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.
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.
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.