Today we’d like to introduce you to Tejal Patel.
Tejal, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a former divorce attorney turned certified yoga, meditation and mindfulness advocate for moms and kids. As a highly sensitive child who struggled with low self-esteem though my parents gave me love and took care of my physical health, taking care of a child’s mental health wasn’t a priority so I suffered with the issues as an adult. As a divorce mediator in my mid-20’s, absorbing the emotional strife of my clients triggered my childhood i healed wounds and led me on a path of yoga and meditation to help cope with my own anxiety and stress.
As I began to heal and find inner peace, I began to wonder what if my divorcing client’s children had these tools to help them cope with this stressful time in their life. And that vision grew to “What If all children knew how to mediate? How would it change their life? How would it change the world?
That one thought led me to become a certified kids yoga and mindfulness teacher and lead me to passionately work hard to make that vision come true in my lifetime.
Over the past decade, I started teaching children in the pre-schools my husband and I owned in the South Jersey area, I created my own mindfulness curriculum for classrooms which I’ve taught hundreds of teachers and taught moms globally how to infuse mindfulness and meditation into their families life through my signature online courses Meditation for Kids Masterclass, Mindful Kids Masterclass and Mindful Mama Experience.
As the mom of two young boys, host of Time-In Talks podcast, and as the new author of the highly anticipated book Meditation for Kids: 40 Activities to Manage Emotions, Ease Anxiety and Stay Focused I’m empowering modern parents to make family meditation practical, fun and doable for everyone.
And with this new book I’m so excited this dream is coming true!!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
When I decided to leave my law career a decade ago to pursue my life purpose, this is when mindfulness and meditation weren’t as mainstream as it is today. So making the transition was difficult because people were skeptical of the vision I had to make mindfulness and meditation a part of children’s life at the young age of 3-8. But since 2015 when I officially started my online mindfulness courses and mindful parenting coaching my growth has been very steady and organic. The biggest struggles have been to believe in myself and my vision even when others didn’t support or believe in me. And now it’s extremely rewarding to be regarded as a mindfulness and meditation expert for kids and someone moms turn to for advice on building these practices in their home. It’s so humbling to know that I’m a leading trailblazer in the #kidsCANmeditate movement.
Please tell us about your business.
I am my own brand. I run A 100% virtual online for-purpose business is built on empowering moms to be the most present, patient and peaceful parent they can be while raising the first generation of mindful, meditating kids. Every service I sell I donate A portion of my proceeds to charity.
I’m a Ayurveda/yoga specialist, certified Kids and Kundalini yoga and mediation teacher and I have created four popular online mindfulness courses. I have an inspiring podcast, am a leading mindful parenting public speaker and author of Meditation for Kids: 40 Activities to Manage Emotions, Ease Anxiety and Stay Focused. I’m currently trying to find someone to partner with who will bring the Mediation for Kids book to schools.
I’m most proud of practicing what I teach. By sharing videos of my 4 1/2 year practicing meditation on Instagram, when he co-hosts on the podcast and shares mindful solutions to modern kid problems and I share videos of my 16 month old son who takes deep breaths when I say “take a deep breath in” is what I’m proud of. My family is the walking and breathing proof that these tools can be infused in the lives of families and how it can be a deeply bonding experience. I’m so inspired by how many moms feel motivated to bring these practices to their kid’s lives. To know that I’ve played a small part in bringing mindfulness and meditation in the lives of children is truly the best feeling and blessing.
My fun, practical and accessible ways to infuse kid-friendly mindfulness and meditation practices every day truly sets me apart from the traditional self-help crowd and makes me a go-to expert for modern moms seeking to raise calm, confident, and compassionate children and become the most present, patient and peaceful parent they can be.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’ve largely been a one-woman shop for a while, but the reason I was able to transform my blog into a business was after I took Marie Forleo’s B-School in 2015. I couldn’t have done the technical stuff without her course and community. Also my web guru Jason – I couldn’t do any of that behind the scenes stuff without him. My greatest supporter and business mentor is my entrepreneur hubby Chirag. He’s my go-to for all things financial as well as cheering me on when I experience rough patches and doubt my own ability. For my book launch events, it takes a team to create, curate and executes an event so to all the staff that works to make the events flow.
My amazing PR team at Socially Inspired to help me get the word out to the right women and the incredibly supportive Instagram moms I’ve connected with who supported me in purchasing books, listening to my podcast and coming to my live events.
Pricing:
- Meditation for Kids Masterclass course $97
- Meditation for Kids book $14.95
- Mindful Kids Masterclass course $275
- 7 Day Stress Detox Course $79
- Mindful Mama Experience Course $297
Contact Info:
- Website: TejalVPatel.com
- Email: tejal@tejalvpatel.com
- Instagram: @tejalvpatel
- Facebook: @tejalpatel.tv
- Twitter: @tejalvpatel
- Other: www.
MeditationforKidsBook.com
Image Credit:
Julie Elliot Photography
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