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Caring for Aspergers Syndrome with
Heart-Centered Meditation
Brisbane, Australia: Joy Nish teaches
meditation to children in classes and private sessions. One
of Joy’s clients is Andrew, a child with Aspergers syndrome.
Andrew drew all the colors of his chakra system except green,
which represents the heart chakra. Joy learned that Aspergers
can create a hardness in people, and they often do not respond
well to love or express love to others. How interesting that
the missing green chakra indicated that Andrew did not relate
to his heart-center. Joy began to focus more on the color
green and the heart center during her meditations with her
young client. After working more with Andrew, Joy noticed
he was more comfortable meditating and even began giving her
hugs when he saw her.
Although Joy noticed improvement in Andrew, she believes
there would have been even more progress if she lead Andrew’s
parents through heart centered meditations as well. In the
future Joy plans to work with both parents and their children
whenever possible.
Joy has also produced a meditation CD for children including
meditations about subtle energy, breath work and tapping into
their imaginative minds. Joy plans to add classes to her offerings
for parents and other adults to help them teach meditation
to children.
Joy’s website: www.maginations.net
Contact: joynish@hotmail.com
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Meditation – A New Extra Curricular Activity
for Middle Schoolers
Plainville, CT: Meghan Mitchell begins
teaching meditation next month as part of a public middle school
after school program. This weekly class will run for the duration
of the year. Each class will include meditation, council (a
Native American tradition of sitting in a circle while children
take turns talking) and movement exercises. Students will draw
or write about their meditation experiences in a journal. Each
class will focus on a different topic such as peer pressure,
body image, homework stress and family dynamics.
Contact: thetranquilityway@yahoo.com
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Entrepreneur Guides Teachers in Australia
Perth, Western Australia: Amy Hamilton
presents at public schools and facilitates workshops for teachers,
parents and caregivers on teaching meditation to children.
One of Amy’s clients, Ms. Charles, shares a touching
story. John, labeled as having “learning difficulties,”
was challenging on many levels. His parents wanted to diagnose
him with ADHD and give him Ritalin. Instead, Ms. Charles,
suggested she work with him for one semester. Ms. Charles
lead her class through meditation everyday and John responded
very well. John’s improvement was so significant that
the school’s staff took note and wanted to know what
she was doing. As of now, John is not taking Ritalin or in
need of any diagnosis. John thanked Ms. Charles for helping
him to find " the real me inside".
Amy is the author of two books “Indigo Dreaming- A
Book of Meditations for Children” and “Indigo
Dreaming- A Magical Bedtime Story”. She also created
positive affirmation cards and a children’s meditation
CD.
Amy’s website: www.indigokidz.com.au
Contact: admin@indigokidz.com.au
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Kids’ Yoga Teacher Leads Meditation in the
Moment
Oklahoma City, OK: Karen Prior teaches
meditation to children as part of her children's yoga program.
She offers classes for school-aged children (six to ten year
olds) and another class for preschoolers. One day Karen and
her students were accidentally locked out of the yoga studio.
Someone asked, "What will we do if we can’t get
in?". Another child answered, "Well, we could just
meditate here, you can do it anywhere and it is a great thing
to do when you have to wait!" And so they did!
Karen’s website: www.letsplayyoga.com
Contact: karen@n2yoga.net
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Physical Therapist Helps Sixth Graders Transform
Relationships
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada: Shelley
Mannell, Physical Therapist, taught two five-week Movement
and Meditation classes in a public school last winter.
Some of the sixth grade girls Shelley worked with had a history
of conflict including much verbal bullying. Their teacher
reported that after participating in the Movement and
Meditation classes the girls’ relationships grew
healthier. For the rest of the school year they experienced
fewer disagreements and respected one another more than before.
The school has asked Shelley to return this year. Other schools
in the area have also inquired about her program.
Shelley’s website: www.heartspacept.com
Contact: shelley@heartspacept.com
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Mother Helps her Sons Elevate their Spiritual Lives
Chicago, IL: Nancy Robles meditates
with her three sons. Nancy says meditation has helped her
children “become more confident, more willing to participate
in school projects, helped them express their feelings and
become more involved with their church.” Her sons enjoy
this time together and look forward to art projects after
meditation. Nancy adds, “We have created a stronger,
united bond. They have more, understanding, love, happiness
and acceptance of who they are.”
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Resource Room Teacher Spearheads Research Study
Lexington and Cambridge, MA: Diana Perez
Glass, a Resource Room Teacher noticed that many of her students
were being diagnosed with Executive Function Disorder (a term
that includes ADD and ADHD). At the same time Diana was reading
studies that show how meditation changes our brains’
prefrontal cortex, which is where Executive Function Disorders
generally occur. Diana decided to spearhead a study of how/if
meditation affects the attention abilities of fifth, sixth
and seventh graders. Diana gained approval from key administrators
and hired an educational psychologist to conduct the study
with her. Using her private school population as their sample,
Diana, Lead Researcher, will begin research this January.
Diana also teaches meditation to children ages nine to eleven
at a community education center. Her students at the center
are stressed by academics and feel they are overscheduled
with activities and schoolwork Diana creates meditations specific
to these children’s needs. One student benefits most
from moving meditations. Another student says meditation helps
him bring his attention back to what is happening in his classroom
when he finds himself “drifting away”.
Contact: dianaglass@rcn.com
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Kindergarten Teacher Ends Each School Day with
Meditation
Syracuse, NY: Margot Dengel teaches
meditation/mindfulness and yoga to her kindergarteners. At
the end of each day, she leads her young students through
a guided visualization. Margot says, “Meditation allows
the children to integrate their learning, calm themselves,
and leave each day with a peaceful and settled demeanor.”
Margot also teaches meditation and yoga to young children
in her community. Margot adds, “My students really love
relaxation and guided visualization. Many say it is their
favorite part of their yoga class.” Margot often asks
her students to share with the group about what they experienced
during their meditations. She says, “Even those children
with speech language delays are eager to describe their rich
interior world.”
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Inspired Teens Meditate for Over Two Years with
Dedicated Counselor
Boston, MA: Donna Messina, ASAT™
C.O.R.E. Counselor, leads two teen meditation groups and works
privately with some children. Donna has been meeting with
the same group of students twice a month for two years. During
their meetings Donna leads a 20 to30-minute meditation followed
by a sharing time when the teens all have a chance to talk
about their meditation experience. Donna admits that their
favorite part of the class is drawing message cards, selecting
ones they feel drawn to and relating the messages to challenges
they are going through. They use Doreen Virtue Angel cards,
power animal cards and Messages of Light and Life cards.
You might remember Donna’s work from my Summer 2006
newsletter, Donna taught meditation to teens living in a residential
hospital. Her work there was very well received by the administrator
and the girls she worked with. Donna feels her work would
be more effective if hospital staff facilitated meditation
for their patients every day, even when Donna is not there.
Donna hopes to create tools and offer support to staff members
so that they will be in a better position to encourage patients
to meditate on a daily basis.
Donna’s website: www.heavenlycomforts.org
Contact: heavenlycomforts@charter.net
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Wellness Consultant Teaches 4th and 5th graders
from Home
Des Moines, IA: Sandi Smith teaches
a six-week meditation course for fourth and fifth graders
out of her home. Her last class included a trip to an outdoor
labyrinth as another form of meditation. At the close of the
course her students were eager to continue. This January she
will offer more courses and add a class for children in grades
first, second and third. She also plans to teach at a local
alternative high school. In addition to all this, Sandi is
creating a special program for children with behavioral challenges
to facilitate at a local residential home.
You might remember Sandi’s work from my Summer 2006
issue. She worked with a group of girls frequently referred
for disciplinary action at a local high school. Her students
enjoyed the calming effects of meditation, and the staff is
very pleased with how well the girls took to meditation despite
their histories.
Contact: lionheartwellness@reyessmithessential.com
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Writer Publishes New Picture Book about a Child’s
Intuition
Nyack, NY and New York, NY: Rosemary Serluca-Foster
incorporates meditation into her intuitive classes for children.
Most recently her niece used meditation and breathing to help
her relax and connect with her heart during a math test she
was struggling through. Rosemary boasts that when her nieces
come to visit “the first thing they want to do is go to
the relaxing room, as they call it, and do meditation and yoga
with me.”
Rosemary is the author of a new picture book for children,
Genevieve`s Gift: A Child`s Joyful Tale of Connecting
with her Intuitive Heart. This universal and timeless
story is perfect for parents and teachers wanting to help
children tap into their own inner knowledge to follow their
passion and make their dreams come true. Her book is available
for purchase on amazon.com or from her website below.
Rosemary’s websites: www.genevievesgift.com
and www.rosedoveproductions.com
Contact: rosemary@rosedove.com
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Father to Teach Meditation at Taekwondo School
St Paul, MN: Jeffery Hill will teach meditation
in conjunction with a Taekwondo class. This is a family
Taekwondo class where parents and their children practice forms
together. The black belt instructor is excited about introducing
meditation as a way to calm the inner chaos his students experience.
The Taekwondo school is proud of its dedication to older traditions,
and meditation represents one of these practices.
Contact: jeffrey-hill@comcast.net
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Mother Introduces Meditation to her Daughters Kindergarten
Class
Ontario, Canada: Linda Rombough gives
weekly meditation to her daughter’s kindergartener class.
As chair of the Youth Committee for the Anxiety Disorder
Association of Ontario, Linda is also developing a program
for youth and children that will include meditation. She is
working closely with Royal Ottawa Psychiatric Hospital on
a Youth Study of Youth with anxiety.
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Therapist Helps Children Be More Conscious of Their
Actions
Carrollton, GA: Mark Wagemaker, Licensed
Professional Counselor, integrates meditation and introspection
into his private practice with children. Mark says, “I
have found that as kids learn to quiet themselves and look
inside, they become more aware of their actions and reactions.
This awareness helps them to make choices that they are happier
with.”
Mark’s website: www.coachnumberone.com
Contact: wage@wildblue.net
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Getting Kids Excited About Meditation in Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal: Patricia Almeida,
founder of ZuddhaKidz, teaches an eight-week meditation course
to children up to fourteen years old. Each week she teaches
a different meditation, offers various activities, creates
a time for silence and a time for the children to talk about
whatever they are feeling.
During her classes, Patricia helps her younger students locate
and feel their heart. One parent reported that her four year
old woke up one morning and announced with great excitement
that his heart was in his neck.
Patricia also offers parenting classes and infant massage
instruction. Soon she will add a course on meditation for
pregnancy. Patricia will open up her own space next month.
Patricia’s website: www.zuddhakidz.com
Contact: info@zuddhakidz.com
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Child
Meditation Facilitators Training
(with optional Certification)
Beginning
January 27
More
info
A
special thank you to Joy, Meghan, Amy, Karen, Shelley, Nancy, Diana,
Margot, Donna, Sandi, Rosemary, Jeffery, Linda, Mark and Patricia
for sharing their stories and working with me to produce this newsletter.
In
Gratitude, Sarah
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