assortment of creatures- can you collect them all!? Follow us on Instagram (@littleluminaries) and FB (@littleluminariesFB) to stay connected with the art process and the launch of this legendary pack!
