Mindful Kids

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Mindful Kids

Ciaran Ivanovic ~ Supporting kids mental wellbeing through the practice of mindfulness ~ Private ses Mindfulness classes for children aged 3-5/4-6 & 7-10 yrs.

Group classes & 1:1 sessions available in North West London.

02/07/2025

Wow, what an awesome day!

I absolutely loved sharing nature-inspired mindfulness activities with girls at their wellbeing festival today.
➡️ Five workshops for Years 1-5, and all children were amazing.

☮️ With the older children we explored specific mindfulness practices to help manage stress and calm busy young minds.

With the younger children we explored mindful movement and expressed our emotions through colours and 🌈 Rainbow breathing.

As I spend a lot of my time now teaching mindfulness to educators and health professionals, it’s always a joy coming back to the children, especially as that’s where it all started 🫶🏻

Brilliant day. Thank you for having me

➡️➡️ CLICK the link in our bio for details on our bespoke Mindfulness workshops in schools

30/06/2025

Land Art 🧚🏼 ⭕️
Inspired by the wonderful Luci .creative.nature

It’s always a joy coming across charming surprises in nature like these fallen ‘fairy wings’ (otherwise known as seed carriers), from a Field Maple tree which I stumbled upon this morning.

I just love the dusty pink and green colours….so much so, that I decided to create a tiny piece of Land Art out of them, in the hope that passers by will enjoy them too.

I’m not sure what my dog Sika makes of her little fairy wings 🧚🏼 What do you think?!

I’ve collected a bagful of them to take to school this Wednesday for their Well-being Festival, where I’ll be sharing nature-inspired mindfulness activities with children from Year 1 - Year 6. Can’t wait 💗🍃

➡️ CLICK the link in our bio for more on our bespoke workshops in schools

26/06/2025

Balancing Screen Time with Green Time 🌿

With the long summer break already here for some, and around the corner for others, now is a good time to consider how to balance screen time with green time (getting outdoors) - not always easy!

But first, let’s look at WHY excessive screen time is damaging….

🔹It can negatively impact our mental & physical health
🔹It disconnects us from the natural world and its enormous benefits
🔹It can dampen creativity and imagination - both essential for personal growth.

And HOW Green Time is healing….

🔸Lowers stress & anxiety
🔸Improves focus & attention
🔸Improves physical & mental health
🔸Fosters connections with the natural world

Finding a balance between the two ⚖️

➡️➡️ Here’s what I’ve started doing with my two youngest kids (18 & 13) who were reluctant at first but have now accepted it (most of the time…)
🌿⏱️ For every 30-40 mins they spend on their screens I get them in the garden for the same amount of time where they can ✅ swing in a hammock, read, or draw (my daughter), do some weeding (yup, my son finds this satisfying!), or spend time discovering a whole new world through the lens of a loupe - we spend ages doing this! 🔎 or they’ll just muck around with a basketball 🏀

If you don’t have a garden, you could invest in some plants and window boxes for you and your kids to look after 🪴 this still counts as green time.
🪶 Collect natural materials (feathers, leaves, pinecones, pebbles, fallen petals), keep them in a box and get them out for your child to make nature art at home 🏵️

For longer stints outdoors there are obviously heaps of options….park visits, camping, kite flying 🪁 etc.

Remember that our actions speak louder than words. By embracing a digital detox and prioritizing green time ourselves, we’re not only enhancing our well-being but also instilling in our children a lifelong appreciation for the many, many wonders of the natural world 💚🩷

21/06/2025

The Summer Solstice is here! 🌞

What better way to mark this sacred occasion than with a Nature Mandala, symbolising wholeness, unity and balance 🏵️ ⚖️

Why not try making one with your family or the children you care for. Creating mandalas is a very meditative and calming experience. It’s also a great way to reconnect with nature 🌼🪶

🧠 The organising and creating involved in a mandala harmonises both sides of our brain and encourages us to slow down and focus on the task at hand (the process rather than the end result).

