TEJAL V. PATEL ON RAISING MINDFUL KIDS [NE 066]
Tejal V. Patel is a former divorce attorney turned mindfulness and meditation advocate for parents and kids. She’s the host of the Time-In Talks Podcast, and author of the brand new book Meditation for Kids: 40 Activities To Manage Emotions, Ease Anxiety and Stay Focused.
In the last decade, Tejal has educated hundreds of teachers, parents and children (including her own) how to playfully infuse mindfulness and meditation into classrooms and homes.
Her kid-friendly approach to mindfulness sets her apart from the traditional meditation teacher crowd and makes her a go-to expert for modern moms seeking to raise the first generation of mindful, meditating children and the next generation of resilient and compassionate leaders.
HOW WE MET
Tejal and I met through the magic of the internet! Instagram, to be exact. She’d tuned in to Naptime Empires years ago, showed up in my comments, I clicked over to her feed and was super inspired by the work she’s doing. We stayed in touch via DM over the years but this was our first real-time conversation.
This is a perfect case study for those asking how to connect and make friends online – even how to find opportunities to serve other people’s audiences and grow your own by being on podcasts. Show up and support people whose work you genuinely enjoy AND show up for your OWN work so that when they inevitably click over to check you out, there’s a clear, sincere representation of your brilliance! That’s how REALationships are built through screens.
I got our copy of Tejal’s book Meditation for Kids like a day after we recorded this convo – it’s an amazing resource full of activities for kids of ALL ages… we’ll have it linked up in the show notes so you can grab a copy for your home too. Enjoy!
IN THIS CONVO, WE COVER:
- How her own challenges with anxiety and anger led her to study and practice ayurveda, yoga, and the mind-body connection
- The importance of giving kids the tools to manage emotions starting at a young age
- How stress affects your body- emotionally, mentally and physically
- Practical tips for kids of all ages who are feeling overwhelmed
- How she unexpectedly attracted her first book deal by adding amazing value on Instagram
- What it was like launching her first book during pandemic and quarantine mode
- How she manages her work days and childcare while championing the #kidscanmeditate movement
LISTEN IN >>
HOMEWORK
Your homework today (should you choose to accept it) is to follow Tejal on Insta if you’re not already so you can benefit from her wisdom and super practical exercises for kiddos of all ages. Pick ONE of the practices she shared here in this convo and give it a try.
What was your fave takeaway? Post a screenshot to your Instagram story and tag us @tejalvpatel and @nikkielledgebrown.
And if you haven’t yet, I would SO appreciate it if you’d take 60 seconds to leave a rating and review while you’re listening in your fave podcasting app!
More reviews = more visibility for the entrepreneurial mamas (past, present, and future) looking for hope + humor along the journey.
KEY QUOTES FROM TEJAL
“If you’re passionately putting out content that you believe in… you never know who…. It just takes one person.” (on attracting her first book deal through Insta)
“This is my gift, this is my passion, this is my purpose in the world.”
“I am really feeling on angry island right now and I need to take some time in order for me to get into happy island.” (to her son)
“Your mind is getting foggy, here is what you can do to refocus and rebuild energy.” (said to kids)
“It’s all about that mind-body connection.”
“Let’s also raise children who know how to handle unhappiness and normal emotions that are part of the human experience.”
MENTIONED IN THIS EP
BOOK: Meditation for Kids *affiliate link
MORE FROM TEJAL
MORE FROM ME
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MORE FROM *YOU*
- Like what you hear? If SO, be sure to subscribe to Naptime Empires™ on Apple Podcasts. Or Stitcher. Or Google Play. Or Spotify.
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