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Mindfulness Monday: Aromatherapy
I learned my lesson from last year and instead of preparing cotton balls with drops of essential oils ahead of time, I gave students the option to sample a scent of their choice with either a cotton ball or a Q-tip. Eucalyptus remains the most popular choice.
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Mindfulness Monday: Mindful Fall Coloring Pages
Throughout my research, it has become apparent that mindful coloring is the most popular mindfulness activity among students. As a result, I always have coloring pages, markers and colored pencils available in my classroom. Today a chose a fall theme for the coloring pages but I always offer to print other pages upon request.
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Mindfulness Monday: Origami Lotus Flower
Today’s mindfulness activity is an origami lotus flower. You’ll need 6 x 6 origami paper and this video to begin: Let me know what you think of this activity in the comment section below.
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Mindfulness Monday: Gratitude Tree
Today is the first Mindfulness Monday of the school year. I am so excited to use the same Gratitude Tree that used with my classes this year! It brings a sense of renewal and refreshment to the school year. I used index cards cut into thirds, twine, and a hole-punch to create tabs to hang…
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Finding Joy in the Quirks: What I’ve Learned about Life from Bill Murray’s Movies
I’ve been working to become a certified yoga teacher and during today’s session, the instructor referenced the movie Groundhog Day to describe the different types of karma. Now I completely related to this analogy because I, a huge Bill Murray fan, have actually put a lot of thought into how seriously impactful his seemingly silly…
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We’ll Always Have Paris…
I recently returned from our family vacation to Paris where I tore through croissants and sipped Perrier as if my life depended on it. The Olympics were our main attraction, but we also had time to visit a few of the legendary museums which allowed us to simultaneously witness the peak of physical and artistic…
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A Beginner’s Guide to Adopting a Mindfulness Practice
Does the word “mindfulness” sound mystical and intimidating to you? If so, you are not alone. Before I began to study mindfulness, I thought it was something elusive that only Buddhist monks could understand. I also wondered if it’s religious origin presented a conflict with other beliefs. It wasn’t until I was desperate to find…
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What is Holding You Back from Being Mindful?
Despite the scientific research to back up the benefits of mindfulness, people are still very reluctant to adopt a daily mindfulness practice. Here are the common reasons I have heard. Comment below and let me know what is holding you back! These are the top three reasons I have heard for why people are reluctant…
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Is There Room for Mindfulness in Competitive Sports?
Now that the school year is over, I have even more time to be a youth sports spectator. I’m still waking up at 6am and doing a guided meditation from my favorite podcast, but instead of heading to the classroom, I’m heading to one of the many fields that I am only able to find…
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Mindfulness Monday: Origami Pencil Toppers
Today we tried origami pencil toppers in the shape of stars. We found it challenging. If you try this let me know how it goes!