# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Inspired by questions from my last article on how to actually teach mindfulness to kids, I'm putting out a new weekly post with FUN mindfulness exercises for the family. After all, who said mindfulness had to be a drag?!

Remember, mindfulness takes training. The goal is to train your mind to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgement or criticism. In this, you can cut out habitual, negative thought patterns and prevent downward spirals of negativity. You further carve a path to access expansive inner resources of peace, contentment, meaning, and well-being.

If you want to go deeper with your learning, there are many good on and offline materials available. In fact, one of the best books I've read on the subject is Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World.

This post (and the ones to follow) will primarily deliver fun and simple exercises you can practice with the family. One goal of these exercises is to train the mind to purposefully focus attention on a present experience. Try them in the morning, before bed, or at my favorite place/time: the dinner table right before you eat.

2. Create magnetic hands.

For more mindfulness and anxiety relief exercises, join us at www.gozen.com.

Parents Mindfulness mindfulness practice Breathing Exercises

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
parents mindfulness mindfulness practice breathing exercises

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Mindful Minute: 3 Fun Mindfulness Exercises For Kids (Illustrated)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Inspired by questions from my last article on how to actually teach mindfulness to kids, I'm putting out a new weekly post with FUN mindfulness exercises for the family. After all, who said mindfulness had to be a drag?! Remember, mindfulness takes training.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Positive Affirmation Mazes mindfulness activity was created to build confidence through positive thinking. They focus on student strengths and building self-esteem. They make a great brain break activity or addition to calm down corners. This collection includes a variety of types, styles and size...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mindfulness Activity - Labyrinths | Mazes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Mindful Labyrinths mindfulness activity is great for helping students with anxiety and stress. The labyrinths (mazes) are often effective for helping students relax and focus. They work great in calm down areas and before tests to help reduce test anxiety.These can be used as finger Labyrinths o...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Explain Mindful Colouring to Kids - Moments A Day

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how to practice mindful colouring from two experts who use colouring in their work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
How to Explain Mindful Colouring to Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Four years ago, the staff and faculty at Reach Academy in Oakland realized just how much their students needed additional tools to help them regulate their emotions. In an attempt to offer more psychological support, they reached out to Grossman who is a teacher and co-founder of Mindful Schools. The definition of mindfulness, says Grossman, is to "pay attention, on purpose, to the present moment."

While at first students practicing mindfulness struggled to close their eyes and trust Grossman, they soon recognized the potential benefits.
STUDENTS TAKING THE LEAD
Eventually, Musumeci's students became so comfortable with their new life skills that they clamored to lead the practice themselves. One student was eager to start first by taking his classmates through a mindful breathing exercise.

Then he gave his peers additional instructions, such as, "Sit up straight, remain still and silent. Close your eyes and focus on the breath. See if you can feel your breath in your nose, your chest, and your belly."

Before the children began practicing mindfulness, the teachers had struggled to help the students recognize their emotions, pay attention in class and communicate their feelings verbally instead of using their fists. After beginning the practice, a sense of serenity entered the classroom, and the teachers and school administrators recognized how much mindfulness had changed the school climate.
SHARING THE STORY OF MINDFULNESS
One of Musumeci's most rambunctious students enjoyed mindfulness so much that he came to school dressed as "The Master of Mindfulness" on "Super Hero Spirit Day."

When his classmates asked him why he had chosen this as his superhero, he told Musumeci, "When I practice mindfulness, I feel calm and it helps me to learn." The class shared his story with Grossman, and she asked them how they could share the practice with others. The students wanted to write a book.

For three months, Grossman met with the kids in Musumeci's class several times a week. They brainstormed about the information they wanted to share in their book and ended up deciding it would include three major points: a definition of mindfulness, the specific ways mindfulness has helped them, and how other children can benefit from the practice. They worked with a local artist to help bring their stories to life.

Their book, Master of Mindfulness: How to Be Your Own Superhero in Times of Stress is a mindfulness book written by kids for kids. The book teaches other children how mindfulness can help distill family conflicts, sad feelings and sibling rivalry.

Writing the book also served as a form of narrative therapy for the students. Through the writing process, they realized just how much mindfulness has helped them to respond instead of react to the trauma and stress in their lives, such as the death of a parent, divorce and poverty.

"Children are often powerless to harness personal control over their life circumstances," says Musumeci. "Mindfulness taught our kids that they have the ability to make wise choices, and it's strengthened their resiliency."

The student authors began eighth grade this fall, and they continue to use mindfulness to help other children, too. In June, four of the student authors went to Park Day School in Oakland and spoke to a fourth-grade class and two second-grade classes about Master of Mindfulness. And at Reach Academy, mindfulness continues to be an integral part of the school curriculum.

In the end, mindfulness taught these children that they are all connected by way of the breath, and this awareness has helped them to feel calmer while strengthening their sense of community.
Juli Fraga is a psychologist and writer in San Francisco. You can find her on Twitter @dr_fraga

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Mindfulness and Storytelling Help Kids Heal and Learn

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Four years ago, the staff and faculty at Reach Academy in Oakland realized just how much their students needed additional tools to help them regulate their emotions. In an attempt to offer more psychological support, they reached out to Grossman who is a teacher and co-founder of Mindful Schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Today I am excited to team up with the lovely Leonie MacDonald of Relax Kids Canberra to bring you part four of the Managing Big Emotions printable poster series (you can find all of the other posters in the series in our Feelings & Emotions resource collection) - this newest addition is a simple breathing exercise that is super awesome for kids as it can be performed discretely and literally used anywhere.

When we are stressed or upset nature's 'fight or flight' response takes over - increasing our heart rate, making our breathing fast and shallow, and sending blood from our brain out to our limbs ready to escape or challenge the perceived threat or danger. While stress hormones are flooding our bodies and we are gripped by this programmed response it is very hard to slow down, become calm, express our feelings or think rationally about what is happening to us and how we are responding. Our thought processes and self-control are actually hindered by our biological stress response.

When stressed, children may experience an additional layer of fear or distress as they feel out of control and overwhelmed, not understanding what is happening to them or why. As adults, we are more aware of our feelings and of the physiological changes that come with these, but even we may have a hard time managing our own behaviour.

This Take 5 Breathing Exercise is a wonderful way to switch off the stress response. It brings the body back into balance, slowing and deepening the breath and slowing down the heart rate, while harnessing the need to move with an action that requires focus and provides sensory feedback to our brains. Best of all, Take 5 Breathing is simple, enjoyable, free, and you can use it anywhere, anytime.

Be sure to also check out our brand new Social Emotional Learning Journal - perfect for encouraging students to creatively explore a wide range of emotions; and develop emotional awareness and relationship building skills.

What is Take 5 Breathing?
During take 5 breathing, children concentrate on taking five slow breaths in through their nose and out through their mouths. Children may need to practice this first as they may be mouth breathing. If you notice that your child finds breathing through their nose a challenge, invite them to imagine they are smelling a beautiful flower or their favourite food as they breathe in, and then to breathe out with a big sigh. (Breathing in and smelling a beautiful smell and breathing out with a sigh because it smelt so good.) At the same time as breathing, children will focus on the action of tracing up and down the fingers of one hand and the gentle sensations this creates. Here is how it works:

Five Steps to Feeling Calm (use this as a guide to teach your child)

1. Spread your hand and stretch your fingers out like a star. You can choose your left hand or your right hand. Pretend the pointer finger of your other hand is a pencil and imagine you are going to trace around the outline of your hand and fingers.

2. Start at the bottom of your thumb and slide your finger up your thumb, pause at the top, and then slide your finger down the other side. Now slide your pointer up your second finger, pause, and slide down the other side. Continue tracing your fingers up, pause, and down. Slide your finger slowly, watch your finger move and notice how it feels. Keep going until you have finished tracing your fifth finger (pinky).

3. Now you are ready to add some breathing. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. Remember to keep it slow and steady.

4. Place your pointer finger at the bottom of your thumb, and breathe in as you slide up. Breathe out as you slide down. Breathe in as you slide up your second finger, and breathe out as you slide down. Keep going until you have finished tracing your fingers and you have taken five slow breaths.

5. How does your body feel now? Do you feel calm or would you like to take another five?

Most children find the sensory aspect of this breathing method very soothing and settling. You can see a demonstration of the technique here:

If your child dislikes the sensation of sliding their finger up and down their hand try one of these adaptations;

Trace an outline of their hand on a piece of card and they can trace their finger along the outline. You can create a textured outline or cut out the shape if this works better.

An alternative that involves no touching is to stretch their fingers out like candles on a cake and slowly blow each candle out and tuck the finger into the palm.

Practising Take 5 Breathing
The best time to practise the Take 5 Breathing Exercise, or any calm down method, is when everyone is happy and no one feels stressed. Children find it hard to learn or use these techniques when they are already overwhelmed by big feelings (so do adults!) and it is important that we don't force, push or demand that children use a calm down method. The last thing our children need is pressure to succeed at relaxing! Letting a poster or picture act as a reminder rather than verbally telling our children what to do when they are feeling overcome with emotion and stress can be more effective.

Helping Your Children Process Their Emotions Once They Are Calm
While Take 5 Breathing addresses the stress response, our children need to know that their big feelings are important and we do want to hear what is going on for them. There is a difference clamping up and shutting our feelings away and calming down so that we can talk about our feelings and express them in a safe way. If children feel angry, hurt or worried, their feelings will probably still be there once they have calmed down. That makes it the perfect time to connect, reassure and listen to your children.

How To Print Your Take 5 Breathing Exercise Poster

Click here to download: Take 5 Breathing Exercise for Kids. Save the PDF to your computer. Open the PDF and print the page you require. When printing, select "Fit to printable area" (or similar) to ensure the page fits with your printer type and local paper size (this has been created at A4 size). I suggest printing onto card stock or matte photo paper. Laminate the printed poster for durability.

Having trouble accessing or downloading the file? Please try a different internet browser.
Please note: All Childhood 101 printables are for personal use only, you may not use any part of this content for commercial purposes-that includes selling the document, giving it away to promote your business or website, or printing the file to sell. You may not share, loan or redistribute these documents. Teachers may use multiple copies for students in their own classroom.

About Leonie: Leonie MacDonald is a qualified primary teacher, a Relax Kids coach and mother of two boys aged 9 and 6. She lives with her family in Canberra. Leonie loves cooking, growing her own food with occasional success, knitting, craft, making gifts, reading and meditation.

While mothering a sensitive, easily over stimulated and overwhelmed toddler, Leonie realised that the same relaxation and meditation techniques she had learnt in pregnancy could help children to cope with stress and unwind. So she began to create her own simple bedtime meditations and massage to help her children fall asleep. During this time Leonie discovered Relax Kids products and began to use these to bring calm into her home. Massage and meditation helped Leonie to gently wean both her children and continues to help them to relax and unwind. Connect with Leonie via the Relax Kids Canberra Facebook page.

If you haven't yet, print each of the first three posters in the series by clicking on each image below

Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Take 5 Breathing Exercise for Kids: Learn to Manage Big Emotions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today I am excited to team up with the lovely Leonie MacDonald of Relax Kids Canberra to bring you part four of the Managing Big Emotions printable poster series (you can find all of the other posters in the series in our Feelings & Emotions resource collection) - this newest addition is a simple breathing exercise that is super awesome for kids as it can be performed discretely and literally used anywhere.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
New Horizon - Meditation & Sleep Stories

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mindfulness Meditation for Kids | BREATHING EXERCISE | Guided Meditation for Children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As I mentioned in a previous post on creating mindful practices in the classroom, daily mindfulness exercises promote attention, focus, and compassion in the classroom! I wanted to talk more in depth about one of my favorite mindfulness exercises. It is perfect for a check-in activity with specific students or a classroom mindfulness activity to start the day on the right foot.

This post contains an affiliate link.

Daily Intentions

Setting daily intentions is exactly what it sounds like: students determine what they want to accomplish that day. This could be an academic goal, a behavior goal, or a social goal. You can have your students write down their goals or just think about them, but writing down the goals makes them feel more concrete!

After students have decided what they want to accomplish for the day, begin a mindfulness exercise. Students will tune in to their current states. They will notice how they are feeling. They will notice the thoughts they are beginning their day with.

Then, they'll consider how their current state of feeling and thinking will help or hurt them as they work toward their daily intentions. What changes do they need to make? What can they do, think, or say that will help them to realign toward their daily intentions?

Your students may have mantras they use to help them realign, they may need to visit a calming area, write in a journal, write a note, or something else to take ownership of the process. As your students become more aware of their own states and how these affect their interactions with others and success in the classroom, give them the space to self-correct with strategies they have identified to be personally meaningful. While this may take 10-15 minutes during the day, it will certainly pay dividends in the long run as students are able to self-regulate and point themselves toward their goals.

Supporting Materials

Mindfulness Cards:

If you're not sure where to start with leading your students through a mindfulness exercise, these mindfulness cards are the perfect set to get you started! There are 26 mindfulness scripts, including a daily intentions script. There's also a student journal for self-reflection to promote self-awareness and watercolor posters to create a mindfulness space in the room.

Breathe Like a Bear:

During Amazon Prime Day, I picked up Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey. The book has 30 mindfulness exercises for students, and one in particular is perfect for a daily intentions activity. It's called Today I'm Going to Be... Students can focus on how they want to treat others during the day, which is a great way to use mindfulness to promote classroom community and positive peer relationships! Get a copy on Amazon with the link below:

How are you using mindfulness to help your students begin the day on the right foot? Share your favorite classroom mindfulness activity in the comments section!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Classroom Mindfulness Activity: Setting Daily Intentions - Counselor Keri

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As I mentioned in a previous post on creating mindful practices in the classroom, daily mindfulness exercises promote attention, focus, and compassion in the classroom! I wanted to talk more in depth about one of my favorite mindfulness exercises.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mindfulness is such a hot topic in education and school counseling right now. Many counselors want to use mindfulness in their classroom guidance lessons but wonder about how to teach kids about mindfulness so that they truly grasp the concept. If you're working with elementary aged students, keep reading to find some awesome read-aloud mindfulness books to start your lesson on the right foot!

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.

What Does it Mean to be Present?

It doesn't get any more straightforward than this! What Does it Mean to Be Present by Rana DiOrio explains in simple, practical terms what it means to truly be present in the moment. This is a great introduction to mindfulness for your early elementary students!

