The Mindfulness Movement

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Licensed Teacher & Kids Mindfulness Educator 🧘‍♀️
Yoga, movement & SEL for kids, families & schools
Digital resources for teachers in 20+ countries
📍 Twin Cities, MN | Shop & programs below ↓

08/03/2026

I used to think confidence was something children either had...or didn’t.

Boy, was I was wrong!

After teaching more than 5,000 kids yoga and mindfulness classes, I learned that we often treat confidence like a personality trait when it’s actually something children can practice.

How do children build confidence?

Through small, supported moments that give them evidence:

✨ I tried something new.
✨ I noticed what was happening in my body.
✨ I used an emotional regulation strategy.
✨ I asked for help.
✨ I took the next step.

The goal isn’t to raise children who never feel nervous.

It’s to help them think:

“I feel nervous AND I know what I can do next.”

That’s what meaningful social-emotional learning should provide: opportunities for children to practice confidence, resilience and self-trust—not simply hear that they should be confident.

Parents and educators: What is one small experience that has helped a child in your life realize, “I can do this”? 💗

Educators interested in my done-for-you monthly SEL subscription launching this September can can join the Teach Smarter waitlist by commenting SMART below.

08/03/2026

Most people don’t realize confidence isn’t built with pep talks, it’s built through practice. ✨

As a teacher who taught more than 5,000 yoga and mindfulness classes, I’ve noticed something that changed the way I prepare children for back-to-school.

The kids who seemed the most confident weren’t necessarily the ones who felt the least nervous.

They were the ones who had practiced what to do when those nervous feelings showed up.

Instead of only saying:
💗 “You’ll be okay.”

Try practicing:
• How to introduce themselves to a new classmate.
• How to ask their teacher for help.
• What to do if they make a mistake.
• A calming breath before walking into school.
• How to notice a big feeling and choose a strategy that helps.

Confidence isn’t about never feeling anxious.

It’s about having enough experiences to think:

“I’ve done something like this before.”

That’s why I believe social-emotional learning, mindfulness, and emotional regulation shouldn’t begin after children are struggling, they should be practiced before the first day of school.

What’s one skill you wish someone had helped you practice before starting school?

💗 If you’d like my Mindful Start™ Back-to-School Empowerment Bundle with printable mindfulness and confidence-building activities, comment MINDFUL below and I’ll send you the link.

08/01/2026

This $1.25 activity changed how I teach social-emotional learning ✏️💗

At first glance, it looks like children decorating pencil pouches…but the decorating wasn’t the lesson.

Each child transformed a simple pouch into a personalized back-to-school regulation kit filled with calming tools and strategies they could use during nervous, overwhelming or challenging moments at school.

Together, we practiced:

✨ recognizing body signals
💗 naming nervousness, excitement and overwhelm
✨ identifying calming strategies that work for each child
💗 deciding when and where to use each tool
✨ identifying a safe adult who can help
💗 asking for support before feelings become too big

This activity reminded me that simply handing a child a sensory or calming tool isn’t enough.

Children also need to understand:

What is this tool for?
How will my body tell me I need it?
When can I use it at school?
Who can help me access it?

The craft created excitement. The conversation, reflection and practice created the social-emotional learning.

That’s the difference between making something cute and creating a coping tool a child can actually use! 💗

This activity is included in my done-for-you Mindful Start™: Back-to-School Empowerment Bundle, created for teachers, school counselors, therapists, occupational therapists, kids’ yoga educators and families.

Comment MINDFUL and I’ll send you the complete back-to-school SEL bundle. ✨

What would the children you support put inside their regulation kits?

Watching children walk into camp feeling nervous... and leave believing in themselves never gets old! 🥹💛As educators, we...
07/31/2026

Watching children walk into camp feeling nervous... and leave believing in themselves never gets old! 🥹💛

As educators, we spend so much time preparing classrooms, organizing supplies, and decorating bulletin boards.

But one of the greatest gifts we can give children during the first week of school is the chance to build confidence before the academics begin.

At my Mindful Start™: Back-to-School Empowerment Camp, we practice yoga, create affirmation kits, design vision boards, write encouraging letters to our future selves, complete mindfulness activities, and talk about what it means to start a new school year with courage.

Every smile in these photos reminds me why I created this program.

These aren't just fun crafts and activities.

✨ They are opportunities for children to practice emotional regulation.
✨ They learn positive self-talk.
✨ They make new friends.
✨ They build confidence.
✨ They discover tools they can use when school feels overwhelming.

Because when children feel emotionally safe and connected, they're better prepared to learn!

That's why I turned everything we used this week into my Mindful Start™: Back-to-School Empowerment Bundle—a printable resource for teachers, school counselors, homeschool families, therapists, child life specialists, and kids yoga instructors who want meaningful back-to-school activities without spending hours creating them from scratch.

💗 Comment "MINDFUL" and I'll send you the printable bundle along with the Amazon supply list I used to bring these activities to life.

