Autumn Mindfulness for Children

Autumn is an amazing season. The crisp, cool air, the fluttering of leaves falling to the ground and the smell of nature changing as it prepares for winter. Appreciating the world around us allows for a deepening of our mindfulness practice and no one does it better than children. Why not celebrate this change with some of these Autumn filled Mindfulness ideas?

Leaf Meditation Find a place where your class can have a few minutes of quiet space; maybe it is in your school’s nature area, in a local park, a walk through some woodlands or, if all else fails, the classroom with access to lots of newly fallen leaves. Have the children: – 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 their fingers over the top and bottom; along the edges. Notice the differences. Rub it against their face or over the top of their 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. Have them close their eyes and take a minute to breathe deeply and allow themselves to be in awe and wonder of the moment they have had with the leaf.

Autumn Nature Walk Take the children on a nature walk. While on the walk, periodically have the children stop and notice one object (flower, stone, stick, leaf, etc) or sound (bird chirping, water trickling, car passing, etc) and spend a few moments appreciating that one moment. Repeat several times. When they get back to class, have them recreate their walk through drawings or doodles while listening to soothing Autumn themed meditation Music. ( https://youtu.be/w0szAwgybZs )

Walking Labyrinths Create Walking Labyrinths using leaves, stick, pine cones, etc for children to walk. How to do a Walking Labyrinth Meditation? 1. Take deep breaths to begin to relax and focus on the entrance to the labyrinth. 2. Children are to slowly walk the path of the labyrinth, focusing on one step at a time taking a deep breath on each step. Once at the centre of the labyrinth, they turn around and return to the entrance. 3. When they are finished, have them sit back, breathe deeply and relax. Observe how you are feeling again.

PlayDough Mindfulness Have children make their own Play Dough adding Autumn themed spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all spice or pumpkin spice to enhance the smell. Use the Play Dough to create a nature mandala. Find the instructions for making the playdough and creating the mandalas here.

Autumn Meditation Music Set the scene in the Classroom by using Autumn Meditation music like this one: https://youtu.be/w0szAwgybZs . It mixes nice calm music with the sounds of nature. It is useful to use during transition periods, writing or handwriting periods. Happy Autumn everyone!

Find more mindfulness strategies for children and adults here: www.educationsvoice.wordpress.com or for more ideas for teachers, 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Mindfulness In The Classroom published by Bloomsbury or 50 Fantastic Ideas for Mindfulness published by Featherstone which is part of the Early Years Series.

September 12, 2021 0

Mindful Gratitude During a Pandemic

Ok, let’s be honest! 2020 has been rubbish!

There really isn’t any way to get around that. It started out so promising as we rung in the new year but it quickly turned out to be one that was going to challenge the whole world when the COVID-19 Pandemic reared it’s ugly head.

The stress and pain it has caused to everyone was not what anyone was prepared for. Our usual resilience quickly began eroding as we have been faced with challenges we never even contemplated or planned for. This is the basis of best selling novels and movies. Not actual life!

However, here we are heading towards the end of 2020 and we are living in a time like no other.

It is easy to get caught up in the negativity that the pandemic has brought with it. We start to focus on what we can’t do, what we lost and what we want back in our lives. We forget that negativity feeds negativity but TODAY you can change that.

Pledge to show mindful gratitude today. Use this time to find the things you are thankful for in your life no matter how big or small that may be.

Positivity begets positivity and with that a positive mental attitude that fortifies the resilience we will need to stay strong in the mist of adversity.

How can you have Mindful Gratitude?

1- Guided Meditations: Some people have a hard time starting a practice of Mindful Gratitude. Our negative thoughts push away the positivity or we just don’t know where to begin. Start the day with a Guided Meditation for Gratitude. Allow the meditation to guide you through your exploration of gratitude. Here are some nice Gratitude Meditations: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL76Tcrfnqwv5Mxt47DEZaZ1s6Ps3L3tL6

2- Make a List… one thankful thought at a time. You don’t have to make a long list to develop gratitude. You don’t even need a fancy sheet of paper or notebook. Just start a list. Begin each day by writing one thing you are grateful for onto the list and each day read the list in it’s entirety.