My Magic Breath

My Magic Breath by Nick Ortner is a great tool to teach students how to calm their bodies and minds through mindful breathing. It is an interactive book with gorgeous illustrations that will help students make connections between their emotions and their bodies.

Bee Still

by Frank Silio is about a bee who chooses to not be a "busy bee" and instead meditates to find inner peace. Other creatures soon follow his lead to find their own inner peace! This book pairs well with my gardening-themed Kindergarten classroom guidance unit!

Mind Bubbles

Mind Bubbles by Heather Krantz guides students through breathing exercises to address thoughts and feelings that pop into their minds like bubbles. It also includes a mindfulness script to use in your lesson and is great for younger students.

Charlotte and the Quiet Place

Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin highlights the busyness of our world and how it affects children. Charlotte enjoys quiet but can't seem to escape the noise all around her! She finds a perfect quiet spot to tune in to herself and refocus. This book has beautiful illustrations and features a child of color.

Breathe Like a Bear

Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey is a collection of mini mindfulness exercises rather than a storybook. It's perfect for mindful morning exercises in the classroom or check-ins with students at the beginning of the day.

I am Peace

I love everything Susan Verde and Peter Reynolds do! is a beautifully illustrated mindfulness all about finding peace through being present. It's simply stated and easy to understand for all elementary students. It also includes a guided meditation to use with your students.

A Handful of Quiet

This book by Thich Nhat Hanh introduces students to mindful connections with nature using stones. The book describes how to use pebble meditation to relieve stress, deal with hard feelings, and build concentration.

Puppy Mind

Puppies tend to wander, just like our minds! In this book by Andrew Jordan Nance, students will learn how to train their minds to focus on the present moment rather than wandering to the past or the future.

Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda

Monkey hasn't always been mindful; his thoughts quickly move from one thing to another. But with a little help from Panda, Monkey learns the power of being present! This title by Lauren Alderfer is perfect for your early elementary students.

A World of Pausabilities

A World of Pausabilities is another title by Frank Silio, and I love the play on words here. This book teaches students the importance of taking pauses in their lives by breathing and paying attention to their thoughts, feelings, and sensations. I love this book because it emphasizes that everyone can choose their own way to pause and be mindful!

The Lemonade Hurricane

Henry is constantly moving from one thing to the next, never fully present in any activity. His big sister Emma teaches him the practice of being still and present. This title by Licia Morelli is a great introduction to meditation for your upper elementary students.

You can see all of these books plus a few more here on Amazon!

If you're ready to start implementing mindfulness exercises in your classroom guidance lessons, don't miss this post that is full of ideas to get your students engaged! And if you're looking for more books to line your shelf, check out these other books I love for school counseling!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Great Books about Mindfulness for School Counseling

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mindfulness is such a hot topic in education and school counseling right now. Many counselors want to use mindfulness in their classroom guidance lessons but wonder about how to teach kids about mindfulness so that they truly grasp the concept.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I taught a mindfulness class at my daughters' elementary school this week. Unsurprisingly, the kids taught me way more than I taught them.

While I was doing research to develop the class, I came upon a wealth of information about mindfulness programs in schools. For one, I learned that actress Goldie Hawn has been working with neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists and educators to develop a mindfulness curriculum for schools. I was thrilled to find out that their research reported that mindfulness education in schools has proven benefits: it increases optimism and happiness in classrooms, decreases bullying and aggression, increases compassion and empathy for others and helps students resolve conflicts.

If you ever want to be inspired and also have a giggle, ask a group of kids what they think "mindfulness" is. "Relaxing out of our daily troubles and stress," "A way to stay yourself when you're going through something troubling" and "It's like getting off of one railroad track and getting onto another one" were some of my favorite answers from the recent class meeting. Kids can really be fountains of spiritual wisdom!

When I told them the dictionary's definition ("a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique"), the kids weren't entirely sure what I was talking about. And so we did some exercises to test it out. Feel free to try these at home!
1. The Bell Listening Exercise
Ring a bell and ask the kids to listen closely to the vibration of the ringing sound. Tell them to remain silent and raise their hands when they no longer hear the sound of the bell. Then tell them to remain silent for one minute and pay close attention to the other sounds they hear once the ringing has stopped. After, go around in a circle and ask the kids to tell you every sound they noticed during that minute. This exercise is not only fun and gets the kids excited about sharing their experiences with others, but really helps them connect to the present moment and the sensitivity of their perceptions.
2. Breathing Buddies
Hand out a stuffed animal to each child (or another small object). If room allows, have the children lie down on the floor and place the stuffed animals on their bellies. Tell them to breathe in silence for one minute and notice how their Breathing Buddy moves up and down, and any other sensations that they notice. Tell them to imagine that the thoughts that come into their minds turn into bubbles and float away. The presence of the Breathing Buddy makes the meditation a little friendlier, and allows the kids to see how a playful activity doesn't necessarily have to be rowdy.
3. The Squish & Relax Meditation
While the kids are lying down with their eyes closed, have them squish and squeeze every muscle in their bodies as tightly as they can. Tell them to squish their toes and feet, tighten the muscles in their legs all the way up to their hips, suck in their bellies, squeeze their hands into fists and raise their shoulders up to their heads. Have them hold themselves in their squished up positions for a few seconds, and then fully release and relax. This is a great, fun activity for "loosening up" the body and mind, and is a totally accessible way to get the kids to understand the art of "being present."
4. Smell & Tell
Pass something fragrant out to each child, such as a piece of fresh orange peel, a sprig of lavender or a jasmine flower. Ask them to close their eyes and breathe in the scent, focusing all of their attention only on the smell of that object. Scent can really be a powerful tool for anxiety-relief (among other things!).
5. The Art Of Touch
Give each child an object to touch, such as a ball, a feather, a soft toy, a stone, etc. Ask them to close their eyes and describe what the object feels like to a partner. Then have the partners trade places. Both this exercise and the previous one are simple, but compelling, ways to teach the kids the practice of isolating their senses from one another, and tuning into distinct experiences.
6. The Heartbeat Exercise
Have the kids jump up and down in place for one minute. Then have them sit back down and place their hands on their hearts. Tell them to close their eyes and feel their heartbeats, their breath, and see what else they notice about their bodies.
7. Heart-To-Heart
In this exercise, the meaning of "heart" is less literal. In other words, this activity could also simply be called "Let's talk about feelings." So sit down and casually, comfortably ask the children to tell you about their feelings. What feelings do they feel? How do they know they are feeling those feelings? Where do they feel them in their bodies? Ask them which feelings they like the best.

Then ask them what they can do to feel better when they aren't feeling the feelings they like best. Remind them that they can always practice turning their thoughts into bubbles if they are upset, they can do the Squish and Relax Meditation if they need to calm down, and they can take a few minutes to listen to their breath or feel their heartbeats if they want to relax.

My hope for the mindfulness class was to give the kids some tools they can use anytime: tools to calm down, slow down and feel better when they are troubled. I sure wish I had these tools at my disposal when I was their age. Imagine if all the children around the Earth learned to use these tools during their childhoods. What a change our world would experience within just one generation!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Fun Ways To Teach Your Kids Mindfulness

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I taught a mindfulness class at my daughters' elementary school this week. Unsurprisingly, the kids taught me way more than I taught them. While I was doing research to develop the class, I came upon a wealth of information about mindfulness programs in schools.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Part of living a full life is to truly experience the world around us and within us. For many who practice yoga, the concept of mindfulness is familiar and well-practiced. But if we keep our mindful techniques to ourselves, we aren't sharing an important tool of living a full and happy life.

And who else could greatly benefit from practicing mindfulness? Our children.

Teaching our children to experience, question and value the world around them not only adds to their childhood, but helps to build inquisitive and insightful adults. Children are naturally curious and uninhibited and those traits can be quite powerful, especially when focused on and expanded upon.

Children who practice mindfulness tend to perform better academically and have improved social skills.

Children who practice mindfulness have better moods and higher self-esteem. They tend to perform better academically and have improved social skills, like the ability to navigate and peacefully resolve conflicts.

Mindfulness is also considered an effective tool to deal with anxiety and aggression.

It's not difficult to teach our children mindfulness through mindfulness activities catered to their interests. Naturally, they may become impatient or not understand why mindfulness is important, but there's no rush.

Here Are 15 Mindfulness Activities for Kids:

Read the infographic for quick reference, or check out the full list for in-depth explanations of each way you can introduce mindfulness to your kiddo:

1. Start With Yourself

The best way to encourage a child to learn a new, positive behavior is to let them see you practice it. If you have a meditation practice, a gratitude journal or a pranayama practice - let them see it. Practice mindfulness openly and answer any questions that may come along.

No need to push too hard - it is always best to allow children to develop at their own pace. If we insist they do something, we are likely to be challenged or met with refusal. So first be open about your own practice and invite them to join if they wish. After a while, you may find them doing the same when you least expect it.

2. Encourage Short Bursts . . .

. . . and gradually build. Once you've caught their interest in mindfulness, you can gradually build your practice together. Try for just a few minutes at first. Too much at once is difficult even for adults. Be sure to stay positive and supportive during this learning transition, as it may take a while for them to adjust to the slower rhythms of mindfulness.

For younger kids, you might want to start with a session as short as three minutes until they can remain focused and settle for longer periods of time. There is always the option to build up to longer sessions.

3. Keep it Simple

Mindfulness is a big word for young kids to understand, so to put it simply, mindfulness = awareness. It is noticing our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and anything around us that is happening right now.

Mindfulness, then, is simply inviting our children to stop and observe and to be present in the moment.

You don't even need to name it "mindfulness." It can be listening, feeling, noticing or being aware. Maybe use this opportunity to allow your child to name it what they want. Give them the power to choose and make it more meaningful to them.

4. Make it a Family Affair

Make mindfulness a family practice and a topic everyone openly discusses together. By creating a culture of mindfulness within your family home, you make it more of a way of life and less of a chore or lesson to be endured.

An example of a great family exercise proposed by Sarah Rudell Beach is to establish a ritual of dinnertime gratitude. Each night at the dinner table, everyone takes turns sharing what he or she is thankful for. Invite your family to find gratitude in the small, daily occurrences along with the larger more obvious occurrences.

To have the family practice mindfulness together will gradually make mindfulness a simple and easy addition to your child's routine.

Suggested Read: How Yoga, Meditation, and Holistic Living Has Benefitted My Family

5. Get Crafty

Crafts are an excellent mindfulness activity for kids. Encouraging kids to "notice stuff" is great, but you might need to make it more appealing to keep their attention and stir their imagination. You can evoke mindfulness in a fun way through a multitude of different, affordable crafting activities.

Try knitting and invite your kids to think about the feel and color of the wool along with the sound of the needles clicking. Try drawing, and think of the texture of the pencil, the smell of the paper, and the pre-history of the materials as they made their way from the woods to your kitchen table.

6. Jump!

It is important to keep in mind the correlation between mind and body wellness. Mindfulness is not just about being aware of one's thoughts and feelings, but also about focusing on what is happening in the body . . . and it can be fun too!

Ask your kids to jump up and down in place for a minute. Then invite them to sit down, with their eyes closed with their hands on their chest to feel their breath + heartbeat. Ask them to share what else they notice about their bodies during this time.

It is also important to explain to children that an active, healthy body also equates to an active and healthy mind. Have they noticed a time when their minds were sad, and a quick dance session changed the sad feelings?

Encouraging a mindful connection to the body will also help children with their emotions, making it an important mindfulness activity for kids.

7. Listening Exercise

Listening allows us to connect to the present moment and is another great opportunity for children to practice mindfulness. When children learn the skill of active listening, they invite their minds to quiet and focus on one thing . . . which can be very helpful in our highly stimulated society.

Try this active listening exercise. After ringing a bell (you can use a singing bowl or pot/pan with a wooden spoon too), ask the kids to listen closely to the sound and raise their hands when they can't hear it anymore.

Once they can no longer hear the ringing sound, ask them to remain silent and pay close attention to the other sounds they hear. After a minute, ask the kids to share every sound they noticed.

Invite feedback from your kids. How did they feel when they were able to sit in stillness and listen? Were they able to notice more than they thought they would? Encourage them to keep practicing this throughout their day.

8. Ask Awareness-Building Questions

9. Raisin Meditation

10. Explore Mindfulness Apps

This is a great way to mix the fun and interactive world of personal electronics and mindfulness for kids. Adults can benefit from this too! Practicing together with the help of a mindfulness app would be a great way to begin a mindfulness journey.

Headspace For Kids is a popular mindfulness app specifically for children that offers five themes: Calm, Focus, Kindness, Sleep and Wake Up. The activities are aimed at three different age groups (under five, six to eight, and nine to 12) and include soothing sounds, breathing and visualization exercises, and more.

11. Smell

12. Take a Mindful Stroll

You may have noticed that mindfulness is not just about sitting still. The good news is that we can practice mindfulness at any point of our day - not just in seated meditation. Kids have a lot of energy and may not always want to sit in stillness.

A short walk or movement activity is a great opportunity to teach them to be mindful any time. When they return to playtime, they may have a different outlook than before.

13. Validate, Identify, and Get Present

14. Try "Buddy Breathing"

For young children, the request to "pay attention to the breath" can be difficult to understand and hard to follow. But focusing on the breath is an amazing tool to help children concentrate, relax and create.

"Buddy breathing" is the perfect mindfulness activity for kids because it's a kid-friendly breathing exercise.

Invite your child to lie on their back as you place their favorite stuffed animal on their belly. Ask your child to focus on the rise and fall of the stuffed animal as he/she breathes in and out. To help your child breathe deeply and control their breath, ask him/her to "slow teddy down" by breathing slower and deeper into their belly.

This is a fun and interactive way for children to become in-tune with their breathing and to notice not only the control they have over it, but how it can control how they feel.

15. Squeeze and Relax!

When bedtime has arrived and your child is having trouble relaxing, a great exercise you can try before bed is "squeeze and relax." This is a great activity for loosening up the body and mind, and will help your child feel present and in-tune with their physical body.

Have your child lie down with their eyes closed and ask them to squeeze every muscle in their body as tightly as they can. Have them hold this position for a few seconds, and then fully relax and release.

