Top 3 Things I Learned from a Stuffed Animal Meditation Bear
Amy DiSanto, Queen of Rest, holding Meddy Teddy, sharing children’s guided meditative rest and playful yoga for nervous system regulation
I’ve always believed that small moments of play and presence can create big shifts in our lives—but Meddy Teddy has shown me just how powerful that can be for children, families, and even adults.From the moment I first saw Meddy in a colleague’s online children’s yoga class, I knew this wasn’t just a cute toy. It was a gateway to curiosity, creativity, and deep, restorative rest. I had to have one. Once I had one, I started sharing them with my nephews and bringing them into my children’s yoga classes, where Meddy quickly became a beloved companion. My mom even made Meddy a special Lotus Mind Learning hoodie, and from there, Meddy has been part of our family and our wider Meddy Teddy community ever since.And so began a journey that has grown into an incredible collaboration: Lotus Mind Learning (Nidra Babes) × Meddy Teddy.Meddy Teddy has brought so much joy, playfulness, and regulation into my children’s classes, nurtured imagination, and supported my own evolution as a creator of guided meditative rest.
Meddy Teddy in a Lotus Mind Learning sweatshirt, surrounded by playful children’s yoga and guided meditative rest tools—breathing balls, scarves, and presence-awareness activities to support emotional regulation, calm, focus, and nervous system balance for kids.
1. PLAYFUL
PRESENCE TRANSFORMS LEARNING
I’ll never forget a fourth grader in my class doing a vocabulary activity. She had a Meddy Teddy in her lap, and something magical happened: the words became an adventure.Because she felt safe, supported, and playful, she could take agency over her learning, explore new ideas with curiosity, and operate from her frontal lobe rather than her survival brain.Meddy Teddy created a parasympathetic, regulated state that allowed her brain to engage fully—without stress, without judgment, just joy and discovery.2. SUPPORT
IN CHALLENGING EMOTIONS
Another memorable moment was with a preschooler navigating big feelings. She carried her Meddy Teddy lovey under her arm as she approached the feelings chart, bravely naming and exploring her emotions.That small bear gave her courage, grounded her nervous system, and allowed her to regulate, process, and share her feelings in a confident and empowered way.This is the kind of foundational emotional work that children—and adults—need in our modern, overstimulated world.3. INSPIRATION
FOR CREATIVITY AND GUIDED MEDITATIVE REST
Meddy Teddy has also been a creative companion for me. Early in my work with Lotus Mind Learning, I used Meddy during online literacy lessons, and it sparked ideas for children’s guided meditative rest audios.A few years ago, I was honored to be interviewed by Dr. L (Ali Lankerani, The Parent Whisperer) for the Play Expo, leading an I Spy inside Meddy Teddy brain optimization + movement and rest session.You can watch that session here, and it’s also available in the Meddy Teddy Skool classroom for families to enjoy together.Meddy Teddy shows us that even something small and tactile can guide both children and adults into regulation, curiosity, and restorative presence.WHY
THIS MATTERS
Rest isn’t just a nice idea—it’s a critical birthright.In our screen-saturated world, children and adults alike need tools to step away from the hamster wheel of hustle culture, quiet their minds, and reconnect to human-paced, human-feeling moments.Our guided meditative rest sessions support healthy screen time—a pause filled with intention, human expression, and emotional presence, not doom-scrolling or childhood-penos syndrome.Children learn that their brains and bodies are naturally capable of regulation, neuroplastic growth, and repatterning unwanted habits and limiting beliefs.These skills give kids—and adults—the foundation to navigate life with focus, calm, creativity, and resilience.JOIN
OUR WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY
Welcome to the Meddy Teddy Skool, a heart-centered, worldwide online platform for kids, families, and caregivers to practice yoga and playful meditative rest together.Here, you’ll find guided experiences that soothe the nervous system, spark presence, and nurture the mind-body-heart connection.This collaboration—Lotus Mind Learning (Nidra Babes) × Meddy Teddy—is a dream come true.Meddy Teddy has transformed classrooms, inspired guided meditative audios, and reminded me that rest, joy, and curiosity are essential for all of us, no matter our age.Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver, you can step into this warm, welcoming community with your children and family, explore live classes and guided audios, and support the mission of sharing 10 million guided meditative rest sessions worldwide.BEGIN
RESTING TODAY
Families: Enjoy playful guided meditative rest sessions and live classes inside the Meddy Teddy Skool.Want rest without joining the skool? Check out our Regulate & Imagine bundle, designed to soothe the nervous system and nurture creativity for the whole family.
Step in, pause, breathe, and experience the joy and nervous system soothing that comes from practicing together—because rest, regulation, and curiosity are everyone’s birthright.