♠ If children are the future, what sort of world will be waiting for them? Rabbi Rami reflects on his recent conversation with Mind & Life Institute president Susan Bauer-Wu on the Spirituality+Health podcast. ♦ “Our children are our future.” ♦ There are few statements more ubiquitous. Or more vacuous. I’ve heard it spouted...
Read MoreToday’s children are overfed and undernourished. Children, for the most part, do not eat well. They commonly choose foods that are high in fats, sugars, and salt that have little, real nutritional value. The top choices among kids are hot dogs, chicken nuggets, French fries, pancakes,...
Read MoreTeaching mindfulness to kids has been said to improve their wellbeing, boost performance in the classroom, increase emotional intelligence, and reduce stress and “negative” behavior. In Old Path, White Clouds, a retelling of the Buddha’s life, the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh explains that one of Buddha’s...
Read MoreWhat we wish most for our children is that they may be happy. When facing times of crisis, or simply life’s regular ups and downs, what can we do to support our children’s search for sustainable happiness? I can clearly remember sitting in a parents...
Read MoreConsidering how to make the children in our lives better people helps us reflect on how we ourselves can be more compassionate. ↓ In this series of articles, we have been examining how mindfulness can sometimes inadvertently reinforce the self-centeredness and self-absorption of our current times and how we may counter...
Read MoreBeing open to your child's thoughts and feelings can help with the trickiest parenting struggles. ↓ ↓ My four-year-old daughter: You CAN’T comb my hair! Me: It’s late—we have to leave for school in five minutes. I need to comb your hair. My daughter: I’ll never let you comb my hair! I want...
Read MoreChildren who learn to practice gratitude are happier and more optimistic in the long run. Try this four-step practice to foster gratitude with your child. If you have young children, you probably spend a lot of time reminding them to say “please” and “thank you.” But...
Read MoreTry this mindfulness practice the next time that mean inner voice pops up and starts making parenting harder than needs to be. In spite of my bookshelf from graduate school, much of what I’ve learned about parenting has come from my parents, and my own experience...
Read MoreBy engaging children’s imagination and natural compassion we can help them live a simpler, more mindful life. Despite giving up so much when becoming parents, we ironically enter a whole new world of stuff—some necessary, but most not so much. With each child, the...
Read MoreDesigning and instituting a program for mindfulness in schools is fraught with potential problems. Here’s how to avoid having a poorly-designed program. ↓ ↓ In the UK, it was recently announced that the national government will put public money into mindfulness in education for the first time. One hundred...
Read MoreI don’t know about you, but I’m excited about fall. Don’t get me wrong, I love the sun and beach and we are in the middle of an October heat wave this week with 89-degree weather, lord help me. But I’m ready to put away...
Read MoreTwo weeks into pre-school and I’m already feeling sick. My throat is itchy, nose is running and I’m sneezing in multiples of three, every 15 minutes. Yes, I blame those adorable, germy two-year-olds! I knew pre-school was going to be a petri dish, I just...
Read More↓ 3 Mindfulness Exercises You Can Try with Your Kids If you build a game around it, kids will be drawn to mindfulness. ↓ If it feels like a lesson, children won’t be interested. If it’s a game, they’ll love it. That’s what Alfred James says about mindfulness for kids....
Read More[caption id="attachment_8861" align="alignright" width="535"] A Look At The Short And Long Term Effects Of Childhood Obesity[/caption] A Look At The Short And Long Term Effects Of Childhood Obesity Most parents are not overly concerned about their young children being overweight. They tend to dismiss it as "puppy...
Read MoreNow that summer is here and school is out, it is time to head outdoors! For people with kids, regular swimming excursions are a normal part of warm-weather enjoyment for the whole family. Yet there are some things to stay aware of as we take...
Read More[yframe url='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWB4ido3Qsg'] Obesity on Steep Rise Since the 1980s We must all do more to help ourselves prevent the dangerous condition of obesity. A new study has found that the worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly doubled since 1980. This is putting hearts at risk of disease...
Read MoreAutism In Children "Her little four year old body radiates energy and life, purity and love to those who are near her. Yet beyond the sparkling blue eyes and her angelic face is a mind that is struggling and frustrated - unable to express itself and...
Read MoreTHE STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO HOW CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AFFECTS ADULT HEALTH Do the aftereffects of traumatic events we suffered as children follow us into adulthood in a physical way? Research about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) proves that enormous childhood stress absolutely leads to...
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