Do this exercise as many times as they would like, always inviting them to remain still and breathe for a few moments to allow their body to fully relax.

15 Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids [Infographic] brought to you by Ozicare Life Insurance

Add These Mindfulness Activities for Kids to Your Parenting Tool Belt

These mindfulness activities for kids can be practiced anytime, anywhere and do not need any specific rules. The point is to make it something natural and part of your everyday life.

This is just the start of your mindful life together, and there are plenty more techniques to try . . . and to invent. Mindfulness is a beautiful way to bring your children's world to life.

Have you been interested in beginning mindful practices with your children but didn't know where to start? Are these tips helpful? Do you already practice some of these mindfulness activities or have techniques of your own?

We'd love to hear about your personal mindfulness practice with your kids in the comments below.

This article has been read 20K+ times. Bada bing!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Fantastic Ways to Teach Mindfulness to Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Part of living a full life is to truly experience the world around us and within us. For many who practice yoga, the concept of mindfulness is familiar and well-practiced. But if we keep our mindful techniques to ourselves, we aren't sharing an important tool of living a full and happy life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mindfulness can boost the quality of our lives in numerous ways.

In today's rush, we all think too much-seek too much-want too much-and forget about the joy of just being.

- Eckhart Tolle

What does mindfulness do to spark "the joy of just being" that Tolle references? And, how can we teach kids to start benefiting from its practice?

This article delves into both of these questions and includes plenty of activities for you to start using today.

Research confirms that for children, mindfulness can:

Mitigate the effects of bullying (Zhou, Liu, Niu, Sun, & Fan, 2016);

Enhance focus in children with ADHD (Zhang et al., 2016);

Reduce attention problems (Crescentini, Capurso, Furlan, & Fabbro, 2016);

Improve mental health and wellbeing;

Improve social skills when well taught and practiced with children and adolescents.

It's also important for caregivers and educators to provide age-appropriate mindfulness practices to children.

For example, fostering mindfulness in preschoolers with tools like pictures, objects, food, simple movements, and music, can help them develop an ability to better focus their attention and stay present.

In a study by Flook et al., (2015), kids were asked to engage in an activity called "Belly Buddies", in which they listened to music while also noticing the sensation of a small tone on their stomachs rising and falling with each breath.

The kids became more attune to their bodies, breath and to the music.

Ultimately, simple activities like these can have long-lasting developmental benefits when practiced regularly.

Want more? We have 25 mindfulness activities designed specifically for children. Plus, they are fun to do.

But, before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free. These science-based, comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life but will also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your children, students or young clients.

4 Fun Mindfulness Activities and Exercises for Children

Let's start with these simple ways to attune children with their bodies. At a young age, humans naturally curious about the strength and flexibility of their bodies. It's a great age to introduce body-mind awareness as a valuable way to take care of themselves.

Mindful Posing

One easy way for children to dip their toes into mindfulness is through body poses. To get your kids excited, tell them that doing fun poses can help them feel strong, brave, and happy.

Have the kids go somewhere quiet and familiar, a place they feel safe. Next, tell them to try one of the following poses:

1. The Superman: this pose is practiced by standing with the feet just wider than the hips, fists clenched, and arms reached out to the sky, stretching the body as tall as possible.

2. The Wonder Woman: this pose is struck by standing tall with legs wider than hip-width apart and hands or fists placed on the hips (Karen Young, 2017).

Ask the kids how they feel after a few rounds of trying either of these poses. You may be surprised.

Spidey-Senses

While on the subject of superheroes, this can be a related "next step" to teach kids how to stay present.

Instruct your kids to turn-on their "Spidey senses," or the super-focused senses of smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch that Spiderman uses to keep tabs on the world around him. This will encourage them to pause and focus their attention on the present, opening their awareness to the information their senses bring in (Karen Young, 2017).

This is a classic mindfulness exercise and encourages observation and curiosity-great skills for any human to practice.

The Mindful Jar

This activity can teach children how strong emotions can take hold, and how to find peace when these strong emotions feel overwhelming.

First, get a clear jar (like a Mason jar) and fill it almost all the way with water. Next, add a big spoonful of glitter glue or glue and dry glitter to the jar. Put the lid back on the jar and shake it to make the glitter swirl.

Finally, use the following script or take inspiration from it to form your own mini-lesson:

"Imagine that the glitter is like your thoughts when you're stressed, mad or upset. See how they whirl around and make it really hard to see clearly? That's why it's so easy to make silly decisions when you're upset - because you're not thinking clearly. Don't worry this is normal and it happens in all of us (yep, grownups too).

[Now put the jar down in front of them.]

Now watch what happens when you're still for a couple of moments. Keep watching. See how the glitter starts to settle and the water clears? Your mind works the same way. When you're calm for a little while, your thoughts start to settle and you start to see things much clearer. Deep breaths during this calming process can help us settle when we feel a lot of emotions" (Karen Young, 2017).

This exercise not only helps children learn about how their emotions can cloud their thoughts, but it also facilitates the practice of mindfulness while focusing on the swirling glitter in the jar.

Try having the kids focus on one emotion at a time, such as anger, and discuss how the shaken verse settling glitter is like that emotion.

Safari

The Safari exercise is a great way to help kids learn mindfulness. This activity turns an average, everyday walk into an exciting new adventure.

Tell your kids that you will be going on a safari: their goal is to notice as many birds, bugs, creepy-crawlies, and any other animals as they can. Anything that walks, crawls, swims, or flies is of interest, and they'll need to focus all of their senses to find them, especially the little ones (Karen Young, 2017).

A similar exercise for adults is the mindfulness walk. This exercise provokes the same response in children that a mindful walk elicits in adults: a state of awareness and grounding in the present.

If you're interested in more information on how to encourage the practice of mindfulness in children and teens, you can check out the other exercises from this website. Otherwise, head on to the next section where we lay out key tips for teaching these concepts.

15 Tips for Teaching Mindfulness to Kids and Teenagers

When you are trying to teach your kids or young clients about mindfulness and its benefit, we recommend you begin with a few guidelines:

1. Make sure they are ready to give mindfulness a try; if they are full of energy and itching to run and play, it may not be the best time for practicing mindfulness for the first time.

2. Explain what mindfulness is and what it is not; give examples of what seems similar to mindfulness but is not (i.e., introspection or chasing thoughts down the "rabbit hole" versus listening to our bodies).

3. Say it in an age-appropriate way, with words they will understand.

4. Offer to practice mindfulness with them; sometimes having a model makes all the difference.

5. Assure them that it's okay to get off track, and how to gently guide themselves back to mindfulness when they realize they lost focus.

6. Finish the practice by doing something they enjoy with them to ensure they have a positive experience.

Megan Cowan, co-founder, and co-director at the Mindful Schools program in Oakland, also has some tips on how to teach mindfulness to kids (2010):

1. Keep the purpose of mindfulness practice in mind. Be sure to engage in mindful practice with children in positive situations, and never use it as a disciplinary tool.

2. Make sure you practice mindfulness yourself!

3. Set a daily routine for practicing mindfulness to make sure you incorporate it.

4. Prepare the environment for successful practice; move the furniture around or have everyone switch positions.

5. Involve students in the process; perhaps designate a different child each day to alert the class when it's time to practice mindfulness or help set up any tools or props.

6. Share your own experiences with the kids; this will help them understand how mindfulness is applied and practiced in everyday life. Feel free to share how you redirect yourself when you feel distracted during a mindfulness session.

7. Encourage the children to share their experiences as well, whether they were good experiences with mindfulness or experiences in which they got distracted. Maybe each session can end with a few students sharing how it went for them.

8. Practice every day. The more you embed mindfulness into the daily routine, the easier it is to engage.

Cowan (2010) also includes a short script if you'd like to use her mini-lesson.

Relay the following instructions to your kids:

"Please get into your mindful bodies-still and quiet, sitting upright, eyes closed."

"Now place all your attention on the sound you are about to hear. Listen until the sound is completely gone."

Ring a "mindfulness bell," or have a student ring the bell. Use a bell with a sustained sound or a rain stick to encourage mindful listening.

"Please raise your hand when you can no longer hear the sound."

When most or all have raised their hands, you can say, "Now slowly, mindfully, move your hand to your stomach or chest, and just feel your breathing."

You can help students stay focused during the breathing with reminders like, "Just breathing in ... just breathing out ..."

Ring the bell to end.

For more in-depth tips and ideas on teaching mindfulness to children, check out the book Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community.

The website from editor and children's book author Annaka Harris also provides some great ideas for exercises that teach mindfulness to children.

8 Mindfulness Games, YouTube Videos, and Apps to Support Your Teachings

Technology offers learning and development for these practices. To ensure that you are using technology to your advantage when it comes to teaching children mindfulness, give some of these resources a try.

Smiling Minds App

Another application that is popular for children as young as seven is the Smiling Mind app. This app is available through the Apple app store as well as the Google Play store. It is free to download and use.

This app offers similar features to the Mindfulness for Children app, including a body scan activity. There are dozens of modules with hundreds of sessions available, each customized for wellbeing, education, and the workplace (for adults).

If you'd like to check out the reviews for this app or learn more about it, visit the website.

Still Quiet Place

If you'd like to use a video to help your kids learn how to practice mindfulness, the "Mindfulness Exercises for Kids: Still Quiet Place Video" is a great resource. This animated video can help students learn how to go to a "still quiet place."

Check out the video here, and scroll down to the link below the video to see more activities from GoZen.com.

Mindfulness Games for Kids

Several interactive games are available on the Kids Activities Blog. Here are just a few:

1. Blowing bubbles. Have your kids focus on taking in a deep, slow breath, and exhaling steadily to fill the bubble. Encourage them to pay close attention to the bubbles as they form, detach, and pop or float away.

2. Pinwheels. Use the same tactics from blowing bubbles to encourage mindful attention on the pinwheels.

3. Playing with balloons. Tell your kids that the aim of this game is to keep the balloon off the ground, but have them move slowly and gently. You can tell them to pretend the balloon is very fragile if that helps.

4. Texture bag. Place several small, interestingly shaped or textured objects in a bag. Have each child reach in and touch an object, one at a time, and describe what they are touching. Make sure they don't take the object out of the bag, forcing them to use only their sense of touch to explore the object.

5. Blindfolded taste tests. Use a blindfold for each child and have them experience eating a small food, like a raisin or a cranberry, as if it was their first time eating it.

If you want to know about more games you can play with children to teach them about mindfulness, check out the book Mindful Games: Sharing Mindfulness and Meditation with Children, Teens, and Families by Susan Kaiser Greenland.

2 Mindfulness Training Classes For Children with Anxiety

Mindfulness practice can be an especially important component of a child's life if they suffer from anxiety. Learning about mindfulness and how to engage in mindfulness can help a child realize that worrying is normal, and there are useful coping methods when we are worrying too much.

Aside from the Mindful Schools program mentioned earlier, there are classes and programs designed especially for children, and even a few that are structured for children with anxiety.

Child Mind Institute focus on education, care and science, and offers various programs. Programs are customised to your needs, so contact them via their website to book for a workshop.

There is also a popular course called "MonkeyMind and Me: A Mindfulness Course for Children." Children learn how to meditate and practice mindfulness over eight one hour sessions held over eight weeks.

The lessons are delivered through stories about MonkeyMind, a friendly puppet who has trouble with self-regulation ("MonkeyMind and Me", 2017). The course includes lessons, opportunities to practice, design of a homemade project, and a graduation ceremony.

The structure of these lessons and exercises transforms teaching mindfulness into an experience everyone might enjoy-and benefit from.

The Basics: Teaching Essential Mindfulness Practices and Skills

Before you delve into the classroom, review these basic skills and you may have better success with students and clients learning mindfulness.

Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing is a staple of practicing mindfulness. It is the foundation of many other exercises. To help kids learn how to engage in mindful breathing, you can use a video like the one below:

This video guides children through a breathing meditation by instructing them to imagine a sailboat that rises and falls as they breathe; with each inhale and exhale, the boat moves gently on top of the water.

They also get an opportunity to visualize their breath with a color and focus on the experience of their breath moving through their nostrils. Lastly, the video ends with the exercise of the children imagining (with their eyes closed) that they used to be a fish and paying attention to how it would feel to breathe through their lungs for the first time.

Body Scan

The body scan is a key practice in mindfulness, and an easy one to teach to children.

Have your kids lie down on their back on a comfortable surface and close their eyes;

Then tell them to squeeze every muscle in their body as tight as they can.

Tell them to squish their toes and feet, squeeze their hands into fists, and make their legs and arms as hard as stone;

After a few seconds, have them release all their muscles and relax for a few minutes;

Encourage them to think about how their body is feeling throughout the activity (Roman, 2015).

This simple exercise gets kids to be more aware of their bodies and helps them find a way to be present in the moment.

Heartbeat Exercise

Paying attention to one's heartbeat has a role in many mindfulness exercises and activities. To begin, tell your kids to jump up and down in place or do jumping jacks for one minute.

When they have finished, have them sit down and put a hand over their heart. Instruct them to close their eyes and pay attention only to their heartbeat and, perhaps, their breath as well (Roman, 2015).

This exercise teaches children to notice their heartbeat, and use it as a tool to help their focus. These skills will come in handy as they start engaging in more advanced mindfulness activities.

Mindfulness Meditation for Very Young Children

You might be thinking that these tips and exercises are great for elementary or middle school students, but less realistic for young children. This section focuses on children who are toddlers through kindergarten graduates.

One mother explained laid out her five strategies for teaching young children mindfulness-starting with her three-year-old child learning mindfulness.

Her strategies are:

Teach kids to recognize and identify their own emotions. Children need to associate the word or term for an emotion with the actual experience of feeling that emotion. Encourage them to think about how each emotion feels in their body. Does anger feel like they've got steam coming out of their ears? Does love make them feel like their heart is going to burst open?

Validate their emotions. Children often respond with frustration or sadness when told that their pain, however trivial it seems to us, is "not a big deal." When teaching mindfulness, let kids feel their feelings without fear of judgment. Focus instead on teaching them tools to listen to their emotions.

Teach kids mindful breathing strategies. As we noted above, mindful breathing is a building block in all mindfulness practices. Children benefit from focusing on their breathing when confronted with emotions that are hard to manage.

