Day 29- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Hands-on and creative mindful activities that involve both tangible objects and nature allows for a playful and fun activity that encourages mindfulness. Thich Nhat Hanh developed this specific meditation, Pebble Meditation, for children that engages the mind, develops gratitude, relieves stress, increases concentration and helps children deal with emotions.

How to do a Pebble Meditation:

Have your child collect four pebbles, rocks or shells before the meditation. (This could be part of a Mindful Walk.) Ensure that have something to store their pebbles in so that the meditation can be redone as often as desired.
They are to sit up straight and relax; placing the four pebbles in front of them.
The child picks up the first pebble and says, “Breathing in, I see myself as a flower. Breathing out, I feel fresh. Flower, fresh “(3 breaths). The words “flower, fresh” are repeated quietly for three in and out breaths. Repeat with the three other pebbles.
“Breathing in I see myself as a mountain, breathing out, I feel solid.”Mountain, solid. (3 breaths)
“Breathing in I see myself as still, clear water, breathing out, I reflect things as they really are.” Clear water, reflecting. (3 breaths)
“Breathing in I see myself as space, breathing out, I feel free.” Space, free. (3 breaths)

Top Tips:

You can start and end the meditation with the ringing of a bell or chime.
As your child learns the meditation, they can lead the others in the meditation.

Further resources to go with the Pebble Meditation can be found here:

Pebble Meditation Booklet- https://mindfulkids.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/pebble-meditation.pdf
Pebble Meditation Cards- https://mindfulkids.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/pebble-meditation-cards-all-in-one2.doc
Pebble Meditation Practice Sheet- https://mindfulkids.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/pebble-meditation-practice-sheet.pdf

After they become confident in this meditation, encourage your child to come up with their own meditation for the four pebbles, ie loving kindness, gratitude, friends, etc.

Don’t forget to share your child’s mindfulmoment and successes by using the hashtag #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge in the comments, on Twitter @Ed_Tmprince or on Facebook at Education’s Voice – Mindfulness ( https://www.facebook.com/educationsvoice/ ).

April 25, 2020 0

Day 28- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

The feel of sand beneath your feet, the sound of waves crashing on the beach, the smell of sea water in the air and the sight of the sun rising and setting in the blue sky. What more could you want from a place to relax and recharge?

In research published by Health & Place , subjects living along the coastal regions reported better health and well-being.

Richard Shuster, PsyD, clinical psychologist says, “The color blue has been found by an overwhelming amount of people to be associated with feelings of calm and peace. Staring at the ocean actually changes our brain waves’ frequency and puts us into a mild meditative state.”

He goes on to say that the rhythmic sound of the crashing waves kind of de-stimulates our brains. The noises combined with the visuals, activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which is, as Shuster says in his podcast on The Daily Helping , “responsible for slowing us down and allowing us to relax and feel more engaged.”

In addition, the simple act of touching the sand makes you feel happy and relaxed. “The physical sensation of putting your feet in warm sand causes people to relax,” says Shuster.

This is great if you live by the sea and if you have time to get to the seaside. But, most of us, at this moment in time, do not have that capability and may not have that capability for some time.

So, how can we use mindfulness to virtually get us to the seaside?

Visual Meditations: play videos of beaches and waves crashing on the shore.

Focus children on the rhythm of the waves, the sound of the sea and the sky around it. Reminding them to take long Mindful breaths and allowing all worries to drift along like a cloud.

For a few moments, instruct them to close their eyes and imagine they are on that beach, with their toes in the sand and a warm breeze on their face.

Here are some ocean Meditations that would be good for children and adults:
Morning Meditation Ocean Sunrise – https://youtu.be/UpXMeZuWWR0
Misty Beach Ocean Waves – https://youtu.be/E7qRkUYu580
Nice Ocean Waves – https://youtu.be/V-_O7nl0Ii0
One Moment Ocean Meditation – https://youtu.be/RlOZ02HgAnE
Meditation on the Beach – https://youtu.be/jJkEiw6Gh0U

April 24, 2020 0

Day 27- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Mindfulness is about allowing yourself to be in the moment. It is allowing yourself to accept this moment without judgement and wallow in the present.

