If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my 3 years as a parent, it’s that there are many MANY things are not in my control. At best, I’m my daughter’s guide and role model, but there are plenty of times when my girl just does her own thing, even if it makes me cringe.

Here are just a few examples:

Despite following all the rules about introducing food to her as a baby, now the only green thing she’ll touch to her lips are freaking dill pickles. (Thank God for green smoothies.)

She would watch YouTube videos all day long if I’d let her—and I’m not talking about educational ones either. She begs to watch grown-ass adults open plastic Easter eggs covered in Play Doh, then pretending to be surprised about the contents. (Oh my goodness! It’s the toy I put in there 5 minutes go! I’m SO surprised!)

Sometimes her taste in toys is a little questionable, too. You’ll never guess what tops her list for Santa this year: Pop the Pig, a game that she discovered on YouTube (where else!?) where you feed a pig hamburgers to make him fatter and fatter. If you’re the one who makes the pig’s belly grow so big he “pops” out of his clothing, you win! What. The. Hell? Who came up with that?

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I’m limiting her access to YouTube, and keep hoping she’ll forget about it by Christmas because I don’t want it in my house. While I know I can’t control EVERYTHING my daughter is exposed to, I will do everything I can to guide her to be a healthy, well-rounded, confident girl. I’m sorry, but Pop the Pig just doesn’t fit the bill.

For me, it was yoga that taught me so much about physical, mental, and emotional health, and I’d love to share that with my daughter. But (because she’s a total threenager) I also know I’ll have to introduce it in a way that’s fun, age-appropriate, and maybe seems like it was her own idea.

Enter: Asana Yoga Girl

I couldn’t have been more thrilled when I learned that the Alanna Zabel, the woman behind AZIAM yoga clothing and a yoga teacher to celebrities like Adam Levine, is now making dolls that can move and stretch right along with your child. Zabel, who also founded weeklong summer camps for girls called AZIAM Girlz Yoga Camps, first created characters corresponding with the 8 limbs of yoga (named Yama, Niyama, Asana, etc.) to illustrate the 8 Limbed Path (Ashtanga) of yoga to the girls in a way that they could understand. “My intent has always been to instill a positive and healthy lifestyle in children at an early age,” says Zabel, who also holds a degree in child development.

The first doll, which is available now, is fittingly named Asana because that girl is a very talented yogi—I had so much fun trying to contort her into various poses, and she could do almost all of them! (I think she’s still learning Eagle Pose… but maybe she’ll get it one day if she keeps practicing.) She comes with a yoga mat, which doubles as a slap bracelet, making it my daughter’s favorite thing EVER! The doll also has an adorable yoga ball, hand weights, and flip flops (because what else would she wear to and from the yoga studio?). She’s also outfitted in cute, stretchy AZIAM yoga clothes (obviously). She’s totally adorable, and both my daughter and I have had so much fun playing with her. I would feel really good about buying every one of these dolls for my daughter because it’s such a fun way to get her more interested in yoga. As she grows older, I can’t wait to share with her the 8-Limbed Path, and these dolls would be an awesome way to start that conversation!

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My only concern about the doll is that she’s SO flexible, I could see some girls feeling a bit bad if they can’t do all of the moves that the doll can. (Though, I do think most girls today understand that dolls don’t always look or move like real people—I’m looking at you, Barbie!). The AZIAM doll is still light years better than most toys available today, and I feel good about letting my little one play with her.

Asana Yoga Girl is available for pre-order now through the AZIAM Girlz website, and there are 7 more dolls, which will be released in the coming months. (If you’re still on the fence, know that 10 percent of the sales goes toward The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an organization dedicated to reduce childhood obesity and help kids create healthy habits.)

How do you pass on yoga to the little ones in your life?

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