These Mind-Body activities are some tools to help younger kids (and older – even adults) slow down, sharpen their minds, feel their somatic bodies, and recognize their own feelings.
Maybe this can be an opportunity to recognize your own feelings and thoughts – maybe even another chance to accept yourself for who you are.
Scientific research continues to tell us that we humans are interconnected even more than we had realized. This applies to each individual (the neural networks inside oneself) and among the populations of people (the literal connectedness, at the atomic level, of all matter throughout all space).
You easily can make some positive connections of mind and body (for yourself and for students of all ages) by combining stretching (which somatically feels good) with positive mental affirmations (for example, the “Thank You Stretch”).
When can students employ their breathing techniques to help them focus their mind and calm their emotions? Well, at school before a quiz or test, at home during homework, or whenever you simply want to recharge or reset.
Self-control of mind and body naturally leads to a self-control and better performance in school (and in life).
There are several breathing exercises, all of which aim to balance the mind, helping it to practice being light, focused, and controlled.
“4-4-8”
Breath in for a count of 4. Hold that breath for another count of 4. Then sloowly exhale for a long count of 8.
Earth and Sky (From Thich Nhat Hanh)
Stand with feet at a hip-width distance. Breathing in, bring your arms up above your head, palms forward. Stretch all the way up, and look up as you touch the sky. Breathing out, bend at the waist as you bring your arms down to touch the earth. Release your neck. From this position, breathe in and keep your back straight as you come all the way back up and touch the sky. Touch the earth and sky three more times.
Be Like a Flower
Breathing in, lift your arms out to the side, palms up, until your arms are shoulder level, parallel to the ground. Breathing out, touch your shoulders with your fingertips, keeping your upper arms horizontal. Breathing in, open your arms, extending them until they’re stretched out to a horizontal position again. Breathing out, bend your elbows, bringing your fingertips back to your shoulders. When you breathe in, you are like a flower opening to the warm sun. Breathing out, the flower closes. From this position with your fingertips on your shoulders, do the movement three more times. Then lower your arms back down to your sides.
Heartbeat Exercise
Students stand comfortably in one place. First, they jump up and down in place for 60 seconds. (Note: This may feel like a lot of time!) Then, they sit or lie down, placing one or both hands on their heart. Gently tell them to close their eyes and feel their heartbeats and breath, and also to see what else they notice about their bodies – for example, perspiration, pulsation, etc.
Loving Kindness Meditation
With your hands on your heart think of something you love a lot unconditionally like a your mom or your puppy and send them love, then think of someone else you love a lot – like your teacher or your best friend – and send them love. Then think of anyone else you love and send them love. Last, think of something or someone you’re not so sure about, and send them love.
Knee Hugs
Students comfortably lie on their backs. Subtly encourage both their awareness of the breath and to slow it down: As you get nice and still, and comfortable, on your back, maybe you notice your breath is getting slower. Instruct kids to hug their knees in toward their chest, and hold very still, while focusing on their own “breathing in and breathing out”.
Mindful Breathing
Students are in comfortable position. Ask gently that they close their eyes. Next, ask how their breath feels as they draw it into themselves, and then as it leaves. (If they put a hand on their belly, they’ll be able to feel the rise and the fall of their breath.) Do this about five times – five inhales, five exhales. After five breaths, guide them to any thoughts and feelings they might be aware of, then invite them to let go of those thoughts and feelings. (FOR EXAMPLE: feelings in today’s lesson.) Ask them to imagine that the thoughts and feelings are bubbles, floating away, as they return to their breathing. Repeat the breaths as many times as feels right.
Mindful Breathing 2
Lie down in comfortable position. Left hand on heart, Right hand on belly. Gently close your eyes. Notice how your breath feels as you draw it in, and then as it exhales. (If you put a hand on your belly, you’ll be able to feel the rise and the fall of your breath.) Count down slowly from 10 to 1, then from 9 to 1, then from 8 to 1, and so on, until the countdown is 2 to 1 and then simply end with “one.”
Breathing Goes Up, Breath Goes Down:
This one is great for a classroom of younger children. The intention is for them to take conscious notice of their breathing with the diaphragm.
Students lie down on their backs comfortably; each of them has their own small flat object (like a book). Gently draw their attention to the breath. I wonder if you can notice your own breathing pattern for a moment. Can you notice yourself breathing in, and then breathing out. Investigate what that really feels like inside. Maybe you can control your breathing so that it moves steady and a little slow. Maybe you can count “4-4-8”.... Have students place the book (or object) on their bellies, watching their bellies rise and fall.
Alternatively, We could imagine our bellies like balloons, as if they are expanding…… and then exhaling……. Or you can guide them vocally, like: Imagine inhaling peaceful calm, and imagine exhaling anything frustrating or….
Discussion: Can anyone notice how you’re feeling right now compared to how you were feeling before we started this activity?