Mindful Minis

Life in NYC  with two little kids can be chaotic. Most days I am running from school drop off to a workout, to various errands, to pick up, to Hermione's activities, to playdates etc. etc. Most Monday mornings I feel like I have been shot out of a canon and just have to hang on for dear life. Somehow I manage to make it all work and get everyone where the need to be, fed and dressed on time but it can be crazy! 

When we are not running all over downtown Manhattan I try and get the girls to relax and lay low at home. I think there is a lot of value in playing at home for extended periods of time. Home is the girl's touchstone, their calm and safe place and I am always trying to preserve that.

In my efforts to make the time at home peaceful I have been working on getting Hermione to practice mindfulness. If she is upset I ask her to take calm, deep breaths to relax. I ask her to use her peaceful, kind voice when asking for things. We practice yoga and sometimes even meditation.  I find that these little steps help cultivate a calmer child and a more peaceful home life. 

Recently I discovered Meddy Teddy and he has been a big helper in cultivating mindfulness at home. He is fully posable and can be put into almost any yoga pose you can think of. Hermione has a fun time doing poses with him and even sitting to meditate. At bedtime I like to put him on her bed in a different relaxing pose (child's pose, savasana) to surprise her and set a calm tone for the night.

We love Maddy Teddy so much we bought a second one to donate to her classroom. Her teachers often do yoga and meditation with the kids and he has become a welcome new friend at school!