My good friend Emma has mentioned to me that it can get hard to find ways to entertain her kids or get their energy out on days when they can’t go outside. Whether at home or in the classroom, these long days can drive any kid-and adult- stir crazy! While many people think that mindfulness is all about being still, calm, and quiet, there are a lot of fun ways to get kids moving while practicing mindfulness. Color Search A color search is a great way to bring kids’ awareness t

It's our last day of exploring Alphabreaths! It's been a fun week making our way through the alphabet. Which breath has been your favorite? If you haven't seen the other days, check out: A - F G - M N - T U: Underwater Breath Using your arms, imagine you are jumping into water as you breathe in, and breathing out, imagine you are swimming underwater. V: Voice Breath Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, sing "LAAAAA. W: Wish Breath Breathing in, make a wish for yourse

We are on our third post exploring Alphabreaths! This is a fun way to have kids try out new breathing techniques, while also practicing concepts like letters, animals, and visualizations. Even if your goal is for your child to use breathing exercises when feeling upset, make sure you introduce and practice new ones when your children are happy. Connecting to your breath should have a positive connotation, not feel like a “punishment” when sad or mad. N: Ninja Breath Place you

Yesterday we started exploring a fun way to introduce breathing exercises - Alphabreaths! If you missed it, check it out. Today we’ll continue the series with G - M. G: Gratitude Breath Breathing in, pick a person you are thankful for and breathing out, send them good vibes! H: Hug Breath As you breathe in, open your arms to your sides, and as you breathe out, bring your arms in to give yourself a hug. I: Ice Breath Breathing in, imagine you are an ice cube - stiff and unmovi

Teaching and exploring new breathing techniques is a fun way to try out mindfulness with kids, as well as to teach or reinforce other concepts. In an online mindfulness course I’ve been taking, psychologist Dr. Chris Willard shared his idea for Alphabreaths. Each letter of the alphabet stands for a particular breath! This is a great way to teach the alphabet to younger children, and it also features different animals, natural elements, and visualizations that bring it alive f

Between the freezing weather here this weekend and watching the Superbowl, I thought about what we need to tackle in our own lives. And the first thing that came to mind was the Winter Blues. We are now deep into winter and it can begin to feel like spring will never come. With the shorter days, reduced sunlight, and colder weather, this season often takes a toll on many of our moods. However, controlling the weather is out of our hands, so what can we do to improve our well