Mindful April 2022

My youngest baby was born with frown lines between her eyes. She came out angry, like she knew she was going to be one of those kids who struggles with life and wasn’t ready to meet the day. I held her in my arms for the first time, whispered “Hello,” and watched in awe as her frown lines disappeared and calm, peaceful recognition spread across her face at the sound of my voice. It’s a moment of connection I will cherish forever. To this day, my little one resists waking up. Every day, I whisper “Good morning” and then wait by her bed holding up a blanket that I wrap around her like a cape once she finally stands up. Then I follow her downstairs holding the blanket’s train in…

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What sparks wonder for you? My kids. theonlyportia72 The night sky. Always. The dark, inky, borderless sky. All those stars. How you can't see it all at once, can't take it all in at once. Looking up at the night sky requires pausing and breathing deeply—and lying down so you can look as long as you want without hurting your neck (mindfully pragmatic). jewellofawriter The magical relationship I have with my sister. Recovery from anorexia—deciding to live outside the cage. Jo L. Observing children play and learn new skills. Also any creative movement. vbutler733 I've been really wanting to get back to my Polish roots and learn more about healthy Polish cooking. I'm working on a couple of cookbooks and would like to fuse millennial taste with non-traditional Polish food.…

KINDNESS RX At Senders Pediatrics in Cleveland, Ohio, knowing how to be kind is considered part of a child’s overall well-being. Often, children leave the doctor’s office with colorful cards detailing ways to practice kindness. Helmed by their parent coach and educator Joan Morgenstern, the Senders Kindness Initiative aims to help kids cultivate social intelligence, happiness, agency, and purpose. Backed by a Parenting Initiative Grant in 2020 from the Greater Good Science Center, Senders launched the Family Kindness Festival where kids display how they practice kindness. Morgenstern is working on this year’s festival, which will happen May 1. “My goal is to shift kindness from a moment into a movement and from an action into a habit,” she says. GROW THE FUTURE The relationship between African Americans and the land…

PAWS THAT REFRESH When Lori Irby brought her foster kittens into work at The Meridian, a senior living community in California, her office became a popular place with residents. The joy the kittens brought inspired a weekly kitten therapy event that improves mental health and reduces loneliness for residents while helping to socialize the kittens. A WILD TIME Five friends were hiking in British Columbia when they found two men who had fallen into the pool at the bottom of a waterfall and couldn’t pull themselves to safety. With no cell reception to call for help, the group of Sikh friends improvised, tying their turbans together to make a rope, and pulled the men up to the trail. DAD IT UP A Louisiana high school with a fighting problem toned…

SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM Mindfulness may be a useful tool for dealing with stress associated with autism. Researchers at Arizona State University randomly assigned 56 adults with autism spectrum disorder to either a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention, or relaxation training. Although members of both groups reported enhanced mental health-related quality of life at the end of their programs, those in the MBSR group showed greater improvements in both physical and mental health disability-related quality of life compared to those in the relaxation group. Women experienced greater overall health-related quality of life improvements than men regardless of which intervention they received. EASING TEEN ANGST Scientists from Germany and the UK recently found that 3 to 6 months of daily mindfulness-based training may buffer against long-term physiological and psychological stress.…