mindful_and_empowering_kids

mindful_and_empowering_kids small group classes designed to allow children to develop skills and tools to be the best version of

In working with young people through ME Kids over the past 5 years- one thing became very clear to me. When we support t...
01/27/2026

In working with young people through ME Kids over the past 5 years- one thing became very clear to me.

When we support the body first, learning follows.

What started as work with young people has grown- because those same foundations don’t disappear as kids gets older. They show up in teens and adults.

That’s why this work is expanding into Foundations to Learning.

This new chapter will allow us to support learning readiness and whole-body capacity across the lifespan—while continuing to honor and serve our youngest learners.

Same philosophy.
Same heart.
A wider foundation.

I’m grateful for each and every one of you and hope you’ll come along for the new ride!

🤍 More to come.

‼️Summer Camp week 1 only has a few spots left and week 2 is half filled!! Please reach out or sign up as soon as possib...
01/19/2026

‼️Summer Camp week 1 only has a few spots left and week 2 is half filled!! Please reach out or sign up as soon as possible to secure your spot!!

‼️AND….. I have a big announcement coming tomorrow regarding customized health for teens and adults, you don’t want to miss this!!

Summer camp registration is open!Ages 5-12yrs oldLooking for volunteer counselors for both weeks!! Register here: https:...
01/14/2026

Summer camp registration is open!

Ages 5-12yrs old
Looking for volunteer counselors for both weeks!!

Register here: https://forms.gle/QevNbRrzb3Q1JsbN9
UPDATE:: Link should work now!!

We’re guiding young people for a world that’s changing fast.AI and technology are reshaping jobs—some are disappearing, ...
01/09/2026

We’re guiding young people for a world that’s changing fast.

AI and technology are reshaping jobs—some are disappearing, others don’t even exist yet.

The 4 C’s are going to be critical to 21st century learning!

⭐️Curiosity
⭐️Critical Thinking
⭐️Collaboration
⭐️Communication

Information is readily available to them, what will be more important is what they do with the information.

Learning looks different for every child.
Movement, creativity, focus, and hands-on learning are clues—not problems.

We can’t predict the future, but we can help young people lean into their strengths and cultivate the 4 C’s- that is how they will thrive and unlock their genius!

Breathing is the remote control to your brain. By connecting to something that is meaningful, the learning process You s...
01/08/2026

Breathing is the remote control to your brain. By connecting to something that is meaningful, the learning process

You show a student how to slow their breath.
How to use their diaphragm.
How nasal breathing helps their body settle and their brain feel safe.

They immediately feel this change in physiology.

Their posture softens.
Their focus improves.
Their heart beat slows down.
Their nervous system downshifts.

Then, you watch them help a classmate regulate.

Reminding your child that breathing isn’t something we just do—it’s a skill we can train.

Practiced consistently you begin to see magic happen.

They use it on their own.
Before a test.
After a hard moment.
And eventually… they teach someone else.

That’s the work.
Not just teaching information—
but passing on regulation, awareness, and control that lasts, one breath at a time!

It’s a term we use to do a quick check in with our students to gauge how “fueled” they are when they come in. One of the...
01/06/2026

It’s a term we use to do a quick check in with our students to gauge how “fueled” they are when they come in.

One of the quickest ways to build connection, communication and get important information to help guide our day. ,

When we (as parents and educators) can begin to really understand the role nutrition plays in our young persons world- we can meet their needs and help them guide as they tackle the demands of the day. (This goes for us too)

How we implemented :

⭐️We started (at the beginning of the year) talking about the importance of nutrition for our brain and learning. Then we came up with some good options together

‼️As a parent, I know full well how hard it can be to “fuel” our children properly with everything else going on in the morning.

Keep it simple.
Whole Foods
Smoothies
Fruit
Protein (eggs, yogurt)
Make ahead muffins or granola bars
Stay away from the sugar- it’s a quick fix but a recipe for disaster almost immediately

‼️As an educator- we can use this information to inform us for stamina, endurance, focus, and behavior issues. While we may not be able to always provide, it can open up the parent/home communication to support the student in the healthiest way.

⭐️We have a first grade student here- through learning about his own physiology he “needs” a high level of food not only in the morning but throughout the day. With parent support- He came back from break with a backpack full of snacks for “him” to keep him regulated throughout the day.

