286: Finding Your Calm with Melissa McIntosh

On today’s episode, I chat with Melissa McIntosh [ @mindfulkidsstratford ] about the power of mindfulness for kids and how they can use it in their everyday life! Melissa is the founder of Mindful Kids Stratford, where she teaches children of all ages how they can use simple mindful tools to “find their calm,” in moments of overwhelm. Melissa left her career with the Education board after 20 years to pursue this passion, and she reminds us that our futures are not always certain … but THAT, in and of itself, is one thing that IS in fact, always certain! “I like to call it, ‘the foggy future’ - because you just have to be okay with the uncertainty,” shared Melissa. On this episode we dive into: Why Melissa left her job at the school board after 20 years.How she stumbled into the world of mindfulness.Things you can do to help children, ‘find their calm’.Body Scanning - what it is and how to do it.Breathing techniques.How to practice mindfulness in everyday life.The take-home: Melissa credits her mindfulness journey to her husband, Mike. After seeing him use various mindful techniques, it piqued her interest so much that she made a life-changing career change. Melissa now teaches children of all ages, the power of mindfulness using techniques like body scanning, various breathing exercises, and even creative ways to find calm by using glitter jars! She believes that everything we need is already within us, so by tuning into and listening to our bodies, there is an entire world of calm that we can all access. Melissa says it best when she states that there is always a way to, “find your calm”. It’s simply a matter of choosing to practice it - and just like using any other muscle in the body, your ability to bring mindfulness into your everyday life will get easier the more you work at it! So what do you say, warriors? Are you ready to take a deep breath today and find your calm? Let's do it. Get in touch with with Melissa McIntosh: Business Instagram: @mindfulkidsstratfordWebsite: https://www.mindfulkidsstratford.com/