“We have a pretty active group, so the idea of just being able to connect and teach them ways to calm down, was really helpful,” said Jim Taylor, the siblings’ dad. Lisa Lorenz, owner of Gratitude Yoga, taught the class. She says the emphasis was about “teaching children to be in the present moment, and to look around and notice all the little things that they're grateful for.” It’s a message backed by science, according to Dr. Nia Heard-Garris, a Lurie Children’s Hospital pediatrician. “More recently the studies have shown that mindfulness has been really, really helpful for a lot of children who are going through the most stressful situations, and I think we can all agree this is a pretty stressful situation that we all find ourselves in right now with COVID-19,” Heard-Garris said.