When we are teaching children the important life skill of mindfulness, we should endeavour to show children that mindful moments are all around them and that, with a little consideration, can help them to relax and joy life more fully.

Something that we know brings joy to many people is the act of singing and, with it part of the curriculum, this is another way to bring mindfulness to the forefront in an integrated way.

Singing is made up of deep breaths and long exhales which is natural calming strategy. We also know that music itself can have meditative properties. Thus, with just a little tweaking, we can also develop a mindful technique that can calm and relax children while also bringing joy. Many people sing when they are happy. With the right songs, they can make you happy when you are sad.

How to do Mindful Singing:

– Begin by having children sit up comfortably with their hands in their laps. Then have them take three deep belly breaths bringing their attention to their breath.

– Explain to children that while they are singing to ensure nice, deep breaths are taken and focus on how the sound vibrates through their bodies as they sing. How does the sound feel in your mouth? Against your tongue? In your throat? In your chest? How does singing make you feel emotionally?

The key is to bring awareness to the moment of signing and bask in the joy of the sound without judgement.

Some mindful songs for children that reinforces mindfulness can be found here, http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL76Tcrfnqwv4br4i_TG6Z9LlEp0L545tr

April 23, 2020 0

Day 26- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

When thinking of mindfulness, lots of people think immediately to meditations. As you know now, there are lots of strategies besides meditations that supports mindfulness development. Today, we dip our toe into meditations… Loving Kindness Meditations to be exact.

Guided meditations focuses the mind on one aspect. For Loving Kindness meditations, it focuses our minds of being kind to ourselves and to others. It really is about spreading kindness.

Here are a few that you may find useful for your class and yourself:

Loving Kindness Meditation for primary children: https://youtu.be/YRwQrzogy-g

Loving Kindness Meditation for primary children : https://youtu.be/-9_ZHnltMe0

Loving Kindness Meditation for upper primary children and teenagers: https://youtu.be/sz7cpV7ERsM

Loving Kindness Meditation for adults/ teenagers: https://youtu.be/MKtXw-tivZg

April 22, 2020 0

Day 25- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Today, is a simple mindfulness strategy that helps with mindful focus; The Hand Exercise. Items you need are simple. You just need your hands.

⁃ First, have children find a comfortable sitting or lying down position.

⁃ Get them to take a few deep mindful breaths to help them relax.

⁃ Then, have them hold their hands tightly for about 10 seconds, squeezing tightly and release them slowly.

⁃ Now, get your child to focus on how their hands feel; staying focused for as long as you can or until the feeling goes away.

⁃ Repeat 5 times

⁃ End with a few deep mindful breaths and proceed with your day.

If they find themselves becoming anxious during the day, have them have a mindful break and repeat this strategy to help them find peace in your day.

April 21, 2020 0

Day 24- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Mindful focus is a way of allowing your mind to be in the present and allows children to capitalise on their own innate sense of awe and wonder.

While in your garden or out on your daily walk, have each of your children (and you) collect a leaf. It can be a leaf that has fallen from a tree/plant or one still on a tree/plant.

Once home, have each child find a space where they can have five uninterrupted minutes with their leaf.

Leaf Meditation

Direct them to do the following:

– Pick up the leaf and lay it in your hands.

– Notice the colours, the different in shades of colours and fading of one colour to another colour.

– Notice the veins in the leaf, the main stem, the edges of the leaf.

– Feel the leaf. Run your fingers over the top and bottom; along the edges. Notice the differences. Rub it against your face or over the top of your hand. Use nerve endings that normally are not used to feel objects. Notice the difference.

– Smell the leaf. Note the scent. Inhale deeply and notice the memories it may bring up.

Close your eyes and take a minute to breathe deeply and allow yourself to be in awe and wonder of the moment you have had with the leaf.

Proceed with a new found calmness and appreciation.

April 20, 2020 0

Day 23- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

I am sure your children are as tired of hearing “Wash your hands!” as much as mine is. However, you can use hand washing as a mindful focus to support mindfulness development.

Many psychologists believe that our emotions begin with a physical sensation, positive or negative. When we focus on positive sensations that are calming, we can emotionally become calm.

Today, our mindfulness practice will focus on positive physical sensations to mindfully be in the moment and anchor us in the present.

