More Screening? Let’s “Inoculate” Kids Against Anxiety Instead!
If you work with kids, you’re well aware that the youth mental health crisis we now face has been growing for many years. Pandemic life only exacerbated it. Now, the US Preventive Services Task Force is recommending that all children 8 and up should be screened for...
When Emotions Explode (A Counselor’s Thoughts on the Oscars Slap Incident)
“Joel” was a well-liked 6th-grader in the rural school where I worked for years as a counselor. He never caused trouble. Ever. But one day, some students ran in to tell me Joel had hit another boy. Very upset, they asked for my help. Naturally, I went to get Joel. His...
To Be “Really Human” = To Honor Our Diversity & Interconnectedness
It’s amazing to think that most of the cells in your body aren’t even human ones but a collective of microorganisms that work (mostly) synergistically to help us in a vast array of essential tasks, from digesting food to protecting our skin, even generating some...
10 Tips for Creating a Yoga Calm Earth Warriors Summer Camp – & Resources to Get You Started
If you’re a parent of school-aged children, you’re probably already looking ahead to booking summer camps. With COVID receding, it’s more important than ever to keep our kids moving, engaging them outdoors and with each other. If you’re a Yoga Calm instructor, you may...
Some Thoughts on the Sudden Criticism of Social/Emotional Learning
When we first started hearing news of opposition to social/emotional learning (SEL), we wondered how on Earth anyone could object to helping children develop the emotional literacy they need to thrive personally, excel academically, and succeed professionally. It...
Facing – & Transforming – the Fear of Feelings
Last fall, Gallup and UNICEF teamed up to ask teens and young adults in nearly two dozen countries on what it’s like to grow up in today’s world. The vast majority - 86% - said they sometimes or often feel anxious or worried. Nearly the same number also said that when...
From the Archives: Cultivating More Positive Emotions in These Ongoing COVID Times
This week, we thought we’d re-share this post from the early days of the pandemic, for after nearly two years, we can all use reminders of the importance of recognizing positives to balance the effects of negative feelings. One positive? Signs that Omicron may be...
Tips for Talking with Kids About Climate Change & the Environment
With so much buzz about the new Netflix movie Don’t Look Up, you’d hope that at least some of it would transition to talk about the issue it allegorizes - and, most importantly, what we can do about it. But talking about climate change is difficult. And it’s even...
The Yoga Calm Blog Year in Review, 2021
It’s natural to find yourself feeling a little more introspective and reflective at this time of year. Like all living things, we pull inward through the quiet, dark days of winter, preparing for new growth in the year to come. When we look back on our blog each year,...
“Safety…Is the Presence of Connection”
One time when I was working with a client, I asked how she had survived the many losses and trauma of her childhood. She smiled and said simply, “I found magic, safe places in the world: a coffee shop with sweet energy; a quiet music store where someone patiently...
Guest Post: Mindful Walking with Children
Although originally written with springtime in mind, the script below can be used for a mindful walk with kids at any time of the year both for fun and as an opportunity for little ones (and perhaps not so little ones, for that matter!) to practice both observation...
SEL & Self-Care Trendiness in Toys – But Does This Actually Address Kids’ Real Needs?
The supply chain and delivery issues we’ve been hearing so much about lately are just the latest twist in pandemic life. They’re also probably why we’re already hearing so much about trending toys for the holiday season that’s not yet begun. (Frankly, we’re old school...