The author of the blog laid out three techniques she has put to use with her children:

1. Noticing the breath: this involves simply paying attention to what breathing actually feels like.
2. Five-finger starfish meditation: this breathing technique has kids holding up one hand in a starfish position (fingers spread wide) while they gently trace up and down each finger with the other hand, focusing on regular breathing at the same time.
3. Counting the breath: this technique is what it sounds like: have your children pause and count their breaths. One breath in is "1", the next breath out is "2," etc. You can have them count to 10 if they're very young, or slightly higher depending on their abilities.

Lead them in a guided meditation. Use a script or an exercise or app like the ones described above for this meditation.

Practice what you preach. As we mentioned earlier, it is so important to actually "do as you say." Kids are intuitive and human nature encourages mimicry, two advantages we can harness when trying to teach (Beach, "Baby Buddhas.")

Guide your kids every step of the way, but make sure you are taking those steps yourself as well. It will make everyone's practice richer.

The Benefits Of Mindfulness In Schools (K12) + Videos

Childhood and adolescence are important developmental stages that will construct the groundwork for mental health in the adult developmental stage.

In recent literature, mindfulness-based school programs have demonstrated a range of social, cognitive, and emotional benefits for elementary and middle-school students.

Cognitive Benefits

Executive function is a set of mental skills that constitutes attention, switching focus, planning, organizing, and remembering details.

Research in education suggests that mindfulness practice can lead to improvements in executive function in children.

For instance, in the study of Flook et al., (2010) conducted on 3 rd graders, students who went through an 8-week mindfulness program showed improvements in behavioral regulation, metacognition, and focus compared to the control group who did not have the mindfulness program.

In another study, students who had a 24-week mindfulness training scored higher in attentional measures in their elementary school (Napoli et al., 2004). Additionally, a study on preschoolers emphasized that children who went through a mindfulness curriculum for 12 weeks earned higher marks on academic performance measures. They also showed greater improvements in areas that predict future success (Flook et al., 2015).

Social Benefits

A social skill is any skill that we use to interact and communicate with others.

Deficits and excesses in social behavior can affect learning, understanding, and classroom climate. Recent research on lower-income and ethnic minority elementary school children highlighted how a 5-week mindfulness curriculum can lead to better participation in activities, as well as nurture a classroom culture of mutual respect and care in 9th-grade students (Black et al., 2013).

Emotional Benefits

Emotional health, which is a positive sense of wellbeing, is an important component of child and adolescent development. Emotional problems such as anxiety, stress, and depression can affect self-esteem, performance, and social interactions.

Mindfulness practice may facilitate the ability to manage stress, and also lead to deeper wellbeing in students.

According to one study by Schonert-Reichl and his colleagues (2010), mindfulness practice leads to higher scores on self-report measures of optimism and positive emotions in elementary school students.

Moreover, in a study conducted by Wall (2005), self-reported findings showed preteens feeling calmer, with an enhanced experience of well-being-and improved sleep-after a 5-week modified mindfulness-based stress reduction program.

Videos on Mindfulness in Schools

These four videos can help students open their minds to the benefits of mindfulness. We recommend pairing any of these segments with a discussion.

Questions for after the selected clip can include, "Has anyone practiced mindfulness, and how has it gone for you?" or "What do you think is the reason most people do not practice mindfulness, and how can we start changing this?"

A Take-Home Message

Research confirms that mindfulness can improve mental health by aiding wellbeing, attention, self-regulation, and social competency. It just needs to be practiced-and encouraged.

Mindfulness-based programs in schools can have a life-long impact on the psychological, social, and cognitive wellbeing of children and teens. Even at home or with clients, how can you incorporate mindfulness into your teachings and own schedule?

Do you have kids or work with kids on a regular basis? Try these tips and activities out, and let us know how they worked in the comments section below.

Good luck, and remember this old saying:

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
25 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children & Teens (+Tips!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here's a list of fun mindfulness activities and exercises for kids that will teach them about mindfulness in a playful way. Enjoy!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
How do you get a classroom full of energetic little kids to practice stillness? Believe it or not, it's possible. Mindfulness isn't new, but it's undoubtedly become a popular classroom movement in recent years. What is it? According to Psychology Today, "mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present."

This can happen in a meditation practice where the object is to bring one's awareness to a singular focus for a sustained amount of time-like say, focusing on your breathing for five minutes. If your thoughts wander, that's okay. It's normal. The idea is to gently bring your mind back to that focus, and over time it becomes easier to maintain that focus for longer lengths of time. Mindfulness is also about learning to pause and check in with yourself regularly. It's a metacognitive process that can keep you grounded in moments of stress, instead of reacting impulsively.

Why teach mindfulness?

When we teach young learners to be more aware of their emotions, surroundings, and decisions, we help them become more purposeful in their responses and actions. Research on mindfulness shows that it helps students with attention, emotional regulation, compassion, and calming, according to Mindful Schools. When a child is feeling frustrated, mindfulness can teach them how to stop and assess their mood. They can ask themselves questions like: Am I confused? Hungry? Tired? Do I need to take a breath? Ready to get started? Here, we'll offer practical mindfulness exercises you can use in your classroom anytime.

Stillness Challenge
Supplies: timer, calming music poster (Optional)
You may not be able to just ask a room full of children to sit in lotus position for 30 minutes of blissful stillness, but you can slowly build a meditation practice over time. Start small and set a timer for two minutes. Perhaps turn off the lights and have some calm music on hand. Ask students to find a cozy spot and to sit comfortably. Tell them that together you are going to start a new stillness challenge and each day you'll see how long it can go. Track your meditation progress on a poster. The object of the challenge? To keep your eyes closed, sit in stillness and to focus on breathing slowly. Encourage students to avoid talking and fidgeting. They should attempt to sit as still as possible and if their thoughts wander, instruct them to kindly bring them back to the breath. The timer will go off when two minutes are up. Take a nice stretch and debrief how it went. The next day? Try three minutes!

An idea for special needs students who perhaps can't sit still:

Have your student sit where they can place their fingertips on the desk or their knees. Starting with the thumbs, tap each finger on the table to count in the breath-inhale 1-2-3-4-5 and then to count out the breath-exhale 1-2-3-4-5. This can also be done by raising arms or lifting feet off the ground with each breath.

Mindful Eating
Supplies: timer, candy or raisins
First, choose your edible. A piece of candy (like Skittles or Hershey's Kisses) or a raisin works. Set a timer for two minutes. The idea is for students to close their eyes, holding the object in their mouth and focusing on it without chewing. Let's say it's a Hershey's Kiss. For three minutes, students should focus on the candy melting in their mouth slowly. If their thoughts drift, they should simply bring them back to the candy. They should focus on the sensory experience-the taste and feel of the object. Doing so provides a tasty focal point for the mind and builds the capacity for stillness and mindful focus.

Breathing Buddy Meditation
Supplies: timer, calming music, stuffed animals or tennis ball
Have students lie down. Each student should get a stuffed animal or tennis ball to rest on their stomach. Set a timer, and for your determined length of time, students should close their eyes, taking slow deep breaths while balancing their stuffed animal or ball on their stomach. If the object falls off, they can simply put it back and keep breathing. The object is to keep the focus on the breath and to balance the object for the given time.

Sensory Challenge
Supplies: timer, calming music
This can be done anywhere-inside the classroom, on the playground, or on a field trip. Ask students to sit comfortably and close their eyes. Take a few deep breaths together and then offer the following prompts.

1. For 30 seconds, focus deeply on what you can hear. Even the smallest noises.

2. For 30 seconds, focus deeply on what you can smell.

3. For 30 seconds, focus deeply on what you can feel.

4. Open your eyes and look up. For 30 seconds, focus deeply on what you can see.

Sound Focus

Supplies: timer, bell, singing bowl, singing bowl app

Ask students to sit comfortably and close their eyes. Using a bell, a Tibetan singing bowl, or tuning fork (or a video/app of any one of these), play a robust, reverberating tone. Ask students to breathe quietly, and listen intently to the sound as it fades. When they can no longer hear it, they should put their head down. You can repeat this a few times.

Body Scan

Supplies: A Body Scan Meditation

A body scan is a guided meditation that takes students through a head-to-toe scan of the body. Students should sit or lie down comfortably. Listening to the audio, students should follow the cues to breath and relax the body muscle by muscle. This practice can help students learn to assess tension and use their breath to release it and its especially helpful for students with sleep problems.

Want more information on bringing mindfulness to your classroom?

Check out these resources!
Mindful Schools Access Mindfulness Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents) Everyday SEL in Elementary School: Integrating Social-Emotional Learning and Mindfulness Into Your Classroom 1st Edition Teaching Mindfulness Skills to Kids and Teens 1st Edition
Tags: Early Childhood and Elementary (Grades: PreK-5), Early Childhood Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mindfulness Activities for Kids in Elementary School Classrooms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How do you get a classroom full of energetic little kids to practice stillness? Believe it or not, it's possible. Mindfulness isn't new, but it's undoubtedly become a popular classroom movement in recent years. What is it? According to Psychology Today, "mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jaime’s Fantastically Fun Yoga & Mindfulness

# data[].attributes.body
1. Just One Breath
2. Glitter Jar
3. Heartbeat Exercise
4. Going on a Safari
5. Tense and Release

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The practice of mindfulness has become a big trend but it can be confusing when it comes to defining it, especially as a parent.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a practice where you use the five senses to engage physically and non-judgmentally with the world around you. When you do a task with mindful awareness, you do it with 100% of your energy and attention.

Any activity can be done with a sense of mindfulness, even eating dinner with your family. For example, you can teach your child to pay attention to the texture and flavors of the food. You can guide them to think about how the food nurtures their body and keeps their body healthy.

Practicing mindfulness is incredibly empowering for children. It can help them better promotes positive emotions and self-compassion. manage stress and anxiety when it does occur. It helps with self-regulation,

How Mindfulness Benefits a Growth Mindset

Practicing mindfulness techniques can help children change their mindset from a FIXED mindset to a GROWTH mindset.

First, mindfulness can help children feel empowered, so they can learn to try new things and take more risks.

Second, using mindfulness techniques like deep breathing and tensing and relaxing the muscles can help children overcome anxiety when they make mistakes.

Third, by promoting self-love and self-compassion, mindfulness activities can help children overcome negative self-talk.

5 Mindfulness Activities for Children

Here are 5 simple activities for helping your child live in the present and focus on the positive using mindfulness.

Also check out our mindfulness PLAYLIST on Spotify! This music will help your kids relax while doing mindfulness activities.

Before you move on be sure to sign up for our FREE weekly printables carefully crafted to teach your kids growth mindset, resilience, and much more. Sign up below to make sure you're on the list!

Once signed up you will immediately receive our popular Parent's Guide to a Growth Mindset.

When it comes to calming kids down, nothing is simpler than a breathing activity.

It's OK to simplify. Life can be simple if we let it. Mindfulness can help children clear the cobwebs out of their mind. It's like taking a breath of fresh air and opening the windows on a beautiful spring day.

One common technique is the mindfulness of breathing or the just one breath activity. This is a great activity to try if your child is anxious or upset.

Mindfulness Activity #1: "Just One Breath" Breathing Activity

Find a relaxing place where you and your child will not be disturbed. Sit in a comfortable posture, either with your legs folded or any comfortable posture. This activity can be done in as little as one minute, but you can also do it for longer periods of time.

Begin by setting a timer for one minute.

Start breathing deeply in and out. Notice how the breath feels as it moves in and out of your body. Notice how the air feels on your skin. Pay attention to any sensations that you notice or any sounds that you hear.

Take another slow deep breath and see if you can imagine how the breath moves down into the lungs and then back up again. Thank your body and breath for giving you life and keeping you healthy.

Take one more deep breath and hold the breath for a moment - then release it.

If thoughts become intrusive, try and imagine your thoughts immersed in a white, puffy cloud and push the thought cloud out of your awareness.

Afterward, notice how you feel after taking this one-minute break.

Mindfulness Activity #2: Creating a Glitter Jar

Children of any age can create a glitter jar. You can also use a snow globe. The glitter jar is a great activity to use when your child is worried, upset, nervous or angry. The glitter in the jar represents your child's thoughts, rushing around in a mad dash.

The next time your child is upset or anxious simply have them shake the glitter jar and remain quiet and still while the glitter is settling. As they breathe deeply they can watch the glitter float around in the jar and finally settle on the bottom.

Steps to Make Your Own Glitter Jar

1. Start by finding a glass mason jar and allow your child to decorate it however they like. You can also use a plastic water bottle if you can't find a mason jar.

2. You will also need one bottle of clear glue and some kind of glitter. Food coloring is optional.

3. Fill the bottle up 3/4 of the way with water. Next, add the clear glue and glitter and shake. You may want to use a funnel to get the glitter in the jar. You may add food coloring if desired. Seal the lid and you are ready to go.

Your child can SHAKE the jar or bottle when they feel anxious or upset and remain still while the glitter settles.

The jar is like the child's mind, and you can even encourage your child to think about how their thoughts are like the glitter. As the glitter settles down into the bottom of the jar, the mind becomes calmer as well.

Mindfulness Activity #3: Heartbeat Exercise

The heartbeat exercise is a wonderful grounding activity because it allows your child to focus on the sensations in the body. This exercise is a wonderful activity to do if your child is feeling stressed or anxious .

For example, if your child is working on a project for school and getting frustrated or feeling stuck, you can gently redirect them by asking them to STOP what they are doing and take a break.

Ask your child to stand up and either jump up and down or do jumping jacks for one minute. At the end of that minute, have them place their hand on their heart and pay attention to how their heartbeat and their breathing feels.

Tuning into the physical body is a wonderful way to redirect the focus. With this new burst of energy, your child will feel a new motivation to complete the previous task.

Mindfulness Activity #4: Going on a Safari

Going on a Safari is another creative mindfulness activity that helps redirect the focus away from stress and anxiety.

Physical activity is a wonderful way to infuse positive energy back into the body. This is a great activity to do right after your child gets home from school because it gives them a mental break from a long day.

You can go outside on an exciting adventure on your next walk. As you walk, put all of your senses to work by paying close attention to your environment. Notice the feel of the air on your skin, notice the sound of the ground as you walk and pay attention to all of the little movements and sensations.

