"When you realize how perfect everything is, you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."
--Buddha
On a
recent Southwest flight, an article in Southwest: The Magazine made me think about the heart of the Growing Healthy Kids project: giving kids tools for a lifetime of great physical, mental, and emotional health. The article was
about Andy Puddicombe, a man who spent 10 years as a monk in a monastery
studying Buddhism. He is now on a
mission to help create a healthier, happier world. Andy created an app called “Headspace” which
teaches people how to meditate. He and his partner have also launched “Headspace
for Kids”.
Most kids today are on a daily digital
overload. Many kids have learning
disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD). Many of the foods kids eat are high in sugar
and bad fats and are harmful to the brain.
Many kids are living with daily stress caused by growing up in poverty,
through no fault of theirs. Some kids
are society’s victims of situational poverty, when parent are living paycheck
to paycheck, lose a job and now the family is homeless. Kids who are overweight get bullied by other
kids and experience depression and anxiety. Kids who live in neighborhoods with high incidences of violent crimes and shooting experience stress just getting to and from school. Learning how to focus the mind and
relax the body with mediation can improve health outcomes for a lifetime.
Meditation
is a simple practice that can change your life.
Some of the benefits of meditation include:
- A reduction in stress
- Improved concentration
- Personal commitment to a healthier lifestyle
- Increased self-awareness
- Improved attitude
- Increased happiness
- Slowdown of aging
- Improved cardiovascular and immune system health
Who
are we as a society to not actively seek ways to protect and promote our
children’s brain health? Growing Healthy
Kids, Inc. is focused on improving the health – and lives – of America’s
children. Given the many benefits of
meditation, isn’t it worth 10 minutes a day to give it a chance? Google “Headspace for Kids” (go to www.headspace.com or click here).
With
love and gratitude,
Nancy
L. Heinrich, MPH
Founder,
Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
