The origin story of the superhero as Goldie Hawn today is rooted in the threat of global violence. Childhood anxiety first provoked for Hawn and The second inspired her to deal with anxiety as a child advocate.
It’s the two-part story she tells in her book “10 Mindful Minutes” (written with Wendy Holden) and recently took the stage. At the Life Itself conference, a health and wellness event presented with CNN.
At 11 years old, Hawn watched the Cold War atomic bomb prep movie “Duck and Cover” in school, the frightening effect on her turned into anxiety and panic that lasted throughout her youth. She seeks professional help through a therapist. and began practicing mindfulness on the advice of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, famous for being the Beatles’ one-time spiritual mentor. and to spread a practice known as Transcendental Meditation.
Then, when Hawn watched the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, she reminisced about the atomic bomb movie. As the actors recount the shock and horror of the country. She was also inspired by events to serve more people, especially children.
She founded the Goldie Hawn Foundation to deal with children’s anxiety through classroom training that she can benefit from. She knew the 9/11 attacks would frighten the next generation.
Hawn wrote in her book, “Reminds me of my childhood anxiety. I wish to show the children Everywhere has seen how to discover their natural happiness. understand the value of their emotions and learn to feel compassion for others.”
Questions about how to achieve this goal have led to new studies in mindfulness and brain science. Included in the Goldie Hawn Foundation’s social and emotional learning program MindUp For Life MindUp helps children learn breathing techniques. having consciousness and how the brain responds to emotions With tools for critical thinking and empathy, children will also be shown how to bring themselves back to neutral and perform random acts of kindness. a few times a day These students take a break from their daily routine and “take a break.”
“These life skills have been something I’ve been interested in since childhood,” Hawn told CNN. Her goal is to give children agency. in changing the way they respond to the world. and make it more flexible
MindUp courses are now taught in thousands of schools. especially in the United States. United Kingdom and Canada, with cooperation in dozens of countries. Focuses on classroom teaching for kindergarten through eighth grade. But the Foundation has and is developing resources for parents and caregivers. high school students and sports programs
This is the mind of the child in consciousness.
There is a lot of science on the mental health of meditation and other mindfulness practices. Doing these things regularly can reduce stress and cholesterol. pain relief increase flexibility and improve sleep, memory, concentration and even relationships
There is more research showing the specific benefits of mindfulness for kids. MindUp was the subject of a study cited in Hawn’s book of 200,000 children that found that participants had better reading scores. There is less aggression on the playground. increased optimism and less absenteeism One study last year found that elementary school children who practiced mindfulness twice a week for two years slept an average of 74 extra minutes per night. Experts also cite stress reduction and attention-building as key benefits.
“When we or our children Ours are stressed, anxious, bored or unhappy. Our brains are as tight as fists,” Hawn writes in her book. “If we are happy, relaxed and curious, then our brains open like flowers.”
Although essentially Mindfulness has been shown to help children manage their emotions and to increase social and emotional virtues such as empathy, which is an essential life skill during times when many events can cause anxiety.
In the introduction to Hawn’s book, child psychiatrist Dr. Daniel J. Siegel, there is another parable about the regaining power of mindfulness: the “emotional vaccine.” Know what vaccines mean
“My consciousness is like a child’s magic power,” said a Satipatthana educator. Travis M. Spencer in an earlier interview with CNN.
“The more they can feel connected to themselves, with others and their environment, The more they thrive and gain support. and feel that they can do whatever they want,” said Spencer, executive director of the Institute of African, American Consciousness.
Consciousness 101
What do we mean by “consciousness,” and how can we explain it to the children in a way that looks like something they might want to do?
It’s a very basic idea, Susan Kaiser Greenland stated in an interview with CNN in 2021 as “caring with kindness and curiosity to yourself, others, and the world around you.” Greenland is a writer and educator. With 30 years of meditation practice, including teaching children mindfulness
Learning to be more mindful can be simple. just counting your breath Write down the details of what you see, hear and smell around you. or describing emotions or physical feelings at that moment.
Kaiser Greenland shared five basic mindfulness techniques for children in a previous interview. This includes mindful breathing. movement, observation, walking with gratitude and guided meditation
There are a number of mindfulness apps and books for beginners as well. Some books are especially suitable for children and their caregivers. These include Hawn’s “10 Minutes Mindful,” “Mindful Parents, Mindful Children: Simple Mindfulness Practices for Busy Parents,” and “The Booklet of Being: A Guide to Practice and Advice for Exposing Your Natural Awareness,” from Diana Winston Winston, director of mindfulness studies at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Mindful Awareness Research Center, helped develop the free UCLA Mindful App with guided meditation
But no matter how far the journey of consciousness takes you It will be a happier, more resilient place, “your brain,” Hawn told CNN. “It could be your worst enemy or your best friend.”