As you walk, you can also try picking up a small rock or touching a plant or flower. Notice the bugs or the birds. Take a moment to kneel down and touch the earth. Walk mindfully paying close attention to everything. Make sure you walk in silence because you want to notice all those little details.

Walking is a wonderful stress relieving activity because it helps clear the mind and spark creative ideas. Try going on a safari the next time your child gets frustrated and you might be surprised at how well this works.

Mindfulness Activity #5: Tense and Release Muscle Relaxation

The tense and release muscle relaxation is an exercise that relaxes the mind and body by progressively tensing and releasing those large muscle groups.

In this activity, you will gently tense and then release each large muscle group without straining too hard. Try to tense each muscle for approximately 5 seconds for the best results.

This activity is perfect prior to going to sleep because it helps the body release tension. Have your child try this activity lying down after they get into bed for the night.

Starting at the feet, gently squeeze the muscles in the feet by tightening them, then slowly releasing. You can also point the toes up and then back down for a gentle release.

Next, squeeze the large muscles in the calves for 5 seconds, then gently release. Working your way up the body, squeeze the thigh muscles for 5 seconds then gently release.

Notice how much calmer you feel already.

Next tense and release the hips and buttocks. You can also do this by straightening the legs and then releasing the tension.

Squeeze the abdomen and chest next and gently release. Notice the wave of relaxation moving through you.

Now slowly draw both hands into fists and squeeze tightly for about 5 seconds then release. Point your arms and hands out straight while squeezing tightly then releasing next.

Finally, shift your attention to your neck and shoulders. Raise your shoulders up towards your ears and squeeze for 5 seconds then release. Do this a couple more times and feel the gentle release.

Gently move your head from side to side 2-3 times and then relax.

If you would like to, you can continue this activity back down the body for more relaxation.

This activity grounds you into the physical body and it's a great way to practice mindfulness. The tensing and relaxing of the muscles of the body help release the strain and stress of the day helping your child get a wonderful night's rest.

Recap

Any everyday act can be used to practice mindfulness. You and your child can be engaged in mindfulness in the midst of any ordinary activity, which, in essence, really makes it an extraordinary activity.

From walking outside and going on a safari, to shaking a glitter jar or tensing and relaxing muscles, there is no limit when it comes to practicing mindfulness.

You can even encourage your child to eat mindfully or read a book mindfully because any activity can be done with a mindful awareness.

The most important thing about mindfulness is being in the here and now - living your life and taking the time to enjoy the world around you.

Before you move on be sure to sign up for our FREE weekly printables carefully crafted to teach your kids growth mindset, resilience, and much more. Sign up below to make sure you're on the list!

Once signed up you will immediately receive our popular Parent's Guide to a Growth Mindset.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The practice of mindfulness has become a big trend but it can be confusing when it comes to defining it, especially as a parent. Mindfulness is a practice where you use the five senses to engage physically and non-judgmentally with the world around you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sharing is caring.

People who meditate are happier, healthier, and more successful than those who don't. Those amazing benefits of practicing meditation and mindfulness make you want to try it yourself.

Good chance you have already tried meditation or mindfulness before. Maybe you decided - after a few frustrating attempts - that you must be one of those people with an errant mind that just won't follow instructions. This is a limiting belief. Like any skill, mindfulness takes practice. Try it again!

Now don't roll your eyes. Sometimes the only thing standing between our goals and us is a little bit of direction. Hopefully, this article can provide the direction you need to give mindfulness a try in your own life or in your therapy or coaching sessions. Let's dive in!

4 Mindfulness Activities for Groups and Group Therapy

In many cases, group therapy that incorporates mindfulness has shown some promising results. It has proven to be as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a staple of the clinical psychology world (Kocovski, Fleming, Hawley, Huta, & Antony, 2013).

There is also evidence to show that group mindfulness therapy is also as effective as individual CBT (Sundquist et al., 2015). In a global climate with relatively few clinical psychologists in relation to the demand, and in which individual therapy time is limited and expensive, the proven efficacy of group-based therapy is really good news.

Even if you're not currently attending therapy or feel no need to visit a therapist, or are a therapist looking to expand your skills, there are mindfulness-focused groups that attempt to share and deepen meditation practice without an added therapeutic focus of stress, anxiety, or other mental health problems (Brach, 2016).

Fleming & Kocovski's treatment plan

One such group mindfulness-based treatment program by Fleming & Kocovski (2007) aimed to reduce social anxiety. It is a good example of how mindfulness exercises can be incorporated into a group setting for its various benefits.

In this example, the exercises used have proven effective for treating social anxiety disorder in particular; however, they can be applied to many other group settings with positive results.

The treatment plan involves groups of about 8 members meeting for 2 hours, every week for 12 weeks. The first portion of each session is devoted to a short mindfulness exercise and discussion.
The treatment plan's mindfulness exercises went as follows:

Session 1: Raisin Exercise

Session 2: Body Scan

Session 3: Mindful Seeing

Session 4: Mindfulness of the breath, sounds and thoughts

Session 5: Acceptance of thoughts and feelings exercise

Session 6: Acceptance of Social Anxiety

Session 7: Mountain Meditation

Session 8: Acceptance of Social Anxiety

Session 9: Breath Focus without Guidance

Session 10: Lake Meditation

Session 11: Non guided Breath Focus

There are many different mindfulness exercises mentioned here which were specifically put together for the aim of reducing social anxiety disorder; however, the first three exercises are commonly used in group sessions to encourage mindfulness. A description of each of these three group exercises can be found below:

1. The Raisin Exercise

This is a great introductory exercise for beginners to start practicing mindfulness, since it can be attempted by anyone with any kind of food (although one with an interesting or unusual texture, smell, or taste is best).

In this exercise, the facilitator provides participants with a few raisins and asks that they pretend they have never seen a raisin before. The facilitator then asks that the group pay careful attention to:

The way the raisin looks

How it feels

How their skin responds to its manipulation

Its smell

Its taste

Focusing on the single object of the raisin is meant to bring the participant's mind to the present, to what is right in front of them.

"By focusing on the raisin in their hand and making a point to notice everything about it, they are unlikely to be expending energy, time and attention on worrying or ruminating about other parts of their lives"

It is nearly impossible to avoid practicing mindfulness when you follow these instructions and take notice of what is in front of you in the present moment.

2. The Body Scan

Another popular exercise for practitioners of mindfulness is called the Body Scan. It requires very little in the way of props or tools, and it is also easily accessible for most beginners.

Would you like to follow a Body Scan right now? Try this 30 minute guided narrative by expert and founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Jon Kabat Zinn:

Step 1: the Body Scan begins with the participants lying on their backs with their palms facing up and their feet falling slightly apart.This exercise can also be done sitting on a comfortable chair with feet resting on the floor.

Step 2: the facilitator then asks the participants to lie very still for the duration of the exercise, and move with awareness if it becomes necessary to adjust their position.

Step 3: next, the facilitator begins guiding the Body Scan. Participants begin by bringing awareness to the breath, noticing the rhythm, the experience of breathing in and expelling out. The facilitator explains that nobody should try to change the way they are breathing but rather just hold gentle awareness on the breath.

Step 4: next, the facilitator guides attention to the body: how it feels, the texture of clothing against the skin, the contours of the surface on which the body is resting, the temperature of the body and the environment.

Step 5: the facilitator guides awareness to the parts of the body that are tingling, sore, or feeling particularly heavy or light, s/he asks the participants to note any areas of their body where they don't feel any sensations at all or are hypersensitive.

A typical Body Scan runs through each part of the body, paying special attention to the way each area feels, the scan usually moves as follows:

1. From toes of both feet to
2. The rest of the feet (top, bottom, ankle) then to the
3. Lower legs,
4. Knees,
5. Thighs and
6. Pelvic region- buttocks, tailbone, pelvic bone, genitals. From there moving to
7. The Abdomen, then the
8. Chest,
9. Lower back,
10. Upper back- back ribs & shoulder blades,
11. Hands (fingers, palms, backs, wrists),
12. Arms (lower, elbows, upper),
13. Neck,
14. Face and head (jaw, mouth, nose, cheeks, ears, eyes, forehead, scalp, back&top of head),
15. and finally ending with the blow hole (Fleming & Kocovski, 2007)

After the Body Scan is complete and the participants feel ready to come back to the room they can slowly open their eyes and move naturally to a comfortable sitting position.

Now that you have a firmer understanding of the Body Scan, check out this free PDF mindful body scan script which will help you facilitate this exercise for others within a group setting.

3. Mindful Seeing

For some, the absence of visual stimuli can feel stifling. After all, a healthy imagination does not come naturally to everyone. The activity of Mindful Seeing may be helpful to anyone who identifies with this feeling.

This is a simple exercise, requiring only a window with some kind of a view. The facilitator guides the group following these steps:

Step 1: find a space at a window where there are sights to be seen outside.

Step 2: look at everything there is to see. Avoid labeling and categorizing what you see outside the window; instead of thinking "bird" or "stop sign", try to notice the colors, the patterns, or the textures.

Step 3: pay attention to the movement of the grass or leaves in the breeze, notice the many different shapes present in this small segment of the world you can see. Try to
see the world outside the window from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with these sights.

Step 4: be observant, but not critical. Be aware, but not fixated.

Step 5: if you become distracted, gently pull your mind away from those thoughts and notice a color or shape again to put you back in the right frame of mind.

"This exercise only lasts a few minutes, but can open up a world of discovery in an otherwise familiar place"

This extensive group treatment plan of Fleming and Kocovski's 2007 work offers a glimpse of how to use mindfulness in any kind of group session and provides detailed worksheets, exercises, and handouts which can provide inspiration and guidance for your group facilitation.

4. Mindful Listening

This last activity is extracted from the Positive Psychology Toolkit and introduces mindful listening as a group exercise.

Mindful listening is an important skill and can be a great group mindfulness exercise. In general, people thrive when they feel fully "heard" and "seen." In other words, mindful listening involves a form of self-regulation in which the focus on the self is set aside. Mindful listening can create an inner stillness in both parties as the speaker may feel free of the listener's preconceptions and prejudices, and the listener is free of inner chatter whilst learning valuable positive communication skills.

The Mindful Listening exercise involves these steps:

Step 1: invite each participant to think of one thing they are stressed about and one thing they look forward to.

Step 2: once everyone is finished each participant takes their turn in sharing their story with the group,

Step 3: encourage each participant to direct attention to how it feels to speak, how it feels to talk about something stressful as well as how it feel to share something positive.

Step 4: participants are instructed to observe their own thoughts, feelings and body sensations both when talking and listening.

Step 5: after each participant has shared, you can break into small groups and answer the questions stated bellow. Next, you regroup into the whole group and have a discussion and debrief with these questions.

Those questions are:
1: How did you feel when speaking during the exercise?
2: How did you feel when listening during the exercise?
3: Did you notice any mind-wandering?
4: If so, what was the distraction?
5: What helped you to bring your attention back to the present?
6: Did your mind judge while listening to others?
7: If so, how did "judging" feel in the body?
8: Were there times where you felt empathy?
9: If so, how did this feel in the body?
10: How did your body feel right before speaking?
11: How did your body feel right after speaking?
12: What are you feeling right now?
13: What would happen if you practiced mindful listening with each person that you spoke with?
14: Do you think mindful listening would change the way you interact and relate with others?
15: How would it feel if you set the intention to pay attention with curiosity, kindness, and
acceptance to everything you said and everything you listened to?

In addition to the group activities mentioned, you may also be interested in trying gentle yoga or qigong, both of which involve deliberate posture, purposeful breath, and an emphasis on awareness. Both of these activities have provided evidence for the benefits of mindfulness (Newsome, Waldo, & Gruszka, 2012).

6 Fun Mindfulness Interventions, Techniques, and Worksheets for Adults

There are several ways to engage in mindfulness on an individual level, including worksheets, techniques, and different exercises.

If the idea of participating in group mindfulness exercises is anxiety-provoking or stressful for yourself or your clients then diving into mindfulness practice alone can be the best way to proceed. Here are 6 exercises which can help to build mindfulness in different ways:

1. The Self-Compassion Pause

This free PDF worksheet on The Self-Compassion Pause guides the reader through an exercise on practicing mindfulness and self-compassion.

It is an ideal worksheet for many who struggle to show themselves compassion, even though they may be quick to extend compassion to others. It is also a great way to practice mindfulness by bringing awareness to emotions and staying in the moment with them.

The worksheet begins with noting the date and whether the focus on awareness is on heart, body, or thoughts on the current day.

Next, the worksheet provides a short description on the importance of self-compassion for maintaining quality of life.

The next section provides the method for the exercise. You start with noticing feelings by taking a moment to pause thoughts and actions, with a focused awareness that being mindful can help.

Next, the worksheet instructs you to move a hand over the heart, give yourself a hug, or make physical contact with yourself in some other way, and take a few deep breaths.

After this is the important step of acknowledging suffering. This step is both a place to practice mindfulness and encourages mindfulness as result. The aim is not to become overwhelmed by the pain or emotion but rather acknowledge it as real and hurtful, while giving yourself permission to feel it.

While the last step may be the most difficult, it is also a very important one. It involves vocalizing three statements:

1. "This is suffering" (or something similar)

2. "Suffering is part of being human" (acknowledge that all humans suffer and struggle)

3. A phrase that you feel offers compassion, such as "May I love and accept myself just as I am"

2. Self-Inquiry Meditation

The Self-Inquiry Meditation is focused on self-inquiry, a technique used in meditation to gain enlightenment. (download the PDF here)

It begins the same way the self-compassion worksheet does, by jotting down the date and what area is the focus of awareness for the day.

Next, the worksheet offers a short description of self-inquiry and why it is worthwhile to practice it. Self-inquiry can bring about a sense of peace and openness to experience, among other desirable outcomes.

To begin the exercise, follow these steps:

1. Take a comfortable seated position

2. Let yourself settle into your body and your mind

3. Try to let go of thoughts and clear the mind of its usual considerations

4. Focus your attention on the feeling of being you. Who are you? How does it feel to be you? What is it that makes up your inner self?

If you find yourself distracted by an errant thought, bring your awareness back to yourself by asking "To whom is this thought occurring?"

