New parents Fernanda and Leonardo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When I recently became a mother, I realized how intense love can be. Such love brought me a lot of happiness but also a lot of fear of one day losing this person. I thought “I can’t live without my son anymore.” Since this is beyond my control, I felt very insecure. In fact, terrified! [...]

Precious Moments: Personal Stories of Practicing with Children

For those of us who have worked with children, we each have important moments that have changed our way of looking at and being with children. These moments stay with us for the rest of our lives. They make working with children meaningful and fulfilling. They teach us so much about ourselves, our perceptions, and [...]

Teasing

Brother Chan Huy sits on the little stand Steven built for him for our weekend retreat.  There are more than sixty adults in the meditation hall and six children, ages 2 years old to 14 years old.
“Please come here,” Chan Huy motions to the children with a smile.  “Please come sit with me.”  They gather [...]

Birthday Party (Continuation Day :-)

Compassion
For his 6th birthday party, Chase decided to have a Toy Swap.  He made up his own invitations and sent them to his friends. His invitation said:
Look in your toy box,  and find a toy that you think I would like and that you would like to give to me. I will do the same [...]

The Mindful School Bell, by Ed Glauser

I am an elementary school counselor in a conservative town in Georgia that is part of the “Bible belt.” This year, I have been bringing my bell of mindfulness into classrooms and inviting the bell to sound as we mindfully breathed in and out. I saw signs throughout the year that the students and teachers [...]