and how a gratitude practice can bring more joy to your life. The definition of gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Benedictine monk, Br. David Steindl-Rast, suggests that two qualities belong in our basic definition of gratitude. The first is appreciation: You recognize that something is valuable to you, which has nothing to do with its monetary worth. The second quality Br. David mentions is that gratitude is gratis: freely given to you. Robert Emmons, perhaps the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, also argues that gratitude has two key components: “First, it’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.” In her book, Living in Gratitude: A Journey That Will Change Your Life, Angeles Arrien writes: “Gratitude is essentially the recognition of the unearned increments of value in… Read More »
How to Create a Mindful Glitter Bottle
This glitter bottle represents how our minds can settle. It is an activity that your kids can use as a mindfulness practice. Why the glitter bottle? We are always looking for tools to calm our kids. This one in particular is extremely calming – they are mesmerizing AND give us a window inside our brain. But first we must explain why we use this glitter bottle. Kids tend to act out when they are struggling and sometimes have difficulty sharing what is going on. When they can’t find the words to explain how they are feeling, we need to be able to demonstrate the connection between our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. This glitter bottle is one of the most powerful visual metaphors for what is going on in our brain and the connection between our feelings, thoughts and behaviors. It allows us to practice mindfulness– the practice of being still… Read More »
Mindful Morning Routines
Are you someone who is basically pulling your hair out as you leave the house every morning, attempting to get your kids to school, you to work without losing your mind? Some days are like that in my home- I have a son who moves s l o w l y and likes to sleep in, but also likes to watch his shows in the morning. SO, getting ourselves out the door in a timely fashion, to school on time is very challenging. In speaking with many other parents, this seems like a tough time of day for a lot of us out there. I’ve been reading and learning some new tips and tools that can help ease the morning routine challenges and get you out the door with your family calm, peaceful and mindful. There have been days when we leave the house on our walk to school and… Read More »