This exercise can be continued for as long as desired. It is a difficult exercise as it requires the individual to focus on the self, which not many find enjoyable. If you are having trouble staying in your own head, try practicing the self-compassion exercise first to make the experience more comfortable.

The goal of self-inquiry is to be aware of yourself and to bring awareness to the source of all that you are. It can be so easy to get lost in everyday tasks and distractions.

"Self-inquiry can help bring awareness to the one who is dealing with all these thoughts and feelings - you!"

3. Five Senses Exercise

This exercise is called "five senses", and provides guidelines on practicing mindfulness quickly in nearly any situation. All that is needed is to notice something you are experiencing with each of the five senses.

Follow this order to practice the five senses exercise:

Look around you and bring your attention to five things that you can see. Pick something that you don't normally notice, like a shadow or a small crack in the concrete.

Notice four things that you can feel.

Bring awareness to four things that you are currently feeling, like the texture of your pants, the feeling of the breeze on your skin, or the smooth surface of a table you are resting your hands on.

Take a moment to listen, and note three things that you hear in the background. This can be the chirp of a bird, the hum of the refrigerator, or the faint sounds of traffic from a nearby road.

Bring your awareness to smells that you usually filter out, whether they're pleasant or unpleasant. Perhaps the breeze is carrying a whiff of pine trees if you're outside, or the smell of a fast food restaurant across the street.

Focus on one thing that you can taste right now, in this moment. You can take a sip of a drink, chew a piece of gum, eat something, or just notice the current taste in your mouth or open your mouth to search the air for a taste.

This is a quick and relatively easy exercise to bring you to a mindful state quickly. If you only have a minute or two or, for whatever reason, you don't have the time or tools to try a body scan or fill out a worksheet, the five senses exercise can help you or your clients bring awareness to the current moment in a short amount of time.

4. The Mini-Mindfulness Exercise

Another great exercise to try if you are strapped for time is the mini-mindfulness exercise. In this lesson, there are only three steps:

Step 1: step out of "automatic pilot" to bring awareness to what you doing, thinking, and sensing in this moment.

Try to pause and take a comfortable but dignified posture. Notice the thoughts that come up and acknowledge your feelings, but let them pass. Attune yourself to who you are and your current state.

Step 2: bring awareness to the breathing for six breaths or a minute.

The goal is to focus attention on one thing: your breath. Be aware of the movement of your body with each breath, of how your chest rises and falls, how your belly pushes in and out, and how your lungs expand and contract. Find the pattern of your breath and anchor yourself to the present with this awareness.

Step 3: expand awareness outward, first to the body then to the environment.

Allow the awareness to expand out to your body. Notice the sensations you are experiencing, like tightness, aches, or perhaps a lightness in your face or shoulders. Keep in mind your body as a whole, as a complete vessel for your inner self.

If you wish, you can then expand your awareness even further to the environment around you. Bring your attention to what is in front of you. Notice the colors, shapes, patterns, and textures of the objects you can see. Be present in this moment, in your awareness of your surroundings.

"When you are ready to finish the exercise, allow your eyes to open slowly and try to carry that mindfulness with you as you go about your day"

These four exercises mentioned above are taken from www.mindfulnessexercises.com.

5. Mindful Walking Down The Street Technique

One core process, which can be influenced by mindfulness practice, is our ability to observe out thoughts emotions and sensations without reacting to fix them, hide them or solve them. This awareness creates room for choice between impulse and action which can help develop coping skills and positive behavioral change.

In the first step of this intervention; the facilitator helps the client visualize a scenario in which they are walking down a familiar street when they look up and see someone they know on the other side of the street. They wave however the other person doesn't respond and continues to walk right past.

In the second step of the mindful walking exercise the facilitator prompts reflection from the client by asking a series of questions:

1. As you were imagining, did you notice any of your thoughts?
2. As you were imagining, did you notice any of your emotions?

"It can be sometimes be challenging to differentiate between thoughts and emotions as they can play off each other quite rapidly"

In the third and final step of the exercise, the facilitator asks the client to reflect on the series of emotions and thoughts that came up and how this affects their behavior, whether the exercise was helpful and for any final comments.

6. The Three Minute Breathing Space

Unlike meditations or a body scan, this exercise is quick to perform and easy to get started with a mindfulness practice in your busy life or that of your clients. With meditations and the body scan thoughts often pop up and keeping a quiet and clear head can be a challenge.

This last exercise of Three Minute Breathing Space can be the perfect technique for those with busy lives and minds. The exercise is broken into three sections, one per minute, and works as follows:

1. The first minute is spent on answering the question, "how am I doing right now?", while focusing on the feelings, thoughts and sensations that arise and trying to give these words and phrases.

2. The second minute is spent on keeping awareness on the breath.

3. The last minute is used for an expansion of attention from solely focusing on the breath, feeling the in's and out's and how they affect the rest of the body.

This exercise can be rather challenging for keeping a quiet mind and often thoughts can pop up. The idea is not to block them, but rather just let them come into your mind and then disappear back out again. Try to just observe them.

Positive Psychology Toolkit

All the exercises mentioned above can be used for the benefit of yourself, individual clients and even in group settings. They are beneficial to all client groups; however, some will be better suited than others so a method of open minded trial and error can often be necessary.

The most important part of mindfulness is to recognize that it is training of the mind, and like any exercise will take some time to see the benefits and for the mind to get used to a new way of thinking. The trick it to persevere, approach the process with self-compassion and allow for reflection, change and flexibility between different techniques and interventions.

Introducing Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (or DBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that is mainly used to treat individuals with borderline personality disorder.

The first priority for DBT treatment is to target the life-threatening behaviors that often manifest in people with severe mental health problems.

Second, therapists aim to eliminate the behaviors that interfere with therapy. These behaviors are anything which become obstacles between the client and successful treatment, such as refusal to strive for the goals of DBT, missing sessions, etc.

Next, DBT therapists aim to correct the behaviors that interfere with the client's quality of life, including non-productive relationship behaviors, communication problems, and bad financial decision-making.

The behavioral skills taught in group and individual therapy fall into one of four categories:

1. Mindfulness

2. Distress tolerance

3. Interpersonal effectiveness

4. Emotion regulation (Linehan, 1993)

Mindfulness is a core skill taught in DBT, as it helps clients raise awareness of their own thoughts and feelings (Jennings & Apsche, 2014).

"Practicing mindfulness helps DBT clients learn to slow the pace of their thoughts, recognize thoughts for what they are, and sharpen their focus"

The Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy-Mindfulness

In one study, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy-Mindfulness (DBTM) training was added to general psychiatric treatment to test its effectiveness. A module on mindfulness was developed to help clients achieve the "wise mind" and focused on two sets of skills, called the "what" skills and the "how" skills (Soler et al., 2012).

What are the "What" skills?

This first set of skills is meant to help the client learn how to:

1. simply observe their experience,

2. describe their experience using verbal labels, and

3. be fully present in the moment and in their actions without feeling self-conscious.

These skills allow the client to be aware of what is happening to them and of their part in their own experience. Becoming aware of their own thoughts and grounded in the present forms the foundation for the next set of "how" skills.

How do the "How" Skills Work?

The "how" skills set refers to the goal of teaching clients how to observe, describe and participate in their own experience. This set of skills is intended to help clients:

1. learn to have experiences in a non-evaluative, or non-judgmental, manner,

2. focus on one thing at a time and learn to bring their attention back to the target when they go off course

3. be effective, or keep their focus on their goals regardless of their current mood (Soler et al., 2012).

The clients were also taken through a series of other mindfulness interventions including mindful breathing, the body scan and other simple awareness practices.

The outcome of this study showed that individuals who received DBTM training in addition to the usual treatment garnered enhanced benefits compared to the group who received only the usual psychiatric treatment. Additionally, it was found that the more minutes an individual spent practicing mindfulness, the greater the improvements in psychiatric symptoms (Soler et al., 2012).

DBT clearly has something to teach us all in its application of a wide range of mindfulness techniques and exercises. The best news being that these exercises can be applied to other individual clients and groups with their own unique benefits. Let's take a look at a few easily applicable examples.

5 Simple Mindfulness Exercises from Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

In addition to the DBT mindfulness techniques used in clinical research, there are many informal mindfulness techniques and exercises shared online for anyone to try.

One such source comes is DrivingPeace.com, which offers five DBT-based mindfulness practices that can help with anxiety, especially anxiety resulting from borderline personality disorder, however, could be beneficial to a number of different clients. These five exercises are quick and easy and can be put to practice every day:

1. Observe a leaf for five minutes

This exercise calls for nothing but a leaf and your attention. Pick up a leaf, hold it in your hand, and give it your full attention for five minutes. Notice the colors, the shape, the texture, and the patterns. This will bring you into the present and align your thoughts with your current experience.

2. Mindful eating for four minutes

As with the raisin exercise described above, this exercise calls for mindful eating.

Pay attention to what you are holding (preferably not something messy!), notice the feeling of it in your hands. Once you have noticed the texture, the weight, the color, etc., move on to bringing your awareness to the smell.

Finally, move on to eating, but do so slowly and with concentrated attention. Notice the taste and its texture against your tongue. This exercise may help you discover new experiences with familiar foods.

3. Observe your thoughts for fifteen minutes

This exercise is a staple of mindfulness, designed to simply enhance your awareness of your own thoughts.

To begin, sit or lie down in a comfortable position and try to let all tension in your body dissipate. Focus on your breathing first, then move your awareness to what it feels like to be in your body, and finally move on to your thoughts.

Be aware of what comes into your head, but resist the urge to label or judge these thoughts. Think of them as a passing cloud in the sky of your mind.

If your mind wanders to chase a thought, acknowledge whatever it was that took your attention and gently guide your attention back to your thoughts.

4. Mindfulness bell exercise for five minutes

In this exercise, you begin by closing your eyes and listening for the cue. When you hear it, your aim is to focus your attention on the sound and continue your concentration until it fades completely. This exercise helps you to keep yourself firmly grounded in the present. You can use the audio below:

5. Stare at the center

The goal is simple: to focus your attention on the center of the shifting pattern of color. You can let your mind wander freely, noticing whatever thoughts come into your head but staying in the present.

This experience is similar to the well-known phenomenon of the quiet fixation that results from staring at a candle flame or a campfire.

The same focus and deep thought can be brought on by this exercise, but be careful not to lose yourself in thought, and instead stay present in the moment and let your thoughts pass by. This exercise requires a video to practice, you can use the one below:

Mindfulness Techniques for Depression, Anger, Addiction, and Anxiety

While mindfulness has been a crux of therapy for patients with borderline personality disorder, it clearly has applications for people with a diagnosis of mental illness.

In fact, mindfulness has been successfully applied to a wide range of people on the mental health spectrum, from the mentally healthy and happy to those struggling the most with their mental well-being.

Whether you treat or suffer from depression, anger, addiction, or anxiety as a formal diagnosis or occasional obstacles, mindfulness techniques have been shown to be particularly beneficial for regulating emotions and can be a very helpful resource for management and coping (Arch & Craske, 2006; Dubert, Schumacher, Locker, Gutierrez, & Barnes, 2016).

Mindfulness Techniques for Depression

Mindfulness is increasingly used in the treatment of depression as it helps to reduce depressive symptoms and thus lowers the risk of relapse. One study included interviews with 11 individuals suffering from depression who have used mindfulness-based treatment. The study concluded that there are three keys for making mindfulness effective in the treatment of depression (Nauman, 2014 June):

1. Mindfulness helps patients learn to be present in the moment, which helps them take a moment to pause, notice their own thoughts and feelings, and choose a response that is not based in their present emotions.

2. Mindfulness teaches patients that it is okay to say "no" to others, which helps them balance their own lives and enhance self-confidence.

3. Mindfulness allows patients to be present with others, meaning that they are more aware of the state of their relationships with others, are able to acknowledge their own communication problems and thus more effectively relate with others.

We've described practices focused on breathing and muscle relaxation already (such as the Three Minute Breathing Space or the Body Scan), however the "sorting into boxes" exercise is also helpful for dealing with depression. You can use this audio clip here for guidance.

The exercise of "sorting boxes" follows these steps:

1. Focus on your breathing, without trying to change it.

2. Notice any thoughts, sensations, or emotions that come into your awareness.

3. Imagine that there are three boxes in your mind, labelled "thoughts", "sensations", and "emotions."

4. Continue to focus on your breathing, and continue to observe anything that comes into your awareness.

5. Identify these things as thoughts, sensations, or emotions and sort them into the corresponding box in your mind.

6. Continue clearing your mind by putting these thoughts, sensations, and emotions into their respective boxes until you hear the sound of a bell.

Following this guided mindfulness exercise will help you to clear your mind of worry about the past or the future, and allow you to focus on this present moment in a time.

If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness techniques for treating depression, you can look into Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy or follow their short guided meditation.

Alternatively watch this inspiring TEDtalk by Zindel Segal who explains the naused mindful approach needed to not only address depression but also manage recovery and reduce the risk of relapse. Check it out:

Mindfulness Techniques for Anger

Mindfulness techniques can be put to good use in discharging acute or chronic anger. As one of our strongest emotions, anger can be hard to view objectively and defuse before getting out of hand, however, mindfulness can help by creating a space between stimulus and an immediate, impulsive response.

This technique can help you deal with the experience of anger (Cullen, Pons, & Mindful Staff, 2016):

First, sit in a comfortable position with your eyes closed and notice the places where your body is touching the floor, cushion, or chair.

Draw in a few deep breaths, completely filling up your lungs and quickly exhaling.

Think back to a time that you recently experienced anger, preferably a mild or quickly addressed episode. Allow yourself to experience the anger you felt in that moment.

Disregard any other feelings that come up with this memory, like guilt or sadness.

Turn your attention to how you are experiencing anger in your body. Notice whether any parts of your body are manifesting your anger, with sensations like warmth or cold, the intensity of these reactions, and whether they change as you observe them or move through your body.

Bring compassion to the anger. This can be a difficult step, but remind yourself that anger is a natural human emotion that affects us all at one point or another. Try to hold your anger "like a mother cradling a newborn," with love and understanding.

Say goodbye to your anger. Gradually bring your attention back to your breath and rest here for a while, until your emotions have subsided or settled down.

