'I felt like I was so relaxed...like i was sinking in to the floor...'
So week 2 of the program and the teachers report that the children are really enjoying the mindfulness exercises and asking when they are going to do them in the day. The focus for this session was all about the body, recognizing pain and tension and trying to relax.
The Year 2s had a good shake then stopped, and discussed where their stop button would be if they had one, and when they might want to press it! They had a go at clenching and relaxing their fists, talked about when their body hurts and where, and finished off with some yoga exercises, stretching like a cat in the sun. We also tried sitting still like a frog again.
Its interesting that I can see almost a split developing between those who like doing the movements and those who like being still and breathing. Lets see how it goes over the next few weeks, if they come together, drift further apart, or if this flips completely?
Year 6 also had a focus on the body but at a more sophisticated level. After an extended sitting still like a frog we talked about recognising body signs of anger, happiness and worry. We finished off with the 'Spaghetti test' In this exercise the object was to help the students become relaxed as a plate of spaghetti! They lay down on the floor of the classroom with coats for pillows, and then received instructions to tense and relax different parts of their body, breathing out all their tension.
For a large number of the students this was very powerful. They commented on how relaxed they felt, how they felt like they were sinking through the floor...there were a lot of smiling faces! I've asked them to try it out if they feel stressed, or if they cant sleep, or just if they want to relax. Lets see how many of them have used it by next session! Nothing next week as its Chinese new year
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
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