All of us are bombarded with advertisements, pressured to always gather more, and are rarely satisfied by simply being. This is especially true for our children, as they may not yet have the ability to filter through the materialistic messages; instead, their "need"...
We all recognize the importance of kindness - a vital character trait we want to develop in ourselves and our children. Here are some quick ways to build the kindness muscles in your kids and students: Post It Notes - This is a fun activity to spread kindness in your...
Kindness is an important part of practicing yoga. In your physical yoga practice, you want to be kind to your body. And, out in the world, you want to be kind to others. In my children's yoga classes, we practice Karma Yoga – performing acts of kindness with no...
“For real change to take place, the body needs to learn that the danger has passed and to live in the reality of the present.” -Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. from The Body Keeps the Score The basic elements of a yoga practice (movement, breath work, and meditation) help...
Self-regulation is an often overlooked, yet quite teachable, tool we can provide the littles in our lives. In all honestly, I feel like it’s only been my adulthood exposure to yoga that has really helped me develop the ability to calm myself down, think through my...
Here in the northern hemisphere, we are stepping deeper into the autumn season. The temperature changes, the colors change and the daylight changes all affect our children in obvious and subtle ways. Let's help them embrace the inevitability of change and the beauty...
It's a busy world out there! And for many of us, it's a busy world inside, too. Our minds are kept stimulated, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, all day and often through the night. We've been given many ways to find quiet moments, to find balance, in our lives:...
Let’s talk about some mindfulness practices to handle life as we all now know it, this weird ride we are all on. When we are blindsided by huge changes in life, we tend to want to find steady ground. It isn’t always easy to do this, especially when little ones are...
Who says that you have to wait for Valentine's Day to show someone love (yourself included)? And what better way to introduce the concept of self-love to children than through a yoga class? In whatever time frame you have, you can incorporate a theme of self-love (and...
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...
"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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Watch at your leisure!
Watch at your leisure!