Reflect on the experience. Notice the sensations that this exercise brought up in your body, notice if they changed through the process. Take note of whether you applied compassion to your anger, and if so, how you did it. Think about what happened to the anger when you showed it compassion.

This exercise can be repeated as many times as necessary. It is recommended to work your way up from milder experiences of anger to the most intense and memorable episodes.

Practicing this technique can help you to defuse chronic anger in a rather counterintuitive manner: by accepting and mindfully feeling your anger, you can take control of the experience and compassionately address it.

For other resources and techniques on dealing with anger through mindfulness, you can try the Buddhist-based method or the mindfulness for dummies version. Alternatively, you can follow this 20 minute guided anger management mindfulness meditation:

Mindfulness Techniques for Anxiety

We have already covered some mindfulness techniques for dealing with social anxiety disorder as well as the anxiety that often accompanies borderline personality disorder, but the techniques can also aid the undiagnosed individual who suffers from occasional (or not-so-occasional) anxiety.

A meta-analysis was conducted in 2010 that provided evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness exercises on anxiety and depression. The researchers found that mindfulness-based therapy was moderately effective for treating anxiety and improving mood and that the effects lasted beyond the initial improvements (Hofmann, Sawyer, Witt, & Oh, 2010).

To begin applying mindfulness to your anxiety, or that of your clients, Mindful.org has provided a short description of 10 attitudes that will help build the foundation for successfully addressing anxiety:

Volition or intention
This is the building block of all other attitudes. First, you must bring your focus to the intention of working with your anxiety.

Beginner's mind
This refers to a mindset that is ready to see from a new perspective and consider new ideas in regards to dealing with anxiety.

Patience
This is a very important attitude to cultivate, since it can broaden your perspective and help you persevere when you run into obstacles on your journey.

Acknowledgement
Having the mindset of acknowledgment means that you take each experience for what it is; you accept what is happening and be secure in the knowledge that it, like the weather it will pass.

Nonjudgment
This attitude involves experiencing your present moment without evaluating and judging it. It means youlet go of value judgments about yourself and how you are feeling, and allows you to begin your work from a more balanced starting block.

Non-striving
This attitude refers to the willingness to accept a situation or experience as it is, without trying to change it. To combat your anxiety, you must first be present with it and accept your current state.

Self-reliance
The mindset of self-reliance is characterized by trusting yourself and your ability to handle your feelings. Cultivating your self-reliance will allow you to more easily acknowledge, experience, and let go of your anxiety.

Letting be or allowing
Similar to the attitude of non-striving, letting be or allowing refers to the mindset of allowing yourself to feel anxiety. Often it is more effective to work with your anxiety than expend energy trying to fight against it.

Self-compassion
As mentioned earlier, showing yourself compassion is an important part of mindfulness. Being kind to yourself, as you would be kind to a dear friend or family member, can help you to decrease your anxiety by being a support for yourself.

Balance and equanimity
These are attitudes that allow wisdom to develop through a broadening of perspective and an understanding that your whole experience is so much more than your current feelings, whether positive or negative.

To practice each of these mindsets, first read the full description of each mindset then try to embody each mindset or attitude. Take note of how you feel. Afterward, reflect on your experience and describe it, with a special focus on your feelings during the process.

For a rather more simple method of applying mindfulness to anxiety, you can try this quick exercise:

focus on the sensations that arise in your body when you are anxious.

be present and in the moment,

allow yourself to think the anxious and distressing thoughts, don't fight them.

By recognizing these thoughts for what they are, you may come to realize that they are not true, and consequently be able to let them go (Hofmann, 2013). If you are interested in trying other mindfulness exercises to address anxiety, you can use this free short document or this extensive workbook (PDF).

If you would like more information on anxiety, and how to approach dealing with it through mindfulness you can also take a listen to Dr. Kim Taylor Show as she clarifies the signs, symptoms of anxiety and suggests viable techniques, resources which can aid the treatment and management of anxiety. Take a listen:

Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT)

Another mindfulness based therapy is the Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Therapy (MB-EAT). It was invented by the psychologist Jean Kristeller in the early 1980s. It should be used in case of emotional eating disorders. It combines mindfulness training with cognitive behaviour therapies to make people more aware of their eating behaviour. The goal is to give people a more healthy eating behaviour and to treat eating disorders like diabetes, obesity or binge-eating. Cognitive behaviour therapies usually also include teaching participants the risks of their daily behaviour. In their daily life participants should avoid risks like unhealthy meals or unbalanced sleep. They should avoid mood-altering drugs and try to deal with their emotions by themselves. It is also helpful to do exercises which improve their body image and lead to a higher endorphin level which gives people a feeling of happiness.

Mindfulness Techniques for Addiction

Addiction is a serious issue that should be addressed by a mental health professional or an institution that has proven effective in treating addiction. However, there are some mindfulness techniques you can use to supplement addition management.

Mindfulness has been shown to help those suffering from addiction in decreasing their usage and reduce the occurrence of more long-term psychiatric problems ("Extinguish addiction", 2016).

The practice of mindfulness was found to result in these outcomes through increasing the number and strength of connections in the brain, allowing us to become more aware of our body and more effective at regulating our emotions.

In addition, mindfulness helps individuals recognize, tolerate, and cope with negative emotions ("Extinguish addiction", 2016).

Just as with other struggles, there are many mindfulness techniques that aid in dealing with addiction, but there is one technique that is specifically crafted for those suffering from cravings. There is a theory that people develop cravings through incentive sensitization, a process that occurs in four steps:

Repeated exposure to an addictive substance results in hypersensitization, meaning that the substance or substances will have a greater effect on neurobehavioral response in the future.

Hypersensitization leads to incentive salience, a desire for the substance that is well beyond a simple preference.

The incentive salience all but guarantees the individual will repeat the behavior.

This unconscious process develops into a conscious craving for the substance.

The result of this process is a very strong association between the substance and the "reward" (the feeling an individual gets when s/he uses the substance).
This is where mindfulness can come in
Following this theory, it is not the fault of the individual that they experience cravings. They are not punished with cravings for being weak, or lazy, or unwilling to stop. Cravings are like intruders on the mind, uninvited guests that try to influence behavior.

Taken in this light, those struggling with addiction can use mindfulness to pause, identify the cravings and label them as intruders, and thereby give themselves permission to ignore them. Mindfulness can turn the cravings into passing thoughts that may disappear simply by acknowledging their presence ("Mindfulness meditation", 2017).

For more information and a guided meditation on dealing with addiction cravings you can watch this short video by Jessica Graham:

The SMART Recovery website also offers helpful resources for incorporating mindfulness into addiction treatment.

Alternatively, if you are looking for a more comprehensive information on the neurological origins of our addictive behaviours and how we can challenge addiction a the level of the brain, you can watch this fascinating talk by Dr. Judson Brewer:

A Take Home Message

I hope that I have sufficiently provided you with enough techniques, exercises, and activities to start bringing you and your clients the benefits of mindfulness. Mindfulness can be used in a variety of populations including those on any part of the spectrum of mental well-being from dialectical behavioural therapy treatments for borderline personality disorders to group-based mindfulness for beginners.

Mindfulness is a relatively easy practice that can encourage participation regardless of budget, occupation, or diagnosis and can deliver significant results in the form of enhanced quality of life, self-confidence, and peace of mind, among many others.

While mindless distractions can certainly have a place in a healthy life, it can't hurt to try an activity that helps us become more aware of our bodies, our thoughts, and our selves.

I wish you good luck in cultivating mindfulness, and I hope you find what you desire from your practice. Please leave me your comments and experiences in the box below.

References

Arch, J. J., & Craske, M. G. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness: Emotion regulation following a focused breathing induction. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 1849-1858. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2005.12.007 Brach, T. (2016, August). How to start a mindfulness meditation group. Retrieved from www.tarabrach.com
https://contextualscience.org
Cullen, M., Pons, G. B., & Mindful Staff. (2016, January 25). Mindfulness of anger. Retrieved from www.mindful.org/mindfulness-of-anger/
www.dharmawisdom.org www.drivingpeace.com
Dubert, C. J., Schumacher, A. M., Locker, L., Gutierrez, A. P., & Barnes, V. A. (2016). Mindfulness and emotion regulation among nursing students: Investigating the mediation effect of working memory capacity. Mindfulness 7, 1061-1070. doi:10.1007/s12671-016-0544-6
www.dummies.com
"Extinguish addiction with mindfulness." (2016). Retrieved from www.mindfulmuscle.com Fleming, J. E., & Kocovski, N. L. (2007). Mindfulness and acceptance-based group therapy for social anxiety disorder: A treatment manual. Retrieved from https://contextualscience.org Hofmann, G. (2013). Using mindfulness to treat anxiety disorders. Retrieved from www.psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/01/28/using-mindfulness-to-treat-anxiety-disorders/ Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78, 169-183. doi:10.1037/a0018555 Jennings, J. L., & Apsche, J. A. (2014). The evolution of a fundamentally mindfulness-based treatment methodology: From DBT and ACT to MDT and beyond. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy 9(2), 1-3. doi:10.1037/h0100990 Kocovski, N. L., Fleming, J. E., Hawley, L. L., Huta, V., & Antony, M. M. (2013). Mindfulness and acceptance-based group therapy versus traditional cognitive behavioral group therapy for social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 51, 889-898. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2013.10.007 Linehan, M. M. (1993). Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. New York: Guilford Press.
www.mindful.org www.mindfulnessexercises.com
" Mindfulness meditation for addiction cravings." (2017). Retrieved from www.alcoholrehab.com Nauman, E. (2014, June 2). Three ways mindfulness reduces depression. Retrieved from www.greatergood.berkeley.edu Newsome, S., Waldo, M., & Gruszka, C. (2012). Mindfulness group work: Preventing stress and increasing self-compassion among helping professionals in training. The Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 1-15. doi:10.1080/01933922.2012.690832
www.smartrecovery.org
Soler, J., Valdepérez, A., Feliu-Soler, A., Pascual, J. C., Portella, M. J., Martín-Blanco, A., & ... Pérez, V. (2012). Effects of the dialectical behavioral therapy-mindfulness module on attention in patients with borderline personality disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50(2), 150-157. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2011.12.002
www.stillmind.com.au
Sundquist, J., Lilja, A., Palmér, K., Memon, A., Wang, X., Johansson, L. M., & Sundquist, K. (2015). Mindfulness group therapy in primary care patients with depression, anxiety and stress and adjustment disorders: randomised controlled trial. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 206(2), 128-135. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.114.150243
www.therapistaid.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
22 Mindfulness Exercises, Techniques & Activities For Adults (+ PDF's)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sharing is caring. People who meditate are happier, healthier, and more successful than those who don't. Those amazing benefits of practicing meditation and mindfulness make you want to try it yourself. Good chance you have already tried meditation or mindfulness before.

# data[].attributes.body
Five Senses

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These are various documents and worksheets in word and pdf format.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Breathing
2. Observation
3. Awareness
4. Listening
5. Immersion
6. Appreciation

# data[].attributes.body
Stop, Breathe & Think

# data[].attributes.body
1. I Haven't Got a Minute
2. Tuning In
3. Rain Shower
4. My Cool Little Kiwi
5. Mind Your Chocolate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Calm corners or break spots are a great addition to any classroom or counseling office to provide students with a space to calm down or self-regulate when they need to. But how can you set up a calm corner to make things easy for students (and you)? I needed a calm corner tool that didn't take up much space and wouldn't require me to spend a lot of time hanging a bunch of pieces or cards on the wall. I also wanted something easy to move in case my room is moved next year or if I need to rearrange my room at any point. Keep reading for calm corner ideas that worked for me and can work for you too!

Calm Corner Ideas:

If you're low on wall space like I am, grab a file folder and you're all set. In my calm corner folder, everything is laminated for easy use and re-use. I just clip the folder on a clipboard and hang it on the wall with a 3M hook.

Clue in to body and thoughts

On the top section of the inside of the file folder, I have a blank body outline and thought bubble where students can label their physiological feelings and write their thoughts. Then, they use this information to choose an emotion. Also on the top section of the folder are emotion choice cards. These are attached with Velcro dots so students can simply choose the one that best represents how they are feeling and move it to the "Right now I feel" section.

Choose strategies

After students have clued into their bodies and thoughts and identified their emotions, they can move to the bottom section of the folder. On this section, students can choose from 16 calming strategies. I include tangible things like a glitter bottle or stress ball as well as individual actions like controlled breathing or stretching/yoga. Students can pick up to the three strategies to use to regulate their emotions. These are also attached with Velcro dots so that students can move them to the "To help myself feel better, I can use" section.

Then, students utilize the strategies they have chosen with materials from your calming corner. You can include a crate of items such as stuffed animals, glitter bottles, squishy balls, and bubble wrap. You can also make available blank or lined paper for journaling and mandalas or coloring pages for peaceful or Zen coloring. I bought a great set of sensory items on Amazon that I keep in my calm corner. This is an affiliate link to Amazon to check it out:

Check-in and re-evaluate

When they're done, your students can re-evaluate their body clues and thoughts and choose another emotion. They might also find that they aren't feeling better yet and need to try another strategy. They can use the easy Velcro emotions and strategy cards to try again if they need to.

Why I love it

What I love about this calm corner folder is that it doesn't take up much space and it's easy to move and use! I can also make them for individual students to use and keep with them to use in other classes. To assemble the whole folder, it took me about 20 minutes. All I had to do was print, laminate, cut out, and assemble with Velcro. Putting it on a clipboard also made it super simple because I didn't have to align and hang a bunch of emotion or strategy cards on the wall only to have to move them if I get relocated! Because of the size, it's discreet. My older students aren't hesitant to use it for fear that others are watching them.

Looking for More Calm Corner Ideas?

If you have the space for a more involved calm corner, you'll love this sports-themed calm corner that I set up! It's great to use with elementary students and walks them through the 5-part process of using the calm corner.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Calm Corner Ideas: The Easiest Calm Corner Tool You'll Ever Use

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Calm corners or break spots are a great addition to any classroom or counseling office to provide students with a space to calm down or self-regulate when they need to. But how can you set up a calm corner to make things easy for students (and you)?

