Lesson 1. Mindfulness of Emotion

 

Guided Breathing Exercise | 5:00 |  Sun Breath

Today in our mindful breathing exercise we are going to imagine we are breathing in the glowing warmth of sunlight

 

Educators | 

Before reading our breathing exercise remind your students to sit still with their mindful bodies on and spine tall like a mountain. 

Now remind students to gently breathe in and slowly breathe out letting go of any tension they can feel in their mind and body. 

 

Let's Begin | 

1. Gently close your eyes and imagine you are sitting on the beach and it is a warm and sunny day
2. Now gently place your hand on your heart
3. Imagine and feel the sun radiating, glowing and warming your head and the top of your shoulders
4. When you can feel the warmth of the sun take a deep breath in and slowly breathe the sunlight into your heart.
5. Allow your heart to fill up with this sunlight and feel your heart beaming and glowing. Hold this light in your heart for 5 seconds, then slowly breathe out.
6. Now take another slow long breath in. Absorbing all the suns golden rays and breathe the warm sunlight right down into your belly this time
7. Feel your belly expanding with the warmth of the beautiful sun energising your body. 
8. Hold this warm sun energy in your body for 5 seconds, then slowly breathe out.
9. Repeat one more time and notice how light and relaxed your body and mind feel

 

Reflection with students |

• Were you able to feel the warmth of the sun in your heart and belly?
• Do you feel more relaxed after doing this breathing exercise?

 

Mindfulness Lesson | 5:00 | Mindfulness of Emotion

Objective: In this lesson, we help students to understand the relationship between thoughts, emotions and sensations. The students will learn how to relax and regulate their bodies when they are feeling stressed with a breathing practice called vacuum breath.

 

Educators | 

This is a great skill to learn in the classroom to calm kids before a test or exam, or if there is a conflict between students. 

 

Let's Begin |

Today we will explore emotions. We will explore how emotions can make us feel, where we feel emotions in our body and learn how to relax and let go when we are experiencing difficult emotions.

 

Discussion |

• Can anyone share with the class what emotion is? 
• Emotion is a feeling we experience such as love, fear, anger and sadness. This can result in physical sensations or changes in our body, and can also affect our mood.
• Ask the class to share some emotions they may experience.
• Ask the class what they can do when they are experiencing difficult emotions to help them feel better.

 

Remind students that all emotions are ok and it's normal to experience different emotions.

 

Mindfulness Exercise | 5:00 | Vacuum Breath

Today we are going to do an exercise to help everyone work through their difficult emotions, by tracking your thoughts and feelings, realising when they are triggered and learning to relax and let go.

It's a great tool you can use when big or small emotions feel difficult to manage.

 

Let's begin |

For this exercise, students sit with legs crossed in a mindful posture with eyes closed, or they may lay down if they wish.

 

Vacuum Breath |

• Invite students to bring their awareness to different parts of their body, head, shoulders, spine belly and legs. Ask students to notice any tension or stress they may be experiencing.
• Now invite students to imagine that there is a vacuum cleaner in their stomachs, ask students to decorate this vacuum cleaner with colours, flowers or stickers.
• The vacuum cleaner can suck up any tension or stress as we take a long inhale, any stress from our heads, shoulders, anywhere in our body down into the bottom of our bellies.
• Then we can hold the breath for three seconds in the belly, and when we release our breath, imagine we are releasing any gunk sucked up down into the ground.

 

Let's try again |

• After students have practised the vacuum breathe invite them to imagine a recent moment when they felt a little annoyed or frustrated
• As they are picturing this scene, they should notice how it affects their bodies. Are their shoulders tight? Does their breath quicken. Is there face hot?
• When they notice how the frustrating experience affects their bodies they can begin practising the vacuum breath, pulling all the tension from their bodies into their stomachs and then releasing it down into the Earth.
• Invite students to notice anywhere there is tension, breathe it into the belly, hold the breathe there for three seconds, and then let it go.

 

Reflection |

• How do you feel after doing vacuum breathe? 
• Do you feel the same different?

 

Remember to remind the children never to judge what they are feeling or try to change it. Accept that the feelings are there, acknowledge it, and let it go using vacuum breath. 

 

Mindfulness Life Practise | 

Now that students have experienced vacuum breath, tell them they can use it anywhere. 

1. Remind them if they get angry or upset at a sibling, or,  their parents won’t let them do something they really want to do, or if they are scared about facing a new challenge, they can use Vacuum Breath.
2. Ask the students to practise using it over the next week and share with class next Mindfulness Lesson

 

Also remember to practise your meditation, try to really imagine how it feels to have different emotions in your body

Guided Meditation |  9:34 | The Weather Inside You

Let students know this is their special time to relax and calm their mind and body. Invite your students to sit or lay in a comfortable position and gently close their eyes. If thoughts come and go that's ok.

 

Note sensitive children |

When asking the students to close their eyes remember some students may not feel safe. Suggest that they can focus their gaze on the floor in front of them, but it is helpful not to get distracted by looking around.

 

Let's begin |

Just take a moment to slowly breathe in and slowly breathe out. What is the weather like inside your body today? Are you feeling sunny and bright inside? Or does it feel cloudy and a little grey? If you wish, place one hand on your belly and gently connect with the weather that best describes how you feel….

Join Isabelle as she guides another magical meditation for children.

 

Reflection |

• How do you feel?
• Did you feel any emotions?
• What were they?

 

Mindful Game |  Mind Body Connection Game

Materials |

• Large Ball
• Palm Cards

Depending on the size of the group have 10 - 20 palm cards with some normal day to day situations written on them. There are some examples below for you to use.

1. Imagine biting into a piece of lemon.
1. Where do you feel the sensation in your body
2. How does it make you feel
2. Think about the funniest movie you ever saw.
1. Where do you feel the sensation in your body
2. How does it make you feel
3. You notice your best friend is feeling sad, you give them a big hug to help them make them feel better.
1. Where do you feel the sensation in your body
2. How does it make you feel
4. Imagine your mum or dad surprise you with your favourite sweet treat after school today.
1. Where do you feel the sensation in your body?
2. How does it make you feel?
5. Imagine being at the snow and feeling the freezing snow falling on your face and hands
1. Where do you feel the sensation in your body?
2. How does it make you feel?
6. Imagine sitting down to dinner, you take a bit and it’s a hot spicy curry
1. Where do you feel the sensation in your body?
2. How does it make you feel?

 

Objective |

To help children understand the connection between what’s happening in our minds and what’s happening in our bodies

 

Talking Point |

• Can your thoughts change how your body feels? 
• Can your emotions change how your body feels? 
• Can how your body feels change your emotions?

 

How to play | 

• Students sit in a circle with the leader holding the ball. All legs must be crossed.
• The teacher reads out the card and the student holding the ball must comment on where they feel the sensation in their body and how the statement makes them feel within 5 seconds before passing the ball to next  player anywhere in the circle
• The teacher now reads out the next card.
• This next player with the ball must now also say where they feel the sensation in their body, and how this makes them feel.
• Continue as above, This is meant to be a fast-paced game.
• Players who cannot identify a feeling or sensation within 5 seconds are out and uncross their legs.

 

Suggestion |

Sometimes it can be fun if students roll the ball to different students at random. Make sure each student gets a turn

 

Mindful Journal | PNG Format |

Educators |

Slide your students' journal to your desktop and print.