Kids Articles

The Need to Parent with Presence

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

parentsThe reason there is no definitive guide on parenting is because every baby and child is unique and all parents come with unique baggage from childhood and genetics. Becoming a parent is wonderful for stirring up all of those old memories and connections from our own upbringing. Mix this in with our fractured attention spans and we begin to see why it is becoming increasingly important for us to learn how to practice presence with our own thoughts, feelings and emotions so we can have the ability to do that with our children.

Note: To get more direction with the power of bringing more presence into your parenting please join my wife, Stefanie Goldstein, PhD and I, as well as 20 other leaders such as Marianne Williamson, Harvel Hendrix, Don Miguel Ruiz, John Gray, and others for a powerful Parenting with Presence FREE teleseminar, hosted by Susan Stiffelman author of Parenting Without Power Struggles, June 4-7.

One of the things that make it difficult to be present as a parent is because as children we coped through disconnection. For many, childhood was a time of betrayal and

Every Little Bit Counts – Daily Now Moment

Monday, April 15th, 2013

kindnesscrpdHere’s another Daily Now Moment that if spread around can have tremendous ripple effects in your relationships, communities and beyond.

The ancient Greek writer Aesop left us with these words:

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

Be on the lookout for kindness in others today. You may find more of it in the world than you think is there.

Then, try bringing more intentionality to your own acts of kindness.

We may not always get it back, but in the long run this simple practice primes your mind for good and can be life changing.

Try it out today.

Warmly,
Elisha Goldstein, PhD

Little brothers embracing photo available from Shutterstock

Teens Get More than Better Test Scores with Mindfulness

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

happyteencrpdA study out of the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) recently came out that showed how a two week mindfulness training improved students GRE reading-comprehension scores and working memory, while reducing mind wandering among students prone to distraction. Of course this story went viral because of the value our culture places on test scores over almost anything else, including mental health. But underneath the better tests scores, this study reveals something far more important, it suggests that with practice teens can rewire the ability to regulate attention and stress. In today’s academic race to nowhere that might mean the difference between just surviving and thriving.

In my mind, it all comes down to stress.

You Want to Increase Equality in 2 Minutes? (Video)

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

In a time of deep division, where the Supreme Court is looking to find an answer as to whether “same-sex” marriage should be legalized, perhaps we don’t need to look too far for the answer. Here is a 2-minute video with the intention to dispel our differences and create the experience of all people ultimately being “Just Like Me.” Take a couple moments to experience it:

Just Remember, Thoughts Aren’t Facts

Thursday, March 14th, 2013

thinkingcrpdA wise man once said, “Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your unguarded thoughts.”

~ The Buddha

I want to share with you an important “Now Moment,” the short action-oriented pieces that come at the end of most of the chapters in The Now Effect. This little instruction can be enormously helpful in bringing to light how to gain freedom from thinking and since thinking can be our number one bad habit, often launching us into increased stress or downward spirals of automatic negative thinking; it’s a good thing to loosen our grip on.

Now Moment:

Get Ready for the Second Wave of Mindfulness

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

A while ago I walked into a particular publisher and saw every title of their upcoming books having “mindfulness” in the title and I was concerned that it was getting watered down. I couldn’t have been more wrong. As of today, mindfulness has evolved within America and has the potential to have a greater influence than we had ever imagined. Leaders around the country are implementing it in early child development, the military, education, politics, neuroscience, medicine, healthcare, business, the prisons, at-risk youth, and of course, psychotherapy. In this post I’m going to highlight a few key things that are happening that you may want to know about and how our culture is ripe for a second wave of mindfulness.

4 Morning Tips for a Calm and Joyful Day!

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

How we start the morning often sets the stage for how the rest of the day unfolds. Of course life throws us curve balls in the middle of the day, maybe you get a stressful email or someone rear ends you with their car or you lost that deal that you were looking forward to. Anything can happen in the present moment, but how we start our day can often affect how we greet those challenges.

Here are four tips to start your day that will help you with the inevitable ups and downs that you get handed.

2012 in Review: The Top 10 Mindfulness and Psychotherapy Posts

Monday, November 19th, 2012

mindfulnessWhether this is your first time you’re coming here or you’ve been around for the almost four years I’ve been writing The Mindfulness and Psychotherapy column, I want to share a personal moment of gratitude and say “Thank You” for being a part of this community. This was a big year for this column,  it will become 4 years old and is also the year that The Now Effect and Mindfulness Meditations for the Anxious Traveler hit bookshelves. Now it’s my turn to give you some gifts of my favorite Top 10 posts of the year. In these posts you’ll read about the power of mindfulness, the importance of self-compassion in healing, the upside to embracing dark emotions, how to be alone, why multitasking is ineffective, many short practices and much more.

May they bring you a sense of insight, ease, peace and freedom. Enjoy!

7 Life Lessons from Dr. Seuss

Thursday, September 20th, 2012

Dr. Seuss lessonsMany of us grew up reading Dr. Seuss. If you have kids, you’ve likely relived your childhood reading over his books only to find, “Wow, there’s some real wisdom in these books.” One book that has grown on me over time as an adult is Oh, the Places You’ll Go! It brings you through all the experiences in life: the triumphs, the doubts, the confusions, the depressions, the fearful moments and the moments you stare your difficulties in the face and overcome them.

There are also several other notable books: Yertle the Turtle, Horton Hears a WhoThe Lorax. The list is endless.

Here are 7 Life Lessons from Dr. Seuss:

Inspiration of the Day: Michael Jackson Moves Us to Make Change

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Ghandi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

One of my favorite songs of all time is Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror.” It’s an incredibly moving and powerful song about taking a good, hard, authentic look at ourselves to say that we are all active participants in our own health and well-being and the health and well-being of this world we live in.

If you have five minutes, press play, close your eyes, listen to the words and enjoy:

Books and CDs by Dr. Elisha Goldstein:
Mindfulness Meditations for the Anxious Traveler: Quick Exercises to Calm Your Mind
The Now Effect: How This Moment Can Change The Rest of Your Life

A Mindfulness-Based
Stress Reduction Workbook Mindful Solutions for Stress, Anxiety and Depression
 

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