Mindfulness: bMindfulNow.com

Mindfulness essentially means living with intention, focusing on the present moment and all that it contains. Many of us show up for only some of the moments of our lives and mindlessly live through the rest.

Mindfulness Compassion: Many of us would be quick to complain about being treated harshly by a loved one, friend or co-worker yet we treat ourselves in ways we would never treat someone else. Self-compassion is actually a courageous mental attitude that stands up to harm—the harm that we inflict on ourselves every day by overworking, overeating, over-analyzing, and overreacting. With mindful self-compassion, we’re better able to recognize when we’re under stress and face what’s happening in our lives and to take a kinder and more sustainable approach to life’s challenges  Research has shown that self-compassion greatly enhances emotional well-being.  It boosts happiness, reduces anxiety and depression, and can even help you stick to your diet and exercise routine.  And it's easier than you think. 

Mindfulness for Kids:

Mighty Minds groups are week-long intensive groups for children and teens (currently enrolling students who recently completed K-8th grade) designed to teach evidence-based strategies for coping with stress; the goal of these groups is to serve as an inoculation or immunization administered before significant stress occurs, by teaching children skills that will help them better deal with stress and optimize mood, happiness, and self-esteem over the course of their lives.  Skills taught include:  learning to recognize and anticipate stress and dysregulated mood or anxiety; planning ahead to minimize stress; developing mindfulness and behavioral self-soothing strategies to improve emotion regulation; putting stressors into realistic perspective; and otherwise learning meta-cognitive skills to help children learn to evaluate their own thoughts about stressors.  Groups will be limited to 4 to 6 children per session.

MIGHTY MINDS

Give your child the gift of learning research-supported behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and mindfulness strategies proven to be effective in reducing and/or preventing stress, anxiety, and negative mood...  before your child really needs them.

Participating kids will learn...

• Behavioral self-soothing strategies to calm themselves at times of stress/distress

• Cognitive strategies that will help them evaluate their own thoughts (and put those thoughts in perspective) in order to diminish anxiety and feelings of tension

• Mindfulness strategies to reduce overall stress.

Parents will receive resources and ideas about how best to support their children in practicing and expanding these skills at home, as well as a common language/vocabulary to use with their children to help prompt for display of effective coping skills.

Groups will be limited to 4 to 6 children per group.  Please note that these groups are designed for children without significant current impairment or mental health challenges.

Summer Session 2015 dates/times are listed on the registration form linked below!  Please note that we are grouping children of similar ages, needs, and family schedules based on your rank ordering of group session dates/times.

Build a More Compassionate and Conscious Family

Children have a lot to gain from learning how to cultivate mindfulness on their own. Giving kids the tools to help them fend off negative thoughts and behaviors, build self-confidence, focus, and treat others and themselves with respect and appreciation is a gift they will have for the rest of their lives.

Mindfulness programs are popping up in schools nationwide, and studies are surfacing that reveal their positive impact on academic performance, stress levels, and emotional regulation. I have taught over 1,000 school-aged children Mindfulness. The training and support I receive from Mindful Schools provides the most current techniques and research with kids. I will help you with tricky part, figuring out how to get the whole family on board. Presenting Mindfulness practices to kids in a way they will actually enjoy … and even look forward to!

Learn  the tools and techniques that you can use to build a more compassionate and conscious family. Exploration includes:

• Meditations for children

• Kid-friendly breathing practices 

• Mindful parenting tips

• Stress-, anxiety-, and ADHD-management tools for children (without medication)

• Emotional intelligence and compassion cultivation exercises

The summer is a great time of year to focus on the important lesson of mindfulness. Each session, we’ll  focus on a specific technique that you can integrate into your daily routines.