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Welcome to the Mindful Families February 2015 Newsletter With practice ideas, articles, book recommendations and upcoming events. Feel free to share
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Welcome to the Mindful Families February 2015 Newsletter
With practice ideas, articles, book recommendations and upcoming events.
Feel free to share.
Highlights include:
Breathe In & Shine: Mindfulness for Children & Families - Program for 6-10 yrs. starts Feb. 21 (ONE SPACE REMAINING)
"Kids teaching Kids" - A new feature on my website, where children are invited to share stories of how mindfulness practice helps them - as a way to teach other children. |
Practice Idea for February
Tipping the scales towards happiness...
It is now well known that the human brain has a negativity bias. We are more likely to pay attention to what does not go well that to what does. As Dr. Rick Hanson says, this is great for our survival, but can be a bit of a downer as far as day-to-day living goes. So why not be intentional about noticing the good stuff?
Here's is a lovely idea shared by Torontonian Frances Garrett - something she practices with her family. She likens it to a gratitude practice in which she writes “something good happened to me” on the top of a large sheet of paper in the kitchen, and all of her family members write good things on the paper.
What a lovely way to reflect on and remember the good things that happen to us - often on a daily basis! As Hara Estroff Marano writes, "It takes frequent small positive experiences to tip the scales toward happiness."
Thanks for sharing Frances! |
We can relax, nothing is under control...
There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.
"Maybe," the farmer replied.
A lot of people take comfort in the idea that events, especially 'bad' ones, happen for a reason. For better or worse, that has never been the case for me. Rather, in my experience, great things can turn out to be great - or not - and crappy things can be plain ol' crappy - or have a silver lining. We can never be sure of how we will actually experience the outcome of an event...
[read full post] |
Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth
In Zen Shorts, Jon J Muth retells 3 classic Zen tales, woven into a children's story. My 4 year-old loves us to read it to him over and over. Does he pick up the profound messages of letting go, generosity and flexibility? Maybe not yet, but these tales have certainly been helpful to me as I navigate life's stresses and uncertainties. Read this month's blog post, We can relax, nothing is under control... to see how. |
Kids teaching Kids
Over the coming months, I will be collecting stories from children about what kinds of mindfulness practices they use and different ways they calm their "lizard brain" to share on my website. If you and / or your child has a story or practice you would like to share, please email me. You can send any relevant images and I will share these on the website. They may also be part of an upcoming book chapter I am working on about sharing mindfulness with children & families (for those who are interested of course).
I look forward to hearing from you and sharing your experiences with other children and families. |
Breathe In & Shine: Mindfulness for Children and Families
Are you interested in bringing some stillness into your busy family life?
In this 5-week program (for children 6 10), Sara will teach child-friendly mindfulness practices to children and their families that they can then practice together at home. Practices include games, songs, stories, art activities and everyday mindful awareness practices. Mindfulness can help to reduce stress, provide tools for responding to strong feelings such as anxiety, anger, worry & frustration as well as to support connection in today's often-hectic households.
Winter 2015 schedule:
WHEN: Saturday mornings, Feb. 21 - March 28 (no class March 21). 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: Story Planet, 1165 Bloor St. W., Toronto (Wheelchair accessible)
For more information, visit HERE. |
Remember to Breathe: Teen Mindfulness Group
A 5-week introductory, mindfulness practice workshop for teens.
This group will resume on the fall of 2015. Details will follow in future newsletters. |
Mindful Parenting Group: We connect with our children by connecting with ourselves.
This group will resume on the fall of 2015. Details will follow in future newsletters.
Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at freedigitalphotos.net |
Breathe In, Sing Out: Music, Mindfulness & Fun for You and Your Little One.
Breathe In, Sing Out offers a fun way for parents to practice mindfulness, nurture connection & have fun with their little ones.
In this mindfulness-based music program, Sara Marlowe, teaches both original and classic songs, mindfulness activities, musical games and breath practices that are engaging for little ones, while also planting seeds of mindfulness, relaxation, awareness, connection, kindness and gratitude.
This group will resume on the fall of 2015. Details will follow in future newsletters. |
Individual, Family & Group Counseling offered by Sara Marlowe, MSW, RSW
I offer mindfulness-based counselling services to individual children, youth, and adults as well as families in the Bloor & Christie area. You can read more about my services at Psychology Today |
Click Here to view past newsletters. |
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