You Are Only as Young as Your Spine is Flexible
“You’re only as young as your spine is flexible.” -Joseph Pilates
(Eres tan joven como tu columna vertebral es flexible)
Flexibility: A willingness to compromise, change, or adapt in life.
The thoracic spine contains 12 vertebral bones that connect to the rib cage. To stay flexible in life, you can extend, arch, bend, and twist this area that often holds stress and tension.
When have you been willing to be flexible or compromise in your home or work? Did you give yourself compassion for your flexibility? Your are strong and able to bend instead of break! You are powerful from the inside out! POWERFUL YOU!! www.powerfulyou.info
Take a 5 minute stretch break to increase flexibility in your spine and life.
Adjusting Anna (LESSON A) from Powerful You encourages children to be flexible in life by adjusting to family changes.
Powerful You is a grab-and-go counseling resource designed to make group and classroom counseling simple, meaningful, and effective. Packed with 26 short, easy-to-use themed lessons, this book helps counselors, educators, and support staff guide students through important life topics with confidence and care.
Each lesson begins with a true story that reflects real challenges children face, followed by engaging turn-and-talk prompts that encourage student reflection, discussion, and connection. Inspiring quotes, hands-on activities, and practical tips are also included for optional lesson extensions.
Created by a school counselor with more than 35 years of experience listening to and supporting children, these lessons align with ASCA National Standards and explore sensitive school and home issues through a child’s perspective. Powerful You gives adults ready-to-use tools to build emotional awareness, resilience, communication skills, and confidence in students.
To bring each lesson to life, companion Powerful You laminated role-playing cards and colorful classroom signs are also available separately. These engaging tools correspond with every lesson and provide an interactive way for students to practice skills, deepen understanding, and reinforce key concepts.
Breathe and Stretch on the Beach is an interactive listening and movement game that helps children build focus, confidence, calmness, and self-awareness through playful stretching and positive self-talk. Designed for ages 3 and up, this engaging resource can be used in the classroom, counseling groups, therapy settings, or at home by teachers, counselors, parents, and caregivers.
After learning the beach-themed poses, a leader calls out poses in any order, encouraging participants to listen carefully, move mindfully, and practice deep breathing, stretching, and relaxation. Children stay engaged while developing important social-emotional and self-regulation skills in a fun, active way.
Participants will:
Understand and practice controlled breathing
Respect personal space by moving safely without touching others
Strengthen self-control using nonverbal communication
Improve focus and attention
Increase self-awareness
Replace negative self-talk with positive self-talk
Build joy, strength, gratitude, and confidence
Each pose is paired with empowering affirmations so children can embody positive mindsets as they move. Examples include:
Coconut Tree, Eagle, Airplane – I am focused
Sports Boat, Charge Your Battery, Flying Fish – I am full of energy
Hurricane – I step aside for others
Crab – I let my light shine
Paddleboard – I am responsible for what I say, think, and do
Breathe and Stretch on the Beach is a joyful way to help children move their bodies, calm their minds, and grow strong from the inside out.
Powerful You Primary (Kindergarten–Grade 1) is a colorful, hand-illustrated social-emotional learning resource designed to help young children find guidance, encouragement, and support for challenges they may experience at school or at home. Created from more than 30 years of educational experience, this engaging tool brings comfort, confidence, and joy to early learners.
Available as a book or laminated role-play card set, Powerful You Primary gives educators, counselors, and families flexible ways to teach essential life skills in fun and meaningful ways. Each lesson uses storytelling to capture attention and strengthen learning through role-playing, movement, thinking maps, games, and positive self-talk.
Children meet the 26 A–Z Powerful You Kids, memorable characters who model positive behaviors and healthy choices. For example, G – Goodsport Grady teaches teamwork and pitching in. Other lessons focus on honesty, independence, self-esteem, responsibility, taking turns, waiting to speak, ignoring distractions, and more.
Lessons align with ASCA National Standards developed by American School Counselor Association, making this a valuable resource for classroom guidance, school counseling lessons, small groups, and home support. Powerful You Primary helps transform classrooms and home environments by teaching social skills proactively and addressing concerns such as bullying at the core.
Companion Classroom Social Skill Signs that match every A–Z lesson are also available separately to reinforce learning visually throughout the day.
Created by an educator who has supported children for over 30 years, Powerful You Primary helps children build skills in:
Problem-solving
Teamwork
Listening
Self-confidence
Friendship skills
Emotional awareness
Respect
Responsibility