Global Wellness Day launches new project for kids
The nonprofit Global Wellness Day has launched a new project, GWD Kids, with an aim to provide breathing, mindfulness and self-love lessons to young children around the world.
The project hopes to get preschools to adopt a five-minute wellness circle each morning, and for elementary and primary schools to add in a one-hour wellness class once a week.
GWD founder Belgin Aksoy Berkin said it’s time for those in the wellness industry to take action to help children, especially with rising rates of depression and the growing role of technology in childrens' lives.
“We go to school from the age of two, hoping that the education system is going to help prepare us for our future, but nobody is teaching us how to live, how to breathe, how to be mindful and how to love ourselves,” said Aksoy Berkin. “These are things that are very important to being a happy adult in the future.”
Aksoy Berkin is in consultations with an American university to develop the curriculum, and plans to engage her 86 GWD ambassadors around the world to help get it off the ground. She announced the new project at the Global Wellness Summit, where she brought area children on-stage to illustrate the point.
Aksoy said she hopes to get children learning about breathing exercises to improve their health and manage their stress; mindfulness to improve emotional and physical wellbeing; and self-love to let go of shame, anger, and blame, and to feel at peace and accept themselves and others. The project will start with preschool children and grow to include elementary and primary school children down the line.
“It’s very exciting, and there’s so much to do,” said Aksoy Berkin. “It is necessary – it is needed. We have to do something about the kids, and I want to take action. We should have done something about this yesterday.”
Global Wellness Day Belgin aksoy kids children mindfulness educationGlobal Wellness Day to hit 100 country landmark
Global Wellness Day to focus on happy kids, depression and digital detoxing
Aksoy hopes to have GWD recognised by UN in 2017
The world gets ready to celebrate Global Wellness Day
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
Across Denmark, a charity is turning industrial buildings into centres for street sport and art. As the concept prepares to go global, we speak to the people making it happen