For him- apples, jerky, no sugar fruit pouches, yogurt and all natural granola bars are some of the “million dollar foods for him”

Since the beginning of the year, behavior issues have diminished

Understanding and expectations for those that aren’t fully fueled are adjusted.

Learning goes far beyond the curriculum!

🧠Learning out about physiology first, gives us a blueprint that is specific to each individual (both kids and adults)

Physiology first is coming to Morris County later this winter! Stay tuned for updates and how you can become part of a health revolution!

Start the new year off feeling good!You’ll probably catch them all off guard if it’s not something they’ve ever done… 😉 ...
01/05/2026

Start the new year off feeling good!

You’ll probably catch them all off guard if it’s not something they’ve ever done… 😉

, ,

As a parent… CONNECTION FIRST As an educator…. CONNECTION FIRSTAs we head back to school and back into the classrooms to...
01/05/2026

As a parent… CONNECTION FIRST

As an educator…. CONNECTION FIRST

As we head back to school and back into the classrooms today- CONNECTION FIRST.

For many of us, it’s been a long break. This will bring lots of feelings with it (for parents, educators and students)

Building connection, builds safety. When you build safety, you build a strong foundation.

From there, everything can grow!

Don’t rush this step- no one benefits in the long run ever!

Connection before anything else!

Ps. Don’t forget to have a little fun in the process 😀

This was the title of a main article in the Boston Globe in 2006. I was a contributor to this article.That was almost 20...
09/12/2025

This was the title of a main article in the Boston Globe in 2006. I was a contributor to this article.

That was almost 20 years ago.

It was an observation that felt important enough to put on the radar.

Fast forward 20 years.
It turned out to be a real thing.

Our young people are more anxious and stressed than ever. Have high performance expectations and numbers are in the millions of young people on some sort of medication to address these symptoms.

No where is the past 20 years has there been a focus on physiological contributors to prepare our young people with how to handle the modern day fast paced world filled with information overload.

In fairness, we were never educated to start there.

In working for over 20 years now with thousands of young people in varieties of settings (classrooms, sports fields, camp, private classes) and have 3 of my own teenagers, it is becoming blazingly clear, our young people need a physiological skill set to manage their days healthier.

Skills such as:
😮‍💨Breathing to regulate their parasympathetic system
😴Sleep to give their body the time it needs repair and prepare for the next day.
🧠Nutrition - fueling enough and customizing what is best for their individual selves
💪🏻Strength Training and Exercise - a plan customized to them

Imagine, if our young people (and adults too!!!) were equipped with a blueprint for their own self so they can build strength from the inside out- before they meet the challenges outside!

I’ve been working on something and excited to share more this weekend. Stay tuned!

Remembering today 🙏🙏🙏🙏Lets also remember what Sept 12, 2001 felt like? We ALL came together for this country. It didn’t ...
09/11/2025

Remembering today 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Lets also remember what Sept 12, 2001 felt like?

We ALL came together for this country. It didn’t matter left or right- we were ONE!

We are ALL Americans!!🇺🇸❤️

Let’s do better for our youth.

They and the future of this country depend on it and deserve it! 🙏🙏🙏

“Everyone who can stand, stand now. If you can help others, do so.”~Welles Crowther (man in the red bandana) 🙏💜

Sending big hugs to all the students starting today! Some are waking up super excited and others may be taking a few ext...
09/02/2025

Sending big hugs to all the students starting today! Some are waking up super excited and others may be taking a few extra minutes because they are not sure. Remember both are ok!!

They are superheroes in the making!! 💜🧠📚

Address

Long Valley, NJ

Telephone

+18135070152

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when mindful_and_empowering_kids posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to mindful_and_empowering_kids:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category

Hi, It’s Sue!

Hi, My name is Sue and I am former elementary school classroom teacher, youth sports coach and passionate more than ever about a child's mental and physical health.

​I have observed first hand through the schools and after school activities how stressful their schedules and social situations have become along with the over exposure of electronics. Attention spans are shorter and frustrations and worry are on the rise.

The last 2 years of teaching in a classroom setting, I added yoga and mindfulness to my curriculum and saw such an improvement in the student's overall wellbeing. They craved what we called "Yoga Tuesdays" and started to incorporate some of the tools and positive language in to their daily tasks. It was at that point that I knew I needed to offer this to more children.

​I recently obtained my yoga kids certification and hold a certification in Mindfulness through Mindful Schools. My hope is to use this information and experience to empower a child in a variety of ways to meet children's individual needs- to live happy, purposeful and productive lives.