Washing Hands Meditation

When we wash our hands in warm water, it opens the blood vessels and tricks your brain out of a stressful state.

– When your child goes to wash their hands, have them be mindful of the sensation of the water and soap as they rub their palms, between their fingers and on top of your hands. Get them to breathe deeply allowing their breathing enhance the feel of water and soap.

Ask them the following questions:

– How does this moment feel?

– How is it making the rest of your body feel?

Repeat every time they wash their hands today.

April 19, 2020 0

Day 22- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

As I am writing this blog I can hear the tv in the background and character 1 is telling character 2 that the key to stress management is to completely immerse oneself into an activity that engages the mind on something different that the stress that one is having. This reminded me of one of my favourite mindfulness strategies, Mindful Doodling.

The goal of Mindful Doodling is to fully engage with your doodles in a meditative way. It requires slowing down, focusing on the paper and pen and doodling repeatively with full intent. Thus, you become present in the moment.

Thus, mindful doodling:

focuses the mind
calms the body and mind
relieves stress
encourages relaxation
increases your sense of wellbeing
replaces negative or bored habits
allows you to be present and aware

Materials:

– markers, pens, pencil colours or crayons

– plain paper

How to do Mindful Doodling?

You don’t need to have any drawing skills for this to work. (This is a good point as I DO NOT have good drawing skills!) There really isn’t any right or wrong way to mindfully doodle. It is not about the end result but about the process that is being taken.

1- Draw, by freehand, a border around the outer edge.
2- In this step you can do one of three things:
Draw a string inside your border. ( A string is a simple curved line/squiggle that will lend structure to your design as your pattern will emerge accordingly from the contours of the string. The string divides the border into sections.)
Draw straight or angled lines free hand within the border dividing the area into smaller sections.
Choose a corner of the border and begin step 3.
3- Start creating your doodle with patterns drawn with a pen or marker along the contours of the string, lines or border. Allow the pattern to reveal itself naturally.

There is no right or wrong. You can use very simple shapes, lines, dots, squiggles and more. Shade as you desire and be mindful of and deliberate with each stroke.
Keep going until you are finished. You will know when this is.

Enjoy your creation!

Remember: There are NO mistakes. So, no erasing is allowed. Embrace the mark you have made and use it to continue your meditative journey of mindfully doodling.

Top Tips:

– You can use any size paper you desire. It can be as small as a post it note or as large as a poster. It is up to you. However, I suggest that in the beginning you start on a smaller sheet as you get the hang of this mindfulness activity.
-The finer the points of the pens/markers, the finer the detail will be in the doodles.

April 18, 2020 0

Day 21- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Mindfulness is an integrative, mind-body based approach that helps people change the way they think and feel about their experiences, especially stressful experiences. Giving children this life skill when they are young supports their over all social and emotional development.

Many of us hold stress in our shoulders. It is like a primitive form of contracting our muscles to spring into the fight or flight mode.

Today’s challenge is to get your child to recognise the tension that builds up in their bodies, particularly in the shoulders. When they relax their shoulders and accept the the feeling of restfulness that accompanies they become more relaxed and mindful.

Shoulder Relaxation (How to explain it to your child.)

– Breath deeply and, on the exhale, allow your shoulders to drop towards the floor as if someone is pressing them downward.

– Continue to breathe deeply for five breaths, allowing your shoulders to slightly rise on the inhale and then completely drop on the exhale.

– Recognise how the muscles feel in the shoulder and neck. Remember, do not judge the tension. Just recognise it is there and release the tension.

April 17, 2020 0

Day 20- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Developing mindfulness has a lot to do with shifting of perspectives. We have some deeply laid neuropathways that allow us to fall into a habit of reactions. We don’t even realise we are reacting; we just do it. Those automatic responses more deeply ingrain responses; many which are negative or destructive to our own health and well-being.

In times of high stress, such as what is happening around the world right now, a vicious cycle can put you on edge and creates reactions devoid of all mindfulness.

You need to focus on changing that perspective and challenging your response

So, if the day is starting to get on top of you and the children, try this quick and easy strategy.

10 Second Mindfulness- STOP

This is a simple but effective strategy to refocus our attention.

