Sign Up for my “BAFY Fresh Perspectives” vlog- “ A weekly message to inspire educators and parents to use art and conversation with kids to cultivate self-kindness and empowerment.”

I have taught Brave Art for Youth over the past few years and it became evident very quickly that the seeds planted in this program and other programs like this could fall away very quickly if their day to day environment does not uphold these ideals.

I fully appreciate that the teaching and parenting life is stressful and the last thing I want to do is add one more chore to your busy schedule but I truly believe that five to ten minutes a day invested with kids, inviting them to stillness, awareness in how they feel can be the building blocks of a calmer, less reactive and more mindful home and classroom.

You don’t have to be a whiz at mindfulness to hold space for this as you will find that if you just remember to introduce the “5-10-5” breath once a day, you are modelling for them that you aren’t just teaching an exercise but you are invested in it as you do the breath right along with them. These mindfulness breaks you take are very supporting for your own effectiveness as a parent or professional and lay the foundation of your good intentions.

A recent scientific study revealed that the pressures of stress for kids come from teachers, parents, peers and the larger society in which they live and they are now facing more stress than the children of previous generations. With fewer social supports available anxiety and depression has risen 37% among teenagers – and girls are suffering most, a new study reveals

  • The review looked at 19 studies conducted across 12 countries.

  • The number of older adolescent girls suffering from mental health problems was double that of boys.

The key to encouraging kids to stay with a mindful practice is to keep it both simple and fun and I can show you how to do that in my live or online sessions.  The program is currently being developed and will be available online in January 2018 and the “Fresh Perspectives” vlog will launch, in November 2017.

Email me for any questions you may have, it would be great to hear from you. We have to do what we can to ensure that the next generation is more resilient, self-reliant, wise and loving and we can do it working together.