3- Thank You Notes/Cards/Emails/Social Media Posts: Choose one person or group of people that have make a difference in your life (big or small). You can do this anonymously if you like. It doesn’t matter. Just write the note and ensure they get it. Expressing gratitude makes both you and the receiver feel better. Why not do this every day or week?

Life will not always be a bed of roses, as we know. There will always be a thorns along the way.

How you react to those thorns will set the scene for your everyday life. Mindful gratitude reminds us to appreciate the scent of those roses.

October 26, 2020 0

Autumn Mindfulness- Recharge

Stop! Take a deep breathe and look!

For those who work in education, the start of this school year has been like none before. The COVID-19 Pandemic has challenged schools and the people who worked in them in ways that causes daily stress and concern. Everyone is hyper vigilant in order to keep our school communities as safe as possible. However, with that, we are having to work within strict protocols, quickly changing situations and unknown territory that has made 7 weeks feel like 36 weeks.

Across most of the UK and half-term break is finally here. It is time to recharge our batteries and soothe our battered emotions.

With Autumn upon us, the air has a new crispness, the trees are undressing themselves as the technicolor leaves whip around and fall to the ground as the wind blows around you. There is a new earthy scent. We can get outside, fill our lungs with fresh air and give ourselves much needed TLC.

Stop! Take a deep breathe! Autumn is here!

Take five minutes now to take part in this lovely Autumn Mediation to help you relax and find peace within your Mindfulness practice.

Autumn Meditation

For this mediation, you will need a fallen Autumn leaf.

Find a space where you can have five uninterrupted minutes. Maybe it is in your back garden, in a local park, or a walk through some woodlands. It may even be that you collect a leaf while out and about and complete the meditation within the comfort of your home. It really doesn’t matter as long as you have your leaf.

– 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.

Happy Autumn!

October 25, 2020 0

Mindfulness in the Classroom – Autumn Mindfulness

Why not celebrate this change with some of these Autumn filled Mindfulness ideas.

Leaf Meditation

Find a place where your class can have a few minutes of quiet space; maybe it is in your school’s nature area, in a local park, a walk through some woodlands or, if all else fails, the classroom with access to lots of newly fallen leaves.

Have the children:
– 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 their fingers over the top and bottom; along the edges. Notice the differences. Rub it against their face or over the top of their 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.

Have them close their eyes and take a minute to breathe deeply and allow themselves to be in awe and wonder of the moment they have had with the leaf.

Autumn Nature Walk
Take the children on a nature walk. While on the walk, periodically have the children stop and notice one object (flower, stone, stick, leaf, etc) or sound (bird chirping, water trickling, car passing, etc) and spend a few moments appreciating that one moment. Repeat several times. When they get back to class, have them recreate their walk through drawings or doodles while listening to soothing Autumn themed meditation Music. ( https://youtu.be/w0szAwgybZs )

Walking Labyrinths

Create Walking Labyrinths using leaves, stick, pine cones, etc for children to walk.

How to do a Walking Labyrinth Meditation?
1. Take deep breaths to begin to relax and focus on the entrance to the labyrinth.
2. Children are to slowly walk the path of the labyrinth, focusing on one step at a time taking a deep breath on each step. Once at the centre of the labyrinth, they turn around and return to the entrance.
3. When they are finished, have them sit back, breathe deeply and relax. Observe how you are feeling again.

PlayDough Mindfulness

Have children make their own Play Dough adding Autumn themed spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all spice or pumpkin spice to enhance the smell. Use the Play Dough to create a nature mandala. Find the instructions for making the playdough and creating the mandalas here.

Autumn Meditation Music

Set the scene in the Classroom by using Autumn Meditation music like this one: https://youtu.be/w0szAwgybZs . It mixes nice calm music with the sounds of nature. It is useful to use during transition periods, writing or handwriting periods.

Happy Autumn everyone!

October 29, 2017 0