Are you interested in mindfulness and meditation? Would you like to teach it to your kids? What are some of the lifelong benefits that your kids can experience from learning mindfulness at a young age?

In this podcast episode, I am so excited to have Kelly Smith back on the podcast. We talk about the benefits of practicing meditation and mindfulness in the family.

Meet Kelly Smith

Kelly Smith is the founder of Yoga For You, and the host of the Mindful in Minutes podcast. She is an E-RYT 500, YACEP, and a location-independent yoga and meditation teacher. Kelly believes that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to yoga and meditation, and your practice should be as unique as you are. 

Over the past 7 years, Kelly has dedicated herself to the practice and her students, has taught over 5,000 hours, led trainings and retreats all over the world, and began sharing her personal guided meditations on her podcast, Mindful in Minutes. 

Kelly loves to lift people up through their tough times and help them find their true north by focusing on the less physical yoga practices like meditation, yoga nidra, restorative yoga, and mindful flows.

Connect with Kelly on her website. Find her on Instagram, and find her on Youtube.

Summary

• Modeling mindfulness to your kids
• Give your kids the tools for life
• Teaching your child mindfulness

Modeling mindfulness to your kids

In the beginning, it might seem strange – or close to impossible – to model mindfulness to your kids, especially when they are little because it is an act that sometimes requires isolation, like with meditation.

However, your kids do notice what you do. Practicing meditation and mindfulness is still successful and creates a positive impact in your kids’ lives because see what you do and would want to follow in your footsteps.

But something that I think is so powerful about implementing meditation and mindfulness into the family is that it opens up a door to a full line of communication that I find that we don’t usually talk about. (Kelly Smith)

One of the gifts of mindfulness and meditation gives you the tools and the vocabulary to be introspective and communicative of what is happening, what you are feeling, and how those feelings are being actionized in reality.

This is essential for little kids and helps them to voice what they feel and need in moments of stress or tension.

Give your kids the tools for life

Apart from the helpful communicative vocabulary, mindfulness, and meditation is also personal self-regulation tool that can be used anywhere, anytime.

Giving this tool to your kids by teaching and modeling it for them is an incredible gift because you are sharing techniques with them that they can use to bring themselves back to themselves when they become triggered or emotionally activated.

What a beautiful tool you can add to your child’s toolbox of any age that can help them to cultivate resilience and self-confidence and reduce anxiety. (Kelly Smith)

Teaching your child mindfulness

You can model these from a young age. For example, if you want to meditate with your young child present, invite them to sit with you, and also take some deep breaths.

For his age range, we do a lot of kind of, like, mindfulness games. So, one that I really like that I included in the book is building blocks when you do a nice thing, I’ll use the words “kindness tower”, and when he does something nice he gets to go put something on the kindness tower and I ask him, “How does that make your heart feel?” Again, that’s the introspection piece. (Kelly Smith)

You can use these types of mindfulness and introspective games with younger kids to get them accustomed to these practices.

Books Mentioned:

Kelly Smith – Mindful in Minutes: Meditation for the Modern Family: Over 100 Practices to Help Families Find Peace, Calm, and Connection

Useful Links:

• Join our FaceBook Page – Empowered and Unapologetic
• Learn more about Marriage Coaching
• Take the Marriage Predictor quiz!
• Follow me on Instagram
• Check out the new website! https://veronicacisneros.org/
• Outside The Norm Counseling – 951 395 3288 Call to schedule an appointment today!
• 5 Things that are Killing Your Marriage Free Guide available at www.veronicacisneros.org
• Kelly’s Website: https://www.yogaforyouonline.com/
• Kelly’s Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyuAzAFsNzcypnAa1XSlnog
• Kelly’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yogaforyouonline/?hl=en
• Kelly’s LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/yogaforyouonline

Meet Veronica Cisneros

Hello, my name is Veronica Cisneros, I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Marriage Coach, Course Creator, Retreat Host, Mother of 3, married for 23 years, host of the Empowered and Unapologetic podcast, and owner of a group private practice called Outside The Norm Counseling.

A lot of couples struggle with setting aside intentional time to connect and communicate. They yearn for meaningful conversations that don’t lead to arguments.

1 month away from divorce, I realized I had to do something different. For years I had compromised myself to meet the needs of my husband and my child, I lost myself and was about to lose my marriage. After years of personal growth and self-reflection, I not only reclaimed my identity, and celebrated 23 years of marriage but also helped hundreds of couples transform their marriage from feeling like roommates to experiencing a deeper love.

I am on a mission to help couples reignite the fire by providing them with the skills to have the relationship they deserve.

Whether you listen to the podcast, join the free Facebook community, or do the Workshop,  you’re in the right place. Let’s do this together!

Thanks for listening!

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