📌 Save this post for the first week of school.
📤 Share it with an educator who is getting their classroom ready.

07/30/2026

First stop: Dollar Tree, because running a small business means making every dollar count.

Although, apparently, not even the dollar store is a dollar anymore. 😂

I picked up pencil bags, back-to-school boxes and empowerment note cards. I was also tempted by the cutest pencil plates…but I showed remarkable restraint.

Then I found the adorable dumpling squishies.

Did I buy them? NO. Because my students are going to make their own calming squishies at camp!

Our reminder is: Create, don’t just consume.

These supplies may look simple, but each one will become part of an intentional social-emotional learning activity designed to help children:

✨ recognize their back-to-school body signals
✨ express nervousness, excitement and overwhelm
✨ practice calming and emotional-regulation strategies
✨ prepare for new routines and transitions
✨ begin the school year feeling more confident and supported

Follow along for Part 2, where I’ll show you exactly how I transform these affordable finds into meaningful back-to-school SEL activities.

Teachers, counselors, therapists, OTs and children’s program leaders: I’m also turning this experience into a done-for-you Mindful Start™ program that you can use with your own students—without sacrificing hours of your summer to planning.

Comment MINDFUL if you’d like the details when it’s ready. 💛

What is the biggest back-to-school challenge the children in your life are navigating: new routines, separation, friendships, nervousness or overwhelm?

Just “Take a deep breath” can feel incredibly abstract to a child...🫧They may understand the words, but still not know h...
07/28/2026

Just “Take a deep breath” can feel incredibly abstract to a child...

🫧

They may understand the words, but still not know how to slow their breathing when their body is overwhelmed by a big feeling.

That’s why I created this Bubble Breath Wand activity.

Children design their own bubble wand and use it to practice a soft, slow, controlled exhale. As they watch each bubble float away, they can imagine releasing a worry, frustration or feeling that has become too heavy to hold.

It feels like play, but children are also practicing:

🫧 Breath control
🫧 Emotional regulation
🫧 Body awareness
🫧 Focus and mindfulness
🫧 Using a calming strategy independently

I turned this activity into a complete, done-for-you digital lesson that includes an original mindfulness story, step-by-step directions, coloring and reflection activities, and printable Bubble Breathing tags in color and ink-friendly versions. 💗✨

It’s perfect for elementary classrooms, calm corners, school counseling, occupational therapy, kids yoga, Child Life programs and big-feelings support at home.

Want to see the complete resource?

Comment BUBBLE and I’ll send the lesson information directly to you. 🫧💗✨

Tag an educator, counselor, therapist or parent who would love this!

07/27/2026

When a child’s nervous system is overwhelmed, the logical brain goes offline. Telling them to "breathe" or "calm down" requires executive functioning they temporarily can’t access.

Instead of verbal commands, offer PROPRIOCEPTIVE INPUT (heavy work).

Proprioceptive activities stimulate the sensory receptors in muscles and joints, signaling safety directly to the brain stem.

Try these 3 heavy-work resets:
1️⃣ Wall Pushes: Have them "try to push the classroom wall back 2 inches" for 10 seconds.
2️⃣ The Turtle Shell: Knees to chest, wrap arms tightly, and gently curl inward.
3️⃣ Desk Presses: Hands flat on the seat, push down to lift their body weight slightly off the chair.

Save this for your next high-stress transition! 🧠✨

What’s your go-to reset when energy gets chaotic? Let’s share ideas below! 👇

07/26/2026

Instead, I use a game called Four Corners.

Label each corner of the room A, B, C, D, ask a question out loud, and kids physically walk to the answer they think is right.

The reason it works: once they’ve physically committed to an answer in front of the class, they actually want to think it through — not just guess and move on.

Add in the conversation with the other kids in their corner, and a test question turns into real engagement instead of a worksheet nobody wants to fill out.

No paperwork or sitting still. Just movement and a little peer accountability 💕🫶✨

07/25/2026

Things I've bought as a kids yoga teacher that were actually worth the money 🙌💗

🎤 Voice amplifier — my voice used to be gone by noon, not anymore!!
🛒 Rolling cart — my back thanks me every single class
🔊 Portable speaker — energy matters more than people think
💜 Lavender eye pillows — Shavasanas made easy
🫧 Breathing ball — makes breath work FUN
🎲 Yoga pose dice — sometimes the best lesson plan is roll and go!

Save this for the next time you're building your teaching bag 🎒

Most kids don't need to be told to calm down... they need something to DO with their hands while their body settles 🥹We ...
07/21/2026

Most kids don't need to be told to calm down... they need something to DO with their hands while their body settles 🥹

We made Worry Stones together and I could not get over how much the kids loved this one. Simple, tactile, and it actually works! They trace the stone, breathe slow, and let their worries "shrink and go."

Want the full activity? History, materials, and the exact script we use — comment STONE and I'll send it your way!! 💗

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2300 7th St NW
New Brighton, MN
55112-6525

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