Do you remember those movies we watched as kids and never thought anything of the storyline, only to realise when we watch those same movies again when we’re old older that there’s such a deeper meaning to the story? More often than not we can really learn a thing or two from the story which will hit home for most of us. Whether it be the princess finding her prince but in order to do so, have to overcome a struggle to get there, or mother bears porridge being cold only to realise when you become a parent that it’s reality – we eat everything cold and now I order my coffees iced. I’ve experienced both those storylines in my own life. Now I’ve got you thinking!

It didn’t take me too long to read between the lines when I sat down to watch Trolls with the kids. Let’s break it down. A community of happy and loving Trolls (let’s call this a healthy mind), are discovered by the unhappy creatures (let’s call this depression or any mental illness for that sake!), and slowly the Trolls get eaten by the creatures because the creatures have worked out that with every Troll they devour, they are happy for a moment. Have you ever had a friend in your life that is toxic, and they suck the life out of you because they drag you down? That’s exactly what the creatures are. Eventually the Trolls had to overpower the creatures, and guess what… HAPPINESS PREVAILS! 

The Trolls had to learn to love who they are, as they are and work as hard as they can together to overcome the creatures. The bouncy soundtrack, the cleverly written script and incredible way for children to learn that they are beautiful just the way they are – I’m 28 years old and this is now one of my favourite movies.

Now seeing as this movie involves such a powerful and important message, Trolls have teamed up with Smiling Mind – a meditation and mindfulness app that I have personally used many times, and they’ve created a Trolls Meditation together just in time for the release of Trolls on DVD (which I highly recommend you high tail it to the shops and get it for the kids!). 

Whether it be mental illness, bullying or any sort of challenge that anyone can face mentally, being mindful and starting to process your thoughts and what’s causing them is so vital. Having the right people around you, taking time for yourself to focus on your mindset and most of all, learning to accept yourself and LOVE who you are, no matter what! Smiling Mind is such an incredible resource for those wanting to take their step towards mindfulness. It’s not just for adults, as children can also benefit from just 5 minutes of meditation – as hard that might be to imagine your child sitting still for that amount of time, it’s still worth a shot. I’ve sat with Madi many times and taught her to focus on her breathing, now she’s used to her quiet time with mummy while Max has a nap! 

Our children learn habits from us, so teaching them mindfulness, self-love and of course, helping them realise the difference between all of our feelings can be such a positive experience! Trolls is such a beautiful way of portraying this message, so if you’re going to sit down with your children and watch any movie, I couldn’t recommend this any higher than I do!

Find your happy place with the Trolls meditation by Cloud Guy thanks to Smiling Mind and the DVD and digital release of Dreamworks Trolls!

Enjoy,
Lauren
xx