Mindfulness Workshop Resource Guide
- Michelle Gindi
- Mar 30, 2017
- 3 min read
As a coach, I often have moms come up to me to ask questions (both in person and virtually) with concerns about their children.
I began seeing a pattern that the same three concerns came up the most by far. I heard these so often that It seemed as though every kid in America had one of the same three issues. They are:
1. My child is a picky/ unhealthy eater.
2. My child has a problem focusing/ concentrating.
3. My child has overwhelming stress/ anxiety. This last one blew me away initially until I began hearing it over and over again and recognized that there is this HUGE crisis with kids and stress that many of us don't even know exists! Stress takes a very serious toll on kids and is associated with bad physical and mental health down the road.
I have tailored so many recipes, blog posts, workshops and discussions to help parents with concern number 1, but I feel that we are given NO guidance on how to deal with the second and third very realistic concerns. The basis of today's workshop in New York City was chock full of information on what we can do, outside of food, to help our children thrive!
We talked at length about that trendy wellness buzzword MINDFULNESS. On a basic level, mindfulness is simply being focused and aware on the present without judgment. Mindfulness has been found to be hugely beneficial to kid's physical and emotional states- it can reduce anxiety, increase focus and boost overall happiness!
This concept can easily be tailored to children by making mindfulness FUN! On a daily level, you can develop habits and routines in your family's schedule takes NO EXTRA TIME and costs NO EXTRA MONEY. This means there is no excuse not to try!
If you were following along the talk, either in person or through my social media channels, here are the resources we discussed. These have been hugely helpful to me and my kids in our own journey!
One of the most surprising results from testing all the mindful tools in my own home was its affect on ME. I have learned to breathe better throughout the day, I have planned meditation times with my kids at bedtime and have done both yoga and coloring meditation with them! Wellness is catchy and working on your kids is a great way to get some mindfulness of your own and strengthen the entire family unit!
A HUGE thank you to Julia from the Organic Grill for hosting our event today! I am so excited that she promised to hook us up with some of her most popular kids recipes! I will be re- creating these recipes in my own house and posting her recipes up on my blog! You can check out more about her restaurant and coaching practice here.
And without further ADO, the resource guide.....
PARENT RESOURCE GUIDE FOR KID'S MINDFULNESS WORKSHOP
1. GENERAL PARENTING RESOURCES
- Podcast, The Healthy Moms Podcast -
- Podcast, Parenting Great Kids With Dr. Meg Meeker
- Podcast, The Nourished Child
- Podcast, Mindful Parenting in a Messy World with Michelle Gale
2. MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
- website, susankaisergreenland.com- there are 6 minute kid’s meditations, including one that puts a teddy bear on kid’s tummy
- Free Printable Coloring Pages, The Mandala Coloring Pages, peaksel.com
- App, Headspace - The kid's pack is only included in the upgraded paid version but I'd be amiss not to include this amazing resource as we use it nightly.
- YouTube- Dragon Storytime Meditation
3. YOGA FOR KIDS
- Love Child Yoga came by to demonstrate one of their signature deep breathing exercises. They do pre and post natal yoga as well as "baby and me" yoga sessions! Thank you Sarah and Love Child Yoga for taking part in our workshop!
4. SLEEP
For moms who have a problem getting their little ones to sleep (My second daughter is a total night owl!) we have been trying out the Whoo is Ready for Bed? Book and doll set. It helps reinforce good bedtime routines, helps put kids in control of remember all their to-dos as well as help make them feel safe and comfy. The only problem with this set is that at the end of the book the owl says that if the kids are good 3 nights in a row then he will bring them a prize and my daughter is always asking where her prize is.......
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