mentor faq

I wanted to try to answer some of my most Frequently Asked Questions, but it was very hard to do in a one minute video! Who is Mentoring For: Sometimes talking to someone in a personal way can feel weird, but just like you have an academic advisor if you’re in college or a guidance counselor in high school, why wouldn’t you have a person to talk to about your well being. I like to think of myself as a professional big sister. I work with college and high school girls (I used to work with more middle school girls when I also taught yoga) where it’s like a vent session with a friend who gets what you’re going through. What Do We Talk About: We can talk about anything! Many of my sessions focus on stress and anxiety, as well as school life balance. Social media is a huge topic!!!! My students can be academic achievers and get stressed over school work so we talk about different ways to find balance. Girls chat with me about friendships. We work on how to make and maintain a loyal, kind, inner circle. For my college girls, there’s handling roommates, but the foundation for all my work is to help girls feel happy, confident, and love who they are. Where do the Sessions take Place? Sessions are done either on the phone or in person. They are an hour long and can be booked whenever it fits your schedule. You can buy a one time chat or a package of four. It’s all about what works for you! Want to know more? Info on my website in bio! ✨✨✨

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Everyone is Lying on Social Media and So Am I

Here’s a super personal one:

Everyone is lying on social media and so am I.

I always remind the girls I work with that people online only show you what they want you to see and I’m included in this. There are a million things I’m not sharing here. I haven’t shared that I was robbed a few weeks ago in my own building or that I have about zero holiday spirit since my grandparents passed away. Even now, I’m purposely leaving things out of my story both good and bad. With how easily it is to mindlessly scroll through social media, it’s important to remember that what we see isn’t the whole picture.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we share ourselves and how much time I spend online after reading statements from an interview Sean Parker, the onetime founding president of Facebook and co-founder of Napster, gave about social media:

“We need to sort of give you a little dopamine hit every once in a while, because someone liked or commented on a photo or a post or whatever. And that’s going to get you to contribute more content, and that’s going to get you … more likes and comments… It’s a social-validation feedback loop … exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you’re exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology… God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains.” 

I am hypocritically posting publicly, but Parker’s comments made me think about how I don’t want to be addicted to the dopamine hits of “likes and comments” especially when the forum is inherently inauthentic. Why do I zone out of my own life to watch other people’s fake lives? I’m in my 20’s and struggle with this. Imagine the susceptibility of adolescents who are searching for identity and seeking the approval of peers during an incredibly transformative period of time. Of course, there are benefits to social media, but this is something that has shifted my online usage and that is something I want to share. 

From Stressed out to Zenned Out Q & A

Last week, I had a Q&A with Kids Yoga Daily. It was such a fun convo that I wanted to share! Hope you enjoy it!

Maggie DiPasquale, author of, “From StressedOut to Zenned Out: A wellness guide to mind, body, soul balance 

KYD: Why did you decide to pen this book?

MD: I really wanted students to have resources to help them feel better, especially around managing stress. I run all these great groups and work with students one-on-one and wanted to give girls tools to have at home. Everyone is so stressed and I think we overlook how debilitating it is. You can’t be doing your best or working at full capacity if you’re stressed and anxious.

KYD: Who is the book aimed at?

Keep reading here.

Big News

I have big news! My meditation album is finally available! When I work with students, whether it’s one-on-one or in a group, I always use these centering exercises. Meditation has been show to reduce stress and anxiety and I know from my personal practice that it’s a game-changer. I produced four different meditations based on what my students liked and wanted most. 

stress release meditation
sleep meditation
test stress meditation
daily reflection meditation

They were a blast to put together! As a way to celebrate, our Friday Night HangIn this Friday November 11th on the album launch and talking about stress and how to relax in order to find more happiness. It’s the last one of 2016!! Can you believe it? Please let me know if you have any questions! 

Thank You!

I’ve wanted to write this for awhile now and since it’s the beginning of November, I felt it was appropriate to say thank you. I’m so grateful for all of your encouragement as I build this community to help raise happy girls. To my students, thanks for letting me be your big sister! To all the moms, thank you for allowing me to guide your girls. I don’t take it for granted. Your support, whether it’s a referral or always trying to feed me when I come over, is more meaningful than you know. It takes a village! Thank you for allowing me to pursue my dream! 

In the spirit of being an ever-growing mentor, I’d love to hear from you. What topics would you like me to cover? Got a group idea? Any questions for me? Feel free to let me know how I can best serve! 

How to Train your Brain to have a Good Day

Today, I’m getting a little personal and sharing part of my morning routine. I believe happiness is a habit. Just like we have to work at dance, sports, school, and more to deepen our practice in those subjects, we have to be willing to put in the time when it comes to happiness. Today I’m sharing my tip for training your brain to have a good day.

 

 

 

Conditional Friendship

Do you have conditional friendships? If you feel like someone is only friends with you based on certain terms then this video is for you!

 

 

 

 

 

Why Smart Kids do Dumb Things

In one of my grad school classes last week, we learned about dopamine in the adolescent brain. It was so enlightening that I wanted to share! Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate emotional responses. Its production is naturally lower in adolescents which may lead to impulsivity, feeling of bored, being overall blah, and makes kids more susceptible to stress. Check out today’s video for more on dopamine and why it’s important! I wish I had known about this when I was a teen!

 

 

 

 

How to Prevent Fights with your Parents

It can be super uncomfortable and stressful to argue with your parents. Today I’m giving advice for what to do to prevent fights for this upcoming school year!