Snow globes are not only some of my favorite knick-knacks, but they’re also a perfect tool to illustrate the clear perspective that we can developed with mindfulness meditation. When you shake a snow globe, the snow falls on a tiny New York City, a miniature Eiffel Tower, or a little Santa’s Village. First, there’s a blizzard that obscures all; and then, when the snow settles on the bottom of the globe, all is clear again.
I like to use snow-globes to illustrate how mindfulness can help kids and teens see their inner and outer life experience clearly because they really enjoy them. Unfortunately, they have a way of breaking. This is why I have become partial to the glitter ball. While glitter balls might lack the internal landscape of the snow globe, I can just stuff one in my pocket, my purse or my glove compartment and know that, not only will it be handy and ready-to-go, but it won’t leak all over everything. A glitter ball sometimes lacks the poetry of a snow globe, but on a positive note, it can bounce!
Susan Kaiser Greenland, JD developed the Inner Kids mindful awareness program for children and families. She is the author of the The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and More Compassionate (Free Press, 2010). She teaches children, parents and professionals around the world and consults with various organizations on teaching mindful awareness in an age-appropriate and secular manner. Susan co-founded the Inner Kids Foundation, which brought mindful awareness to under-served schools and neighborhoods in Los Angeles between 2000-2009.
For better or worse, Susan has embraced new technology and not only blogs for Intent and the Huffington Post, but also Tweets, is on Facebook, and together with her daughter as part of a high-school community service project created the Mindfulness Together online community dedicated to the inner lives of children and those who love them.
Susan lives in Los Angeles with her husband, author and fellow Huffington Post blogger, Seth Greenland and their two children. She can be found online at www.susankaisergreenland.com
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