Practices of Fall 2018 Mindful Moments
Lesson 1: Introduction to Mindful Elements (10/19)
Our check-in for the group was suggested by a student: Say one true and one untrue thing about yourself and the group figures out which statement is true. We then moved to a guided meditation using the Calm Kids app. The practice started with a game of Feelings and Needs. Clues were given to a person so they would guess the feeling or need card they had pulled (but not seen) from the deck.
Book: I am Human
"A hopeful meditation on all the great (and challenging) parts of being human, I Am Human
shows that it’s okay to make mistakes while also emphasizing the power of good choices by
offering a kind word or smile or by saying “I’m sorry.” At its heart, this picture book is a
celebration of empathy and compassion that lifts up the flawed fullness of humanity and
encourages children to see themselves as part of one big imperfect family—millions strong."
Other: Mindful Touch
Kids received objects they had to figure out by using their sense of touch with eyes closed as a way of exercising slowing down and exercising our sense of touch.
Lesson 2: Sensations and Feelings (11/2)
Started our session with checking-in using a mindful game of saying something that was bothering us and ending with:"and life is good." A game that gave the perspective that although there are things that we perceive as negative, life can still be an overall good experience. We then had a 4 min. guided meditation: Bullfrog Finds His Quiet Spot
Book: Listening to My Body
A book about recognizing sensations in our body when we have feelings.
Recognizing the sensations in our body can help us with our feelings and
identifying the needs we have.
Lesson 3: Exploring Sensations & Pebble Meditation (11/16)
Started our session with checking-in using a game of naming a sensation we can identify within a part of our body. A game that revealed the need for further vocabulary differentiating sensations and feelings. We then moved on to doing mindfulness practice with a song (Breathing In, Breathing Out) rather than a guided meditation.
Activity: Mindfulness & Pebble Meditation (reference book: Planting Seeds)
We explored what mindfulness is and did the exercise of Pebble Meditation, where children thought about when they feel fresh as dew, solid as a mountain, still as water and free as Space.