Try using vibrant flowers, such as Sunflowers or Daisies, that embody the essence of the sun’s power.

Tips 👉🏻

🏵️ Use what’s available to you in nature - fallen flowers, petals, feathers, twigs, pebbles & leaves all work well

🏵️ Start from the centre and work your way outward, whilst trying to create patterns

🏵️ When you’ve finished your mandala, either sweep it away or leave it for passers by to enjoy (this is what I like to do). You can also take a photo to keep as a memory of the experience 🫶🏻 🐚

➡️ This mindful activity is taken from our accredited mindfulness in nature course ➡️ Click the link in our bio for details 😊

☀️

20/06/2025

It’s an honour to have six Gaia House Mindfulness practitioners enrolled in our accredited course, including poet & creative facilitator (pictured here).

Over the next few months they’ll be learning about nature-inspired mindfulness for children & teens, in preparation for the Gaia House family retreat in August 🌼🌿

Gaia House is a renowned meditation retreat centre set in beautiful grounds in Devon. They have a wide range of retreats to choose from - more info can be found here 🫶🏻

➡️➡️ If you’re an organisation or business looking for bespoke mindfulness training packages for your team, visit our website for more info - 🔗 link in bio

17/06/2025

Second year in a row that I’ve been lucky enough to slip away for some R & R with a girlfriend. 5 days can feel like 5 weeks when you step out of your usual routine and properly unwind and slow down….it’s not easy carving out time for ourselves but once we do, it feels amazing to have that time…..

Time to watch the sun go down,
To feel the pull of the moon,
To see the light dancing across the water
To feel the sand between your toes
To feel the wind in your face (yes, the has arrived in Tarifa!)
To feel fully connected to everything around you……heaven on earth! 🌅 🌊 🌺🙏🏻

Thank you to my husband for holding the fort 🫶🏻 back with you all soon! ☺️

09/06/2025

It’s hard when one of your kids lives in another country, and harder still when it’s their birthday and you’re not altogether to celebrate…..!

Thankful for our very dear friends & family across the pond who have taken Luka under their wing and made his 22nd a special one 🥳 & David! ♥️

All nature photos taken by Luka 🍁
One way we have stayed connected since he moved to the U.S. 3 years ago is through our shared love of nature & sending each other photos we know the other will appreciate. I especially love the rock that Luka came across in a restaurant in Charlottesville. Robin’s nest & eggs taken by his girlfriend 🪺🫶🏻

❤️

05/06/2025

This month we’re celebrating the achievements of ✨ Rebecca Tyson ✨ .kindcreations

Rebecca is a mum of three, an author (of Mindful Mountain) and nursery practitioner. She completed our course in October 2024 and is enjoying sharing many of the mindfulness exercises and activities with her nursery children.

Recently Rebecca set up a series of Wonder Walks for the children, and they are loving them: “On our Wonder Walks we take a moment at the top of the (mini) mountain and use our senses to pay attention to what’s around us. There have been some brilliant observations. Some of the children have enjoyed it so much they’ve taken their parents on the wonder walk afterwards! It’s been so lovely and rewarding to get this established and I know there will be further benefits once we have all enjoyed the initial exploration”.

Thank you Rebecca for spreading mindfulness in nature to children in Carlisle! 🫶🏻🌿

🔗 For more info and to enrol on our Teaching Mindfulness in Nature to Children Accredited course ➡️ Click the link in our bio.

03/06/2025

There is nothing like coming together with like-minded people - having others around you who share your interests, lift each other up and boost each other’s personal journey 🩷

This is how it felt to me last weekend, when I had the pleasure of sharing a Mindful Walk with a few of our course students, graduates, and those interested in becoming Mindfulness in Nature practitioners 🍃

We started the afternoon with a gentle walking meditation, followed by some Qigong beneath the trees to ground ourselves and bring us into the present moment.
It was then time to play! 🎨 I chose a lovely drawing activity taken from our course for everyone to try - but not as an adult - as a child 😊
I think it’s so important to practice and reflect on what we are sharing with our children…..to really step into their shoes and see the world through their eyes - doing this allows us to consider their limited experience, developmental stage, and emotional responses.

