Mindfulness

Here are some mindfulness ideas to encourage relaxation and calmness (please click on the headings and follow the link).  They are fun to do together.  If you know of any other activities/ideas that you have tried please post it in as a comment as we'd love to keep adding new ideas to the Blog.  



In Ahuriri we love joining Jamie from Cosmic Kids as she goes on many adventures.  Jamie is great at incorporating many different yoga poses into her stories.  Some adventures are high energy and others are calm and relaxing as we stretch away any tension.

 Cosmic Kids



At school, if we are finding we are having strong emotions which are unsettling us, we try to take slow, deep breaths.  Some of the following strategies help us to do this:



To ensure we are present in the moment it is important that we are in touch with how our body and mind is feeling.  A 'body scan' is a great way to try and help us with this, it only takes a couple of moments.



Other Useful ideas to help with mindfulness:

Spend time with nature, either on a walk close to home or in your own garden.  Take time to use all your senses to look, smell, touch, hear and possibly taste what is around you.
Lay on the grass or on your trampoline and look up at the sky - what do you notice? What shapes/pictures can you see in the clouds? Watch them move, listen to the sounds you hear.
Toy breathing - put a small favourite toy on your tummy.  Breathe deeply using your diaphragm.  Watch your toy rise and fall as you breathe.
Lay on the floor or sit quietly in a chair, close your eyes if you wish.  Listen to soft music and breathe slowly.  
Spend time with your pets, pat and cuddle them (if they allow) or go and find some animals to watch on a walk or bike ride.  Pets and animals can have a wonderful calming influence.



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