As mothers, we are constantly searching for ways to support our children’s development while also caring for our own well-being. One of the most powerful tools we can incorporate into our daily lives is mindfulness. Mindfulness, the practice of being present and fully engaged in the moment, has been shown to impact sensory integration and emotional regulation profoundly.

When we think about sensory integration, we often turn to the pioneering work of A. Jean Ayres, who defined it as the way our nervous system processes and organizes sensory information so we can respond appropriately to our environment. Children with with Down syndrome can have difficulty regulating their sensory input—leading to challenges with attention, movement, and emotional control.

Sensory integration is deeply connected to the mind-body relationship. The way we experience and process sensory information is influenced not only by our external environment but also by our internal state. The nervous system plays a crucial role in filtering sensory input and determining how we react to stimuli. When we engage in mindfulness, we create a bridge between the mind and body, fostering a sense of balance and awareness.

Mindfulness works directly on the brain and nervous system, helping to regulate sensory input and emotional responses. Research shows that mindfulness can:

• Calm the stress response: By engaging in mindful breathing and grounding techniques, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” system), reducing the fight-or-flight response often seen in sensory dysregulation.
• Enhance interoception: Interoception, our ability to sense internal bodily states, is a critical part of emotional and sensory regulation. Mindfulness helps children and adults become more aware of their bodies, which in turn supports better self-regulation.
• Improve attention and focus: Practicing mindfulness strengthens the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for executive functioning, impulse control, and emotional regulation.
• Create predictability and safety: When mindfulness practices are incorporated into daily routines, they provide a structured way for children to manage sensory input and navigate emotional challenges more effectively.

For us mothers, mindfulness is just as essential. We are required to be emotionally regulated so we can provide a sense of safety and co-regulation for our children. Taking even a few moments a day to engage in mindful breathing, movement, or guided visualization can shift how we handle stress and how we show up for our children.

As we continue redefining what’s possible for our children, let’s not overlook the power of being fully present in our own bodies and minds. Mindfulness isn’t just a technique—it’s a way to rewire our own brain, support sensory integration, and bring peace to our daily lives.

Five Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness into our Action Plans

1. Walking Meditation – Many of our children are on walking programs. As you are out, ask your child to think about only the things he can see. If your child is verbal or signs, take turns discussing everything you see..trees, cars, houses, birds, bugs, sky, etc.  Then only the things you can hear…only the things you can feel, and so on. 
2. Body Mapping – have your child lie on their back on a large poster board or piece of paper and slowly trace the outline of their body and then allow the child to color on the body where they feel emotions. For example, ask them to color where they feel happy, or sad, or pain, or tired, etc.
3. Humming and chanting – directly engage the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in regulating mood, digestion, and heart rate.
4. Breath work – If your child is old enough to follow directions, breath work like box breathing (Slowly inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts), or balloon breathing (focusing on “inflating” your abdomen as you slowly inhale and feel it “deflate” as you slowly exhale.
5. Gentle Pressure and Heavy Play Activities – Slow and gentle but firm massage of limbs to increase proprioception, draw child’s focus to the body part being massaged. Also, slowly rolling up into a blanket “burrito,” use your hands to provide gentle but firm pressure over the child’s back and legs, and then slowly rolling out can be a calming experience as well as carrying objects with weight such as a laundry basket full of laundry, a box or bag of books.