The Zensational Blog

As educators, we often get caught up in the day-to-day occurrences in our life, failing to take time to stop, notice and respond to the situation in front of us. We find ourselves ruminating over… Read More »

According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, one in every three students in classrooms across the U.S. had been exposed to a traumatic event prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. While managing students’ mental health… Read More »

As the evidence-based research is mounting that  children’s capacity to cope with emotions influences their ability to learn, there has been a national movement in education to integrate social and emotional learning into the classroom.… Read More »

 Your brain is supercharged with about a billion new brain cells that form essential connections called neurons that support you in learning and doing everything you need and want to do. The brain cells you… Read More »

For many children, their behavior is unintentional and unplanned. Their behavior while disruptive and difficult to manage, is most often motivated purely as an attempt at communicating a need. Our most primary need? Safety. Their… Read More »

Along with teaching educators and students the actual practices of breath, movement and mindfulness, understanding the science of what you are doing strengthens the practice as well as the degree of “buy-in.” When you begin… Read More »

Sometimes we are afraid to start something new. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the commitment. Sometimes we are reluctant to start something new because we are not even sure it will be worth the… Read More »

As we continue to work with schools across the country, there is a growing awareness of the importance a student’s overall health and well-being plays in learning. For many schools, they begin exploring wellness through… Read More »

Recent media events and research have been highlighting the need for educators to become more aware of the prevalence of trauma in the lives of the children we serve. As the ACE’s study has revealed,… Read More »

Every word we utter has the potential to grow a child, or shrink them. What is even more influential than what we say, is HOW we say it. The “what” is often obvious. The “how” is… Read More »

There are many children in our classrooms that would benefit from learning tools to understand, express and manage their emotions. Children who have been affected by trauma are in constant states of hyperarousal and emotional… Read More »

We’ve all been here before: icy stand-offs, shouting matches, total meltdowns or even a minor disagreement that somehow escalated into something bigger. No matter how hard you try to diffuse the situation, your own emotions… Read More »

You know when you hit an energetic wall in your day?? …..and you have to, “go on with the show?” There is more to do and you feel a bit worn out? Here is the… Read More »

Congratulations!!!! For many of you, the school year has ended and your summer vacation has begun. For others, hang in there. You must be close. As you prepare for your transition from caring for the… Read More »

“Little children, little worry. Big Children, big worry.”Bridget Morgan Whether you are a mother, or have one, I am sure you can relate to these words. My mother-in-law first shared these words of wisdom with… Read More »

“I love these socks that I am wearing today.” “When will it stop raining?” “I hope I have pb&j for lunch today.” “Who will I sit with at lunch?” “I don’t want to sit by… Read More »

By: Erin Corcoran – Educator (8th grade English), parent, wife, Zensational Kids student Parenting took a long time. Doctors, shots, more doctors and excruciating waiting. Reality set in after spending more time figuring out how… Read More »

The study began in 2014 as part of a student’s doctoral project at Touro College, School of Health Sciences, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program.  After a lengthy process of obtaining approvals, the research began. Research… Read More »

An increasing number of children are experiencing higher levels of stress today.  Muscle relaxation techniques can go a long way in reducing children’s stress levels. “Abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation (APMR) is a much used stress-management… Read More »

We all have had moments when we sense the “anger monster” boiling up within us. We know all about the huffing and puffing that we instinctively do to stop ourselves from possibly saying or doing something… Read More »

by: Kate Murphy Educate 2B breathing tools are meant to help children wake up and calm down. The use of breath as a tool to help with self-regulation and to optimize performance goes back thousands… Read More »

Yoga for Autism, ADHD and Differently-Abled Children is a course that I created with  my mentor and dear friend, Shakta Kaur. Shakta created Radiant Child Yoga and has personally trained thousands of people in the… Read More »

Yoga has been proven to help students of all ages in more ways than one. It provides an outlet for unbalanced energy, helps reduce stress and organizes the mind and body. Yoga tools foster focus,… Read More »

I am often asked how speech/language pathologists can benefit from taking a yoga workshop or training. I suppose another way to look at this is, “ How do yoga and mindfulness tools help children attain… Read More »

It is so exciting to be part of the growing movement, bringing yoga and mindfulness into schools. This month, our programs were recognized by The Bergen Record, a major newspaper in the northern New Jersey… Read More »

While the summer has been a time of rest and reflection, it has also provided a bountiful source of inspiration and growth for Zensational Kids. I’m excited to share with you the following highlights and… Read More »

I was recently asked WHY plank position is such a beneficial pose for kids in school, therapy, home, etc, so I decided I would address the question as a blog piece and hopefully help those… Read More »

I don’t know when in my life it became apparent that I wanted to work with children.  Entering my profession as an occupational therapist, there were many directions, populations and areas for me to focus… Read More »

I recently read an article about the research that is being conducted to better understand the relationship between animals and individuals on the autistic spectrum.  In this article, children between the ages of 5-13 where… Read More »

Last night in my Webinar with Donna Freeman from Yogainmyschool.com: Yoga for Children with ADHD, I talked about breathing techniques that work well with this population, and are easily incorporated into the classroom. Here is… Read More »

One of the most effective ways to help children see the positive sides of themselves is through “I AM” affirmations.  I have seen a child go from a blown-out tantrum to attaining a calm state… Read More »

Kindergarteners are so eager to learn and share their views and ideas.  I love getting to bring yoga into their classrooms each week.  Although I always plan to bring enriching lessons to their education, I… Read More »

As an occupational therapist and a yoga teacher working in schools, I have had the honor of helping children of ALL abilities find comfort within themselves and within the classroom.  Both can be a great… Read More »