# data[].attributes.body
Ideas for the classroom or for home

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The month leading up to winter break always feels so chaotic to me. My students are talking about how stressed they are about finals or projects that all seem to be due around the same time. They're anxious for the break to begin or they feel anxious about the break. So I like to do mindfulness exercises during classroom guidance lesson in December to help students pause and find a little bit of peace in the chaos. Keep reading to find some of my favorite winter mindfulness activities for kids!

Hot Cocoa Mindfulness

In this guided mindfulness exercise, students practice mindful breathing by smelling their imaginary hot cocoa and blowing on it to cool it off. They do a guided meditation to focus on the things that bring them joy, or warm their hearts. This activity is always a big hit as the students are easily able to get into a focused breathing pattern.

For a follow-up craft, students can glue marshmallows on a cup of hot cocoa and label each marshmallow with something or someone that brings them joy. The finished product makes a great parent gift as well!

Snow Globe Mindfulness

In this mindfulness activity, students practice "setting their snow globes" or calm their bodies. The guided meditation helps students find inner peace amidst the chaos of the season!

This activity also makes a great follow up craft for a parent gift or bulletin board. Students create a snow globe and name the things, people, and activities that help them "settle their snow globes."

Gingerbread Mindfulness

This mindfulness exercise is always a big hit, especially with younger students (but the older students love it too!). I make gingerbread play dough and lead students through a mindfulness exercise in which they use their senses to explore the here and now. Kids love playing with play dough, the and gingerbread scent is very calming! Get the free mindfulness script for this activity on this blog post.

Snowman Mindfulness

One of my favorite activities to do after students come back from break is a mindful melt. In the guided meditation, students imagine they are snowmen on a warm beach. As they imagine the sensations around them, they begin to slowly melt into the sand. This exercise is one you can teach in your classroom guidance lessons and teachers can then use as a re-focusing tool!

Of course, you know I love a good follow-up craft to reinforce learning. This melted snowman craft is adorable and really helps the concept stick with students!

What are your favorite winter mindfulness activities for kids? Leave me a note in the comments section below to fill me in!

PS, if mindfulness if your jam all year long, check out these activities that your students will love.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Winter Mindfulness Activities for Kids - Counselor Keri

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The month leading up to winter break always feels so chaotic to me. My students are talking about how stressed they are about finals or projects that all seem to be due around the same time. They're anxious for the break to begin or they feel anxious about the break.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
This school replaced detention with meditation. The results are stunning.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some schools are replacing detention with meditation, and science is backing them up.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mindfulness in the Classroom - Child Mind Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how mindfulness in the classroom can help kids regulate their behavior. Child Mind Institute shares mindfulness techniques to improve focus.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Renee Jain is a life coach and founder of the programs GoStrengths! and GoZen! Rae: Let's dive right in! You have a really compassionate, non-stigmatizing take on anxiety. You're not a failure as a parent because your child is anxious. That must be so relieving for parents to hear. Jain has written about her own struggles with childhood anxiety, and sat down with me to talk about motherhood, anxiety, and mindfulness. Rae: So you can relate to both the kids and the parents.
Renee: I had bad anxiety as a kid, so I know how real a difficulty it can be. I remember it affecting the entire family. I know the pain that's associated with having a child with anxiety for everyone.

Renee: Absolutely. In the last couple years I've had babies. Having kids yourself you realize that you can read every book on the shelf, do as much research as you can, but when you're in the heat of the moment and a child comes to you in a panic, all that stuff gets thrown out the door.

I think in that moment you're providing short-term relief and that feels good to everyone at the time but it doesn't give kids the long-term relief that they need. So I focus a lot on changing those practices.

I'll give you an example: My daughter is afraid of changing tables right now. I don't know why! She's two and she doesn't want to go on any changing table except the one in her room, but if I'm in the airport that's not really going to work
Rae: You've written about the value of worry.
Now, it's much easier for me to avoid the situation because I know it will cause a meltdown. But I know from a research-based perspective that avoiding the anxiety trigger is just going to make things worse. The point being is that it's really hard to put the research into practice!

Renee: I think there is this mindset that we should have zero anxiety, that we should live a stress-free life and it's just not rational. From an evolutionary perspective there's a purpose to stress, there's a purpose to worry. It can be a protective mechanism, and it can also be a catalyst for change. A little bit of stress can actually benefit you.

[fbshare "I think just knowing that a little bit of worry is not bad for you-that's a HUGE win for a kid."]
Rae: That brings me to the work you do bringing mindfulness into anxiety treatment...
I think just knowing that a little bit of worry is not bad for you-that's a HUGE win for a kid. If they're sitting at a test and they're having an anxiety attack, just telling themselves that not only is that okay, but that a little bit of stress can actually motivate you to do well can make all the difference. I think we really need to change our perspective. A little bit of stress is ok.
Rae: So how can you start developing the skills you need to use mindfulness to combat anxiety?
Renee: It's a practice that's effective and you can learn it in a fairly quick manner. It's freely available and your child can learn it and learn it use it on their own. Kids and parents are going to face challenges throughout their lives, and these skills will always be useful.

Renee: A lot of the time we're either thinking about the future or the past. It's interesting that anxiety is triggered by either thinking about the future or thinking about past things that have happened. You're much less likely to be anxious if you're focused on the present moment.
Rae: I like that it's something you can participate in without any kind of ritual. The idea of something you have to "practice" can feel like just another thing you have to do, but these are just habits you can incorporate into daily life.
So there are a few very simple ways that you can bring yourself into the present moment. For example, just focusing on your senses-even for 60 seconds-on what you're feeling, what is it that you're touching, what can you taste, what do you see. Going through your five senses doesn't take long, but it can bring you into the present moment. And again, it's a mental habit. Let's say you do that once a day, even when you're not anxious. You're building a skill you can use to help relax yourself when you are anxious.
Rae: So when it comes to anxious kids, do these strategies stay the same or do you need a whole new playbook?
Renee: Exactly. Mindfulness is just part of the day. You don't have to beat yourself up for not being mindful. There are moments of being mindful every day. I'll give you another simple one. We develop habits, and the reason we do that is so we can be efficient in our lives. It's just easier when basic tasks are automated, and we do them so often they don't require thought so it's easy for our minds to wander. Brushing your teeth for example, you probably brush your teeth with your dominant hand and never think twice about it. But, say you tried switching hands. It would be awkward probably, but that novelty would bring you into the present moment, because you have to think about it! So doing something different activates you and takes you off autopilot.

Renee: The thing about little kids is that they're naturally mindful. Children are never on autopilot-they're very engaged in the present moment. They're fascinated and excited about their environment. Maybe they smell something they've never smelled before or see something new and exciting, things that our adult minds have glossed over because we're so used to them-that's mindfulness.

So they start out very mindful, but we sort of beat it out of them as they get older and go to school. So how do we help a child who is anxious? Like grown-ups, a lot of that will be coming from worries about the future or memories of bad experiences, so bringing them into the present is still really helpful.

For kids you want to make things (A) fun and (B) quick. If a kid is feeling anxious you can try a quick exercise that's fun. For example, I've used one I call the ninja walk, which is just what it sounds like. You have to walk around like a ninja for a minute, and ninjas are very quiet! So the kid is focusing on walking silently and sneaking around. It's fun and the concentration helps pull them into the present.
Rae: It also sounds like by bringing mindfulness into your own day you can model that for your children.
The thing about little kids is that they're very open. They're up for pretty much anything. It's pretty easy to teach a kid to be mindful, because in the end you're just uncovering what's natural to them.

Renee: It's so funny, my daughter is two years old and she does deep breathing with me. It cracks me up because sometimes she breathes like a bull-not quite deep breathing-but I do it every morning and she does it with me! So, absolutely, modeling is a great teaching mechanism. And there's a contagion effect to anxiety, so finding a way to be calm can help prevent your anxiety from spreading.

This is what I think. I think there are so many different tools that work for children in a variety of situations. There's no one way. But there are a lot of little tools and techniques you can use to get through the day and once you find something that works and start using it, it becomes a part of you and that's something you can fall back on for the rest of your life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Anxiety and Mindfulness - Child Mind Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Renee Jain is a life coach and founder of the programs GoStrengths! and GoZen! Rae: Let's dive right in! You have a really compassionate, non-stigmatizing take on anxiety. You're not a failure as a parent because your child is anxious. That must be so relieving for parents to hear.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When we teach kids mindfulness, whether it's at school or at home, it helps to turn the lesson into a fun activity - through play, movement, visualization, and games.

One of our favorite toys for teaching basic breath awareness is the Hoberman sphere, a geodesic dome that can be folded and unfolded. We call this tool the breath ball because we can mimic the movements of breathing through the dome's movements: as the dome folds inward, we imagine the out-breath contracting; as the dome expands, we imagine the lungs expanding on the in-breath.

The Hoberman sphere might be more remarkable than the fidget spinner. Some are pocket-sized, glow-in-the-dark - others are hundreds of pounds, hanging from museum ceilings. For our purposes, consider what's most practical or interesting for you and your kids.

Introducing the breath ball to your child or group

Your script can go something like this:

First, place your hand on your belly. Ask your children if they can guess what you are doing as you make a somewhat exaggerated and loud breath, perhaps in through your nose, and out through your mouth.

Once they guess that you are breathing, congratulate them and let them know that you are going to teach them how to open up their breath so that their bodies and minds can open up and work their best.

Then reveal the breath ball, giving it any name that feels right to you. You might settle on the breath ball, magic mindfulness sphere, or even the Breathing Orb, which has a nice sci-fi ring to it that might appeal to some kids.

Explore these five breathing ball activities with your children:

1. Basic Breath Ball Practice

Using both hands, gently hold the breathing ball in front of your belly.

Hold one square on opposite sides of the sphere's surface.

Take a deep breath in. As your belly expands, let the ball expand with it. (As an added option, make your breath audible so the kids catch on to the in-breath/out-breath pattern.)

Breathe in fairly slowly, maybe holding momentarily at the top of the breath as you fully expand the ball.

As you breath out, allow the sphere to contract to its smallest size.

Repeat a few times and ask if the children are ready to take their turn. You might even count along in a rhythm (in for three, hold for four, out for five, or another ratio that's easy to remember.)

Mindful Tip: This is a great small group activity. Invite the participants to sit in a circle and pass the breath ball slowly around the circle.

We recommend each student has the opportunity to breathe with the sphere three times and lead the rest of the group in synchronizing their breaths before passing it their neighbor. You can even have a conversation about how everyone's breath is a little different - faster or slower, deeper or more shallow, more smooth or rough, just like a fingerprint.

You can even have a conversation about how everyone's breath is a little different - faster or slower, deeper or more shallow, more smooth or rough, just like a fingerprint.

2. Breathing Buddies

Once your child or group has gotten the hang of breathing with the sphere, we can level up to breathing with a buddy.

Divide the children into pairs. Each pair will share one breath ball.

Invite each pair to grasp one of the squares on opposites sides of the breath ball. Each pair should be standing (or sitting) with the sphere between them.

See if they can try to breathe in and breathe out together as they move the sphere together. They might even see if they can find that pause between the in-breath and the out-breath.

Synchronizing the breath bonds the kids and it's a great way to promote connection, kindness, and community. They can certainly count together, out loud or, for an added challenge, in absolute silence.

3. Group Breathing

Invite the children to form a circle.

Select a volunteer to stand in the center - maybe a kid who loves mindfulness, but sometimes kids who get a bit silly can rise to the occasion when we give them a job of leading, although no guarantees.

The volunteer begins breathing with the breath ball.

One by one, choose another focused child to join the one in the middle, until the group has all grasped a corner of the breath ball and joins breathing in and out together.

See how many students can breathe together at once! This is another great opportunity to get a group or class to synchronize their minds and bodies all together.

4. A name game

If the group is needs to learn each other's name (or you do) in a fast and fun way:

Invite the children to sit in a circle.

Find a student whose name you know and ask them, "Chris, can I roll the breathing ball to you?"

Their response is, "Yes, Andrew, please role the ball to me."

You then roll them the ball over to them. They then have the opportunity to breathe three times, perhaps even imitating your unique breath before choosing another participant who they know.

5. No breath ball? No problem

If you don't have one of these "magic" spheres, or left it at home, or your students are getting restless waiting for their turn, no worries! Simply touch all ten fingers and palms together and on the in-breath, expand your hands out while keeping your fingers touching, to create your very own expanding breathing ball. Then can even do this in pairs facing each other. But it can get even bigger than that! Kids can also stretch their arms way out wide like they are giving the whole world a hug on the inhale, then wrap their arms around their own shoulders giving themselves a hug on the out-breath for even bigger movements. These will help kids follow along even if your budget doesn't include a line item of breath balls for every kid! You can also follow along with the animation below.

These are just a few ways we like to use the breath ball to give kids a lesson in mindful breathing. The breath ball works as a mindfulness tool, but also a toy that kids can play with when they need to de-stress. But where it gets really fun, like all things with kids, is when we let their creativity soar and they make up their own games and activities. Making big shadows of the ball with a flashlight or a classroom projector, using the ball as a talking stick in group discussions, or whatever ideas you brainstorm together.

Mindful Kids Practice: Coming Back to the Positive

How to Create a Glitter Jar for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Mindful Kids Practice: The Breath Ball - Mindful

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When we teach kids mindfulness, whether it's at school or at home, it helps to turn the lesson into a fun activity - through play, movement, visualization, and games. One of our favorite toys for teaching basic breath awareness is the Hoberman sphere, a geodesic dome that can be folded and unfolded.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Image: Vicky leta / mashable

Welcome to Small Humans, an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of - and deal with - the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it's 2018 and we have the entire internet to contend with.
Millions of people around the world can attest to the positive effects of mindfulness on their mental health and well-being. Take reduced stress levels, improved concentration and organization, and a greater ability to control emotions and experience compassion and empathy, just for starters.

These are all things we want for our kids, right? And it's easier than ever, thanks to the range of digital tools right at our fingertips. One of these apps could be the perfect way to introduce your child to a world of calm, mindfulness, and emotional maturity.

1. Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame

Breathe, Think, Do With Sesame is a great introduction to mindfulness for younger grade-schoolers. With the help of a cute monster, kids learn calming breathing techniques to help them cope with potentially frustrating or distressing situations: putting on shoes, saying goodbye to parents, fixing a block tower, waiting in line, and going to sleep in the dark. Each scenario can be revisited, depending on your child's particular struