empowering our youth to courageously lead from their hearts
Introducing young children to the concept of peace helps them return to those feelings of calm and contentedness when they experience emotional overwhelm. Linking the feeling of peace with a particular person, like a parent, teacher or friend helps reinforce for kids that they’re not alone when they need help regulating.
This moving meditation is to help children visualize the practice of rooting in order to rise. We root to ground, to find strength. We rise as we become heartful, kind to ourselves, others and the world around us.
This activity is a variation on the popular ice-breaker game, Toss the Beach Ball, and is wonderful for children of any age range as well as adults. The idea is to inspire young children to think of the small things in their lives they’re grateful for.
Ready for a little fun? In honor of National Scavenger Hunt Day, add a dose of mindfulness to a classic scavenger hunt with your little one.
It was a bluebird day: clear skies, faint hint of fading clouds, brilliant sun. Green blanketed fields, gardens and any spare ground thanks to the recent rain. You could say it was just another beautiful day in Durham, California at Ponderosa Elementary, the new site for the hundreds of students who lost their school – and many their homes – in the Paradise Camp Fire last November. And it was – but side-by-side with the ordinary was the extraordinary.
Continue reading “Peace Kits for Paradise: When Giving Is Also Receiving”
It is almost impossible to imagine going through what the Brown family has endured in the past four years — two family members battling cancer, daughter Finley and mom A.J. Not only have they survived, but Finley’s fighting spirit and A.J.’s unwavering gratefulness are nothing short of astounding.
Continue reading “Mindful Family Spotlight: A Mother & Daughter Story of Resilience and Gratitude”
Conceived by a U.S. Senator back in 1970, Earth Day (celebrated annually on April 22nd) has become a global movement bringing over a billion people from around the world together to work towards the common goal of protecting our planet for future generations. Continue reading “Mindful Parenting Round-Up: Earth Day Every Day”
It’s officially spring in the Northern Hemisphere, the time of year when we begin to enjoy more daylight than dark. It’s also a time when the world, literally, comes into balance.
Continue reading “Honoring the Seasons: Spring”
I realized the other day that in my 40 years of living on this earth, I don’t think I have ever stopped to thank my knuckles — yup, my knuckles.
It is mid-November, therefore we must begin preparing for 1) a sumptuous feast to end all feasts and 2) extended time spent with family, friends and neighbors and 3) all the high and low feelings that come with embracing the season. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, though. What if we carved out a portion of that preparation energy and diverted a bit to fully embrace (in ourselves) and encourage (in our littles) feelings of gratitude both leading up to and on Thanksgiving Day? Continue reading “Mindful Parenting Round-Up: Gratitude & Thanksgiving”