Thriving During the Holiday Season with Kindfulness
The holidays are exciting but they also can wreak havoc on our ability to be be intentional and present. I owe a large part of my sanity during the busy-ness of this time of year on the time I set aside to reflect on the true meaning of the holidays, so that I can focus on what really matters to me and my loved ones. Perspective allows us to remember the true meaning of the holidays. In this article I offer some ideas about how to tune in, be present, be intentional about where you exert your energy and make the necessary shifts to tend to your needs and nurture yourselves so that you’re able to really enjoy each day during the festive season as it comes!
Highly Recommended Kindfulness Reads for Children
As the gift-giving season is upon us, I have been receiving lots of requests about my recommendations for Kindful books for children. Instead of a usual blog post, I thought I would compile a list of books that my family and I enjoy, as well as those I have shared with clients and loved ones alike, which have been helpful and meaningful for us. Please share any titles with me that I may have missed so that I can add them to my personal collection, as well as share them with others who are on a quest like us to help raise and nurture a generation of kind, compassionate, loving and emotionally intelligent children.
Raising Children with an Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude is more than just a buzzword or a popular #hashtag— which is why it’s no wonder that avid practitioners corroborate the plethora of research that suggests it has the power to significantly and positively impact the fabric of our social and emotional lives, including our health, happiness, personality and career. While research is clear that gratitude is one of the healthiest emotions human beings can embody, what isn’t so obvious or common sensical is how to teach and practise gratitude with little ones.
Why Time-Ins are the New Time-Out
School is back in which means that stress, BIG emotions and challenging behaviours are back on the rise in many households. While Time-outs are a go-to for many adults hoping to correct a child’s behaviour, I often hear adults question if the strategy is effective, given that Time-outs commonly result in power struggles and because adults sometimes find themselves sending children on Time-outs multiple times a day or week, for the same behaviours! For this reason, I thought it would be helpful to discuss why Time-outs are not such an effective behaviour modification tool and how the lesser-known strategy of Time-ins can actually revolutionize discipline and be a game-changer for many families.
In the FLOW: Mindfulness for Peace & Joy
I used to try and control life and the people around me, but I eventually came to realize that there really is no reason to get upset if something doesn’t work out as planned or someone doesn’t see things the way I do. I just breathe and watch for what happens next, allow things to fall into place. I can’t count how many times a better circumstance or situation has emerged. The universe synchronizes with my flow and most times it feels like everything just falls perfectly into place.
Once you feel flow, you’re always going to want to stay in flow. Being in flow is so very powerful and essential for attaining a blissful life. When I remain fluid and am in flow, all sorts of opportunities emerge that truly surpass anything I could ever plan for or wish to come true.
Bringing Kindfulness into Back to School Preparation
During these lasts few days and weeks of Summer Break, the realization that change is imminent will inevitably preoccupy the minds of most school age children. Mindfulness can be an invaluable tool to help cultivate resilience, emotional intelligence and awareness— which can help to ease worries as well as support children to navigate the challenges life throws their way with calm, confidence and grace.
Those of you who have some familiarity with Mindfulness and who have experienced its benefits first-hand are likely aware of how it can be helpful to make a smoother transition back to school. But, for those of you who do not have first hand experience, here are some tips on how to establish a Mindfulness practice with your child, so as to help them activate the superpowers required to calm their worries and any other BIG emotions they may be experiencing.
Mindfulness + Mother Nature: How Nature Boosts Joy, Acceptance, Calm and Kindness
Just as a formal mindfulness meditation practices enable us to sooth and nurture our internal systems, so too can connecting with nature. Carving out time to enjoy and be in nature is a simple and effective way to help us feel calm, rejuvenated, happier and more grounded.
A great way to spend time being in and enjoying nature, especially with little ones, is to create mandalas.
The Principles of Kindfulness
It is easy to take for granted the journey I have travelled to re-wire my brain, actually my entire life, since I began regularly practising Kindfulness a few years ago. It’s usually not until I find myself supporting those who are new to the practice, or in this case, facilitating an online program for busy families who are developing a Kindfulness practise that they can share with their children, that I take a step back to consider the tenets of this life-changing practice.
Should Your Mindfulness Practice be Formal or Informal?
I am often asked about the differences between formal and informal mindfulness practices, more specifically, which one is more beneficial. My answer is hardly an answer, because I respond with the question “What are you hoping to gain from your practice?”
The Kind in Kindfulness
I often get asked about the significance of the Kind in Kindfulness, and needless to say, without the part about being Kind, mindfulness wouldn’t have taken me to this place I am currently at, where I am thriving and truly feel happier, more at peace and more whole than ever before.