Some kind words from a few of the inspiring women who joined me:
paola.zaninotto ~ ‘It was such a grounding and inspiring experience…..& lovely to meet others and share stories too…..Over tea 🫖 we spoke about what life is really like for parents and how we can teach mindfulness to our children’.

~ ‘thank you so much for such an inspiring afternoon. I really loved it. It was lovely to meet the others too’

Victoria: ‘I really enjoyed it and it was great getting to chat to the others and hearing more from you. I have just signed up for your course and feel I’ll get a lot from it. I’m excited to see where it takes me!’ ➡️ Welcome Victoria! 🫶🏻

I’m grateful to everyone who came (all busy mums), as I know how hard it is to steal yourself away from family life on a Saturday afternoon….

Interested in joining our growing community of mindfulness in nature practitioners? Click the link in bio for more details 🌿🏵️🧘

29/05/2025

A trail of cottontails! 🤍🤍

What a joy to stumble upon this trail of fluffy white cotton-like seeds, which had been blown off one of my favourite Black Poplar trees in

Noticing nature’s treasures (and focusing on colours and patterns) is a wonderful way to practice mindfulness, and is an effective way of relaxing and recharging our brains. It’s also a gentle and natural way to quieten a busy mind 🌿
➡️ Try walking in nature with your kids - especially children or teens who are doing exams (but do leave phones behind!).

✅ According to psychology experts, spending just 15 minutes in nature calms the mind and body, lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. It also minimizes feelings of anxiety and aggression and creates a sense of well-being.

Visit our website for more information:
www.mindful-kids.co.uk

26/05/2025

Our next Mindful Walk for students and graduates of our Mindfulness in Nature accredited course is coming up fast!

➡️ This Saturday, MAY 31

⏰ 2-4pm

🌳 Hampstead Heath

✅ This invitation is extended to anyone who is interested in our course - come and hear about it in person, whilst enjoying the beauty and tranquility of Hampstead Heath 🩷🍃

➡️➡️ Please message us or click the link 🔗 in our bio for further details 🌲🫶🏻

📸 All photos taken in + most recent Google review from our lovely course graduate Karolina, who will soon be offering mindfulness in nature to children in the U.K. and Lithuania 🇱🇹

23/05/2025

What a treat to visit the Chelsea Flower Show today 🌾🌷

First stop was the Japanese Tea Garden (photos 1 & 2) with its mesmerising moss, as seen from our crouching position beneath the Acer 🍁

We also loved seeing the adorable miniature potted gardens designed for those with limited garden space.

I chatted to Lisa from about their unique and inspiring garden (thank you!) - although annoyingly I seemed to have stopped the video too soon (dizzy blonde 🤪) - here are some of the features Lisa told me about:

🌳 Swing Tree (see photo of tree bending to one side) - a striking focal point symbolising resilience and the beauty of the unexpected.
☂️ Hanging (steel) umbrella sculptures, celebrating inclusivity
💧 Reflection pool - offers a calming space for pause and reflection.

🪴 What I loved the most was when Lisa showed me a plant that had struggled to thrive. Instead of removing the plant, the gardeners had instead changed the soil around it to help it grow. Their garden celebrates human difference through botanical diversity. I love it ♥️🌿

Happy weekend 😊

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Ciaran Ivanovic is a former Montessori teacher (Montessori Centre International) who is now following her passion of supporting children's mental well being through the use of mindfulness techniques. Ciaran completed a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Foundation course with Michael Chaskalson (Mindfulness Works in London) before completing further training to teach mindfulness to children, including the Mindfulness in Schools Project, enabling her to teach the Paws b Mindfulness program in Primary schools.

Ciaran is also trained to teach the Tai Chi for Kids program and incorporates many movements in to her sessions.

Mindfulness is taught to children in private sessions (one to one or within a small group), and at Mindful Kids Camps and workshops which run throughout the year.