5 Things Mindful Teachers Do Differently

5 Things Mindful Teachers Do Differently   Mindful teachers can be found in many classrooms and in many schools around the world. And even though mindfulness has become a very popular and trendy practice from superstars to professional athletes, some of these teachers don’t even know that they are being mindful.    That’s the magic […]

6 Tips for Breathing Calm Into Your Classroom

No child is born with the ability to self-soothe, calm down when upset, or regulate emotions. As they grow, children learn to calm down by the way they are soothed by parents and caregivers, by watching others, and by experimenting with what works for them. Teaching your students a few simple SEL-based breathing strategies can […]

Let Us Slow Down

Guide: Caryl Featured song: Take It Slow, Ayla Nereo Featured practice: Let us slow down. Bayo Akomolafe says, “The times are urgent, let us slow down.” Let us slow down. Often the demand of urgency requires rapid, habitual responses that create tension and stress. There is an unwritten contract in urgency that says get it […]

Mindfulness in the Youth Garden

I was up unusually early this sunny Saturday morning, having invited myself on a field trip with my daughter, who was meeting my sister for a garden tour. There was a time years ago when I was always up and out of the house early on Saturday mornings. My husband was traveling weekly back and […]

How To Beat The Sunday Night Scaries

Does this ever happen to you?    It is Sunday. You’ve had a great weekend so far. Maybe you spent some time with family or you got outside in your garden or went on a hike. You are feeling relaxed and connected. Then it happens. (cue the theme from Jaws). The Sunday Scaries.    Sunday […]

Letting Go of Fixing

Guided audio practice from the 8/18/21 Connect In virtual community mindfulness practice.  Guide: Linda Snyder Opening song: Epiphany by Riopy Featured practice: It is in our nature to fix things, to problem solve. On days where we may have a problem, practicing mindful meditation may be challenging. Our minds’ natural tendency to wander and problem […]

The Body’s Wisdom: Seated Mindful Movement Meditation

Guide: Linda Opening song: Put Down What You Are Carrying by Trevor Hall Featured Practice: 15 minute seated mindful movement meditation is about noticing what’s here in each moment, listening and responding to your body’s wisdom and bringing a kind, curious and patient quality of awareness to whatever you find.    Connect In with us […]

14 Ways to Take Your Mindfulness Practice Outside

Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. -Mary Oliver, poet   The beloved Mary Oliver wrote volumes of poems and prose that reflect her intentional and mindful engagement with the living earth. In her poem, Sometimes, she leaves us these instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell […]

Breathing In Fullness

Lead Guide: Caryl Opening song: Eyes Shut. Soul Alive  (Watch video here) Featured poems/excerpts/breathing exercises: In today’s practice, I am going to lead you through a breathing exercise where we pay close attention to breathing on all sides of the body. Noticing the roundness that our body creates as we inhale. Breathing into the entire […]

A (Mindful) Summer State of Mind

The summers of yore.    When I was a kid, summers were spent in an idyllic 1980’s suburban kind of setting. Images flood my mind when I think about it: waking up naturally,  spending endless days by the pool, playing outside with neighborhood kids and riding my bike with a banana seat. The streamers on […]