Mindful moments can be extremely beneficial for kids, especially during the school day. Similar to exercise and activity breaks, they can help students refocus their energy and be more attentive to the lesson at hand.
The easiest way to introduce mindfulness to someone is to walk them through an activity and ask them to be aware of their thoughts. You can do this through conversation and by asking questions, or as a work-alone activity where students draw a picture based on their thoughts.
A mindful activity that will work for all ages (including adults) is imagining a favorite place. Ask students to take note of several details about their favorite place, such as:
Temperature: Is the air warm or cool? Are they inside or outside?
Sound: Is this place loud or is it quiet? What specific sounds can they hear?
Smell: Are there specific smells associated with their favorite place? Perhaps cooking or nature smells?
Sights – What unique things make up this place? What colors are abundant?
This is a great activity to introduce during the school day, perhaps right before a test, when students need to calm their bodies and quiet their minds. They can use this activity easily at home before bed, or during other times when the mind needs to be refocused.
Habits are best established when they are practiced both inside and outside the classroom – and kids will be much more likely to follow the example of the adults in their life. So make sure you the teacher are also following along with the mindful activity, and share details about your favorite place. Get parents involved by sending home a note explaining mindfulness and how they can practice with kids at home. Or ask students to lead their family through the activity! Kids will love being able to “teach” Mom and Dad something, and parents will love feeling like they are a part of their child’s day.
For more great mindfulness tips, visit www.amazenu.com. amaZEN U has hundreds of yoga and mindfulness videos for home or the classroom. Subscriptions start at just $9/month.
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