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This is Your Brain on Meditation
Today's blog article was written by all-grown-up KAY kid, Whitney James, currently a Freshman at Elon University in North Carolina. If you are anything like me, meditation seems a little bit like “voodoo”. Sitting completely still and quiet? Clearing your brain of...
Moving Beyond “Me” with Meditation
Kids are naturally egocentric, and I say this as an educator without judgement and malice. The revolutionary child psychologist Jean Piaget described "Egocentrism" in 1951 as a natural part of a child's development. He said that until the age of about 7, children are...
Mini-Meditations for the Whole Family
Meditation is an ancient practice that provides many benefits for our modern brains. A 2010 study found that meditators' cognitive skills (sustain attention, visuospatial processing, working memory, executive function) improved after meditating just 20 minutes a day...
Teaching Mindfulness
"Mindfulness- A state of active, open, intentional attention on the present." Psychology Today "Mindfulness" seems to be a popular buzzword going around lately, but really it’s something that ancient civilizations knew and practiced. Our “monkey mind” (as Buddhists...
Witnessing the Power of a Child’s Mindfulness Practice
If there is one thing to be said about teaching children, it is that it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do with your time. Teaching mindfulness, meditation, and yoga to children is no exception. There are endless benefits of teaching children tools they can...
What’s So Great About A Mindfulness Practice?
Back in the 90’s before I had even heard the term ‘mindfulness,’ my older brother came back from a trip abroad, full of stories. One of the things he found funny was a sign that read “Mind your head.” As a practitioner of Buddhism, he automatically interpreted it as...
Using Mindfulness Practices to Redirect Behavior
Disciplining our children or even simply redirecting undesired behaviors has been a hot button topic that spans generations and cultures. Our schools are no exception. Mindfulness and yoga are being adopted in schools as contemporary ways to meet the social and...
The Art of Mindfulness
Pay attention! You need to focus! Can't you just concentrate? Sound familiar? Have you heard or said these things before? Yeah, me too. We probably all have. It seems we all need help once in a while being mindful. Mindfulness is simply paying attention to what is...
Mindfulness Activities for the Family
Mindfulness is a meditation practice that trains the practitioner to be completely immersed in the moment, with all five senses. With practice, we learn to bring our scattered attention and energy back to what we are experiencing right now, without judgment, without...
A Sense of Belonging
A few years ago, I participated in a course called “The Happiness Program.” One of the activities we did was to go to every member of the group, look them in the eyes and say, “I belong to you.” The whole situation brought out awkwardness, shy smiles, and some...
Yoga and Team Building
One thing we say quite frequently in our home is “What team are you on?” This question gets asked during times of bickering, but also general discontent. The correct answer is “I am on team Ruggieri.” We have teams in all areas of our life: family, friends, sports,...
Adaptive Yoga for Children
Kids worldwide need the same things to thrive: food, clothing, shelter, confidence, security, and a sense of calm. However, no two children are able to receive these necessities in the same way. Some children blossom in routine while others crave variety. One child...
Plant a Tree, Grow a Forest!
A lovely way to spend a lazy afternoon is to rest in the shade of a big tree - the branches and leaves rustling above you and the soft earth feeding its roots below you. Trees provide a sense of timelessness and patience, of strength with flexibility. That union...
Mealtime Mindfulness
“Mealtime Mindfulness” – Kelly and Kristi explore ways to make family meals more enjoyable through mindfulness
Sangha: A Community of Yoga Kids
It’s no secret that everyone needs a tribe. A sangha. As humans, we thrive when we have support, help, and friendship. We tend to gravitate towards those people more like ourselves and grow our community from there. And that’s okay! However, it’s a good thing to build...