S– Stop what you are doing.

T– Take a deep breathe. Breathe in for a count of 5, hold for a count of one and exhale for a count of 8.

O– Observe what is happening around you at this moment.

P– Proceed with what you were doing.

Do this as often as you need during the day. Those few mindful moments can change your reaction to what is happening around you and your children leading to a better positive response that changes the course of events.

You may want to make a few copies of STOP signs and put it in key places as a gentle reminder for giving yourself and your children a mindful moment.

April 16, 2020 0

Day 19- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

On average, children smile over 400 times a day and happy adults smile 40-50 times a day. It’s been proven that smiling reduces stress and stimulates the brain’s reward mechanisms.

Children tend to mirror what they see in their role models. In these worrying times, we need to be conscious of what we are modelling to our children.

Mindful Smiling

Ask your child, “What is a smile?”. Take time to discuss their thoughts.
Invite them to look into a mirror and explore their smile.
Use questions to prompt their exploration: “How does your face feel when you smile?”, How does your body feel when you smile?”, “How do others look when they smile?” and “ How does the smiles of others make you feel?”
Set a smiling challenge. Every time they see someone smiling, they put a token in the Smiling Jar. If your family reaches a given target, everyone gets a small treat.

April 15, 2020 0

Day 18- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

We know that breathing is a top strategy to mindfully taking control of those emotions. However, some children (and adults) still find it difficult to just dive into calm, controlled breathing. If their anxiety is at its highest point, just breathing just doesn’t cut it.

Five Things is a Mindful Diversion strategy to get the child to the point of controlled Mindful Breathing.

How to use Five Things:

If the usual breathing strategies are not working or you know the child well enough to realise the child has reach the point that Mindful Breathing will not be as effective as it can, then:

Ask the child to name five things that they can see. If they still are not engaging in actively looking for five things they can see, then you begin…
“I see a blue book.” “Do you see the blue book?” “Where is the blue book?
Continue to name things, encouraging them each time to name an object before you name an object.
Repeat with what they can hear.
Repeat with what they can smell.

By the end, the person’s mind should divert from the negative spiral and be back to the present moment where breathing strategies can have maximum impact.

NOTE: This is an equally effective strategy for children and adults.

April 14, 2020 0

Day 17- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Tower Building is like a mini-meditation. It gives children the opportunity to be quiet, think and focus just on what they are doing. Their silent fixed attention is fully in the moment of balancing the objects.

Materials required:
– A collection of objects of different sizes, these can be stones, blocks, books, boxes, etc. Ensure that a large amount have some flatness on each side. But also include a variety of colours and roundness.

– Set the challenge:
“How many stones can you use to make a tower?”

– A place to do the building

– Optional: a camera so the child can take a picture of their tower or paper and pencils so they can make a sketch of their finished tower.

April 13, 2020 0

Day 15- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Today, we will focus on the last sense, the sense of taste. Noticing what things taste like and paying attention just to that when you eat something reminds us to be in the present while also allowing us to truly appreciate what we are eating.

– At the beginning of the day, discuss that they will focus on the taste of things they eat. Then, decide to notice that on a given signal. (This could be the ringing of a bell, code word, etc.)

– Have children take a minute to notice.

– Guide them by asking them questions:
-Have you noticed something or someone you have never noticed before?
-How many different things are you noticing? (I always surprise myself when I buy a new car and all of a sudden you notice that car EVERYWHERE!)

– Have the children make a mental note about this #mindfulmoment and congratulate themselves for being in the present and proceed with their learning/work.

April 12, 2020 0

Day 14- #MindfulnessForChildrenChallenge

Our sense of touch is an important sense that can be overlooked due to the high demand we have on this sense. We process millions of sensations through touch every day.

Today, we will focus on our sense of touch by paying special attention to it for a specific point in time and truly noticing what you physically feel as you touch items through the day.

– At the beginning of the day, discuss what they are already noticing as they look around. Then, decide to notice that on a given signal. (This could be the ringing of a bell, code word, etc.)

– Have children take a minute to notice.

– Have the children make a mental note about this #mindfulmoment and congratulate themselves for being in the present and proceed with their learning/work.

April 11, 2020 0