Shifting Into a Self-Regulated Lifestyle
I get it! Our integrated movement and mindfulness curriculum can feel overwhelming or even daunting for educators who have never participated in any form of intentional movement or meditative practice. I used to think that response was because the Movement &...
Self Care – Essential for Mental Health
What is self-care? The definition varies depending on who you’re asking, but essentially it means taking care of yourself physically and mentally. In recent years the concept of mental health has come to the forefront of societal conversation, so much so that May has...
Body-Mind Development 101
Health, Academic, and Social-Emotional Competence starts at home with daily play and exercise. My interview with Marcia Washington reaffirmed some basic truths about child development that I want to passionately re-iterate! 1. Physical coordination precedes and lays...
Helping Children with ADD/ADHD (VIDEO)
Marcia Washington, OTR/L, has been practicing pediatric occupational therapy for 20 years. In 2009, in her hometown of Pontotoc, MS, she launched KidSense, a clinic that specializes in pediatric therapy, includes a sensory motor gym, and serves clients from over a 70...
Help Kids Build Confidence with Good Posture & Core Strength
Encouraging young children to practice proper posture and to engage in core strengthening activity is vital to laying a foundation for not just physical health but also for mental-emotional strength. Spinal health is the basis of balance and stability not just in our...
Stimulation vs Nourishment
In the video below, Rafe Kelley, founder of Evolve Move Play, presents a valuable distinction between that which fills our attention and feeds our monkey minds and that which nourishes our humanity and fuels our personal development. It’s a valuable lens through...
2 Breathing Exercises to Support Executive Function
The official definition of executive function is: a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one's resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation....
10 Benefits of Cross Crawl – Brain Hemisphere Synching Exercise – with Video
What is Cross Crawl? Cross crawl refers to movements in which we use opposition such as crawling, walking, running, and swimming. Opposition means that opposite sides of the body work together to coordinate the right arm and left leg, then the left arm and right leg....
Good Health Starts with Self-Regulation
Recently, my teacher sent me this article by Gabor Maté: How to Build a Culture of Good Health. Read it! It beautifully explains the holistic, relational, developmental nature of health that I think we’ve all experienced at some level but never had words for:...
Being in the Vertical vs. Horizontal
In a recent Movement and Mindfulness™ Curriculum Certification, our trainer, Leah Kalish, MA, taught us about “being in the Vertical versus Horizontal.” She was speaking to the idea of self-care. That it behooves every teacher or parent or caregiver to make taking...