Category Archives: research

helping kids and teens with mental health

October 11, 2018age groups, anxiety, challenges, compassion, free meditation, grief, loneliness, meditation, mental health, mental health day, mindfulness, research, resilience, stress, suicidemeditation and grief, meditation and loneliness, mental health day, mindfulness and suicidelorraine

Mental Health Day

In the UK yesterday there was a mental health awareness day to help us understand and talk about mental health.

As someone who teaches meditation and mindfulness, this is a key part of the work I do. It’s why I set up Connected Kids as I have witnessed, many times, how teaching kids, teens and adults meditation helps improve their mental health.

But mental health isn’t the whole picture. We have emotional and physical health to consider and these are inextricably linked to our mental health. Continue reading →

5 Ways Mindfulness Creates Resilience in Children

February 23, 2017anxiety, behaviour kids, calm kids, challenges, child development, compassion, dan siegel, educating, emotional intelligence, emotions, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, research, resilience, self regulation, stressmeditation, mindfulness, resilience, stresslorraine

At the moment the world is quite a turbulent place. If we think our children are too innocent or immune to the stories coming out in the media each day – think again.

Every time we listen to the news on the radio, watch it on TV or surf social media and the internet when our kids are around – they absorb what they hear and see. Even if they don’t understand it.

So we have a choice. We can either shield children completely from the world around them (but how do we stop this going on in the playground at school, sometimes in the classroom and at sleepovers?) Or we can help them build their resilience and cope with the ‘bad things and people’ in this world. Continue reading →

‘The Whole-Brain Child’ – book review

October 7, 2016amygdala, challenges, child development, dan siegel, educating, emotional intelligence, meditation, mindfulness, parenting, research, resources, world peacechild development, dan siegel, kids, meditation, mindfulness, whole brain childlorraine

Book Review – ‘the Whole-Brain Child – Dr Dan Siegel’

Enjoy my review of this fabulous book about child development; how to help them process difficult feelings and thoughts. Learn why I think it offers some practical tips on how to cope with difficult behaviours. Continue reading →

Mandala meditations for kids

April 5, 2016ADHD, anxiety, Autism, calm kids, emotional intelligence, emotions, mandala, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, parenting, research, special needs, stress, teens, thomas f denson, toddlerskids, mandalas, meditation, mindfulness, self regulation, teenslorraine

I love mandalas.

teaching children meditation with mandalas

www.mandalaproject.org

They are one of the most effective ways to teach children mindfulness skills while they meditate.

The idea behind mandalas in Buddhist practices is to create the mandala out of coloured sand while paying attention to thoughts, body, breath and emotions. Then when complete, the mandalas are released to symbolise impermanence and non-attachment.

However we can use paper mandalas just as effectively with young people.

If you find it difficult to get your kids to sit still and meditate in the way you think they should, then you need to change the way you think about meditation. Mandalas can help you do this.

Continue reading →

Changing Education with Meditation and Mindfulness

March 17, 2016anxiety, breath, buddhism, calm kids, challenges, educating, emotional intelligence, emotions, getting started, jon kabat-zinn, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, research, resources, schools, stress, teens, tim ryan, world peaceeducation, education system, meditation, mental health, mindfulness, schools, teaching meditation, tim ryan, world peacelorraine

I’m looking to change the education system in order that kids benefit from meditation – every day.

The very fact you are reading this blog suggests that you are interested in…

a/teaching your children meditation changing education with meditation

b/teaching other people’s children meditation

… and you want this world to be a better place for children in the future when we are ‘not around’ any more.

The growing body of research suggests that there are valid and economic reasons for children and young people to meditate regularly.

Let me explain.

Reducing the Mental Health Bill

Continue reading →