More Feeling Feelings, Milkshakes and millipedes: Mindfulness matters Week 5

'...I feel sad when people don't include me in their games...'


'...I am Happy when I go to Ocean Park!...'
'I am angry when my little sister annoys me...'
'...I am afraid when a teacher looks right at me...'


So when do you feel different feelings? and where do you feel them in your body? How do you know if they are big or small feelings? and what do you do with difficult ones?

These where the questions year 2 and 6 explored today. Year 6 found it a challenge to spot how they were feeling, but were able to tell me lots of instances when they were happy/sad/scared/ angry. They knew what they did when they were angry which normally involved punching and hitting something! but when I asked 'what could you do to deal with these difficult emotions?' , the answers rang from around the room 'breathing... mindful breathing...try and be calm and breathe'. When I looked at the faces I could see they weren't just saying this to please me, they genuinely believed that the techniques would work and would be helpful! Fantastic! 

They found the exercise to deal with difficult feelings quite hard and I think Next time i would try and give them some more structure and perhaps specify the type of sad memory they could think about. This is challenging activity for adults so really challenging for children. I might go off program next week and try it again! What they really loved was SHAKING LIKE A MILKSHAKE! to finish off the session. You could feel the mood level change in the classroom in an instant and it felt great to see them with happy smiling faces! Brilliant group of kids!

Year 2 built on their exploration of fear and anger last week to look at happiness and sadness this week. They listened to a story about when Fred the Frog was sad and were able to tell stories about when they were sad, and what their faces looked like when they were sad. They loved the discussion about when they felt good, and what they looked like, and drew a fantastic set of drawings with them having birthdays, playing with sisters, going to Legoland and being a flower girl at a wedding to name but a few!: All the things that made them happy.

The finale was fantastic. 30 kids with their hands on the shoulders of the child in front of them mindfully lifting their right leg then left leg and walking like a millipede around the classroom. Absolutely priceless, and they did it brilliantly.

Next week mindful movement for the littl'uns and the wonderful world of thoughts for the big'uns!

Feeling feelings and faith in the future:Mindfulness matters wk.4

'...My fear is about a dream of going to Ocean Park and there being a shark who bites my  hand off. I wake up scared and go to sleep with my auntie. She makes it not scary anymore and I dream of friendly dinosaurs...' Year 2 on what scares him

Nightmares and parents angry with each other were the biggest fears with the group of 6 year olds I was working with today.Their biggest source of anger...frustration when told by parents they can't do something. They were very honest and open about what they were  scared of, and a real hoot when they tried to show each other what an angry face looked like!

Their ability to sit still like a frog grows each week, and the impact is being felt in the classroom with incidental improvements in concentration for paired reading and other activities.

The innocent engagement and enthusiasm for talking about their feelings is just fantastic.

'...Sometimes I see my Grandma in my mind sitting on my bed. She passed away last year...' year six student on visual images that sometimes creep into their minds

Year 6 were amazing, and I'm going to say that again they were amazing! 

We looked at their 'movie mind' and having faith in the future. They were so engaged, interested and focused I just wanted to stay and talk to them for ever! Visualisation is a difficult skill to master but they really had a go at it including the wonderful but tricky wishing tree activity where they try and visualise a heartfelt dream/ desire and let it go

Their practice with mindfulness is really paying off, and you can feel the increase in focus. 

Next week more feeling feelings!

Mindfulness matters Week 3: 'Raisin' awareness of the senses!

'Its Soup... How can I

 eat soup Mindfully?' 

Year 6 student approaching  their  lunch  after  today's  session

So after a two week break over Chinese New year the students returned to Mindfulness matters week 3. This week was focused around sensory exploration, paying conscious attention to things that perhaps we take for granted.

The Year 2's  approached the task of trying to see, hear, smell, touch and taste a raisin as if it was a strange object from the moon with a lot of wonder! Some of them were amazed at how strong and bitter the raisin tasted, and the difference in texture between the outside and inside. All were surprised that raisins had a sound when you roll them next to your ear!

Their patience was tested when they were asked to slowly walk  mindfully  around their shared area concentrating on their feet and how it felt to walk, but they were completely calm by the time they got back to the classroom!

For the Year 6's the session started off with an activity around checking out the internal 'weather forecast' of their feelings, and a discussion of how quickly the 'weather' can change. They too did the raisin activity, and agreed to try and eat their lunch slowly and mindfully. Following a short activity sitting still like a frog, their teacher commented on how much better they are getting at quickly paying attention to their breathing!

Next week, feeling feelings for the Year 2's and Patience and faith for the Year 6's