Through times of hardship and struggle such as what many of us are experiencing now, creating mandalas are a great way for kids and adults alike to focus their minds through this therapeutic activity.

"It felt natural to share the practice of self-loving kindness in the guided Ho'oponopono; the ancient practice of self-forgiveness, acceptance and unconditional love. Very often we feel inadequate and not a good enough parent, guardian or human, and the simple but beautiful meditative words: “I'M SORRY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU” are to remind us and bring us back to our core practice of love, humility and assurance."

It is important to be happy right? Absolutely! But it is unrealistic to be this way all of them time as life loves to throw a lot at us, good and bad. In light of Children’s Mental Health Week, we wanted to share our happiness toolbox to offer coping mechanisms for when the rough stuff comes our way, as well as to help bring in some joy into your life.

Whether it’s feeling your blood pressure rise during a long queue at the store, or experiencing overwhelming feelings of sadness and stress due to family trauma, we can all feel overloaded, particularly during the holidays. We understand, and have created some simple breathing techniques, mantras and yoga poses for those moments you need some inner peace.

A very special time of year is upon us, that brings families, loved ones and friends together, feelings of gratitude and hope and new beginnings. At least, in a perfect world that’s what the holidays are like. In reality, it’s also the most trying time of year for many and even painful due to life circumstances current and past. It’s why we are focusing a special Christmas Om:Pop series on “Resilience and Healing For the Holidays” with Family Support, Hammersmith & Fulham.

With the holiday season upon us, we are embracing the theme of resilience and giving yourself a break. When times get tough, one mindful method you can try to bring yourself some peace, is to give yourself a time-out!

Mindful family sessions can offer clarity and calm amid the chaos that family life will inevitably bring. We’ve just completed an OM:POP series with Family Support in Hammersmith & Fulham and can confirm that mindful practices deliver a sense of wellbeing even with a whole host of tiny tots in the room.

Once you have expanded your awareness back into the space where you are sitting or standing, notice whether there is a shift in your breath and/or your mood. Then remember that a mindful awareness practice, such as this yogic humming bee breath, can calm your nerves and release feelings of frustration, anxiety and even anger.

Supporting your child, being focused on them when you are interacting, and providing a loving, trusting relationship is the best way to help your child to build resilience. - Family Support, Hammersmith and Fulham

We were delighted to lead two Om:Pop Sessions with Family Support, Hammersmith and Fulham focused on the topic of “Serve and Return.” Our bespoke yoga, brain building and meditation sessions at Cathnor Park Children’s Centre and Melcombe Children’s Centre focused on integrating positive, back-and-forth interactions between caregivers and their little ones.

The second week of October brings us the theme of “Air Traffic Control” for our Om:Pop Series with Family Support, Hammersmith and Fulham and Bubble + Sprout. Our bespoke yoga, brain building and meditation session at Cathnor Children’s Centre focused on the brain’s executive function and self-regulatory skills.

We all experience stress. And while some stress can actually be positive, too much stress can negatively impact both our mental and physical wellbeing. The good news is that mindful awareness practices, such as yoga and meditation, can help calm our body's stress response.

We have leaped out of September and into October, continuing our Om:Pop Series with Family Support, Hammersmith and Fulham and Bubble + Sprout. It has been so wonderful being with families, as we bring bespoke mindfulness, yoga and brain building sessions to them. The theme for the first week at Cathnor Park Children’s Centre was “Stress Response.”

For those interested in trying out some yoga and mindfulness methods at home, here are a few things we did to help promote a sense of calm. You can call upon these methods for those times where stress is amounting to toxic levels and you need to take a moment and recenter, for the benefit of yourself and also to positively model this coping mechanism to your little ones.

Cultivating self-love is a practice that takes patience and acceptance of our own vulnerability. The following brief meditation provides a platform to welcome in acceptance, recognition and love for our most vulnerable self.

The latest theme was “Brain Architecture,” where we began to think about ways in which we can help children to develop, by providing strong foundations and solid walls of positive experience and nurturing.

Being in fresh air and outside in Nature is wonderful! What physical things do you like to do? Kratu likes to do special training, especially scent work where he has to find a hidden special scent, then he gets a reward. What things do you like to do to stimulate your brain?

“It was magnificent in its simplicity and in its effectiveness in getting the little kids to focus on their breathing. It calmed them down and put them into a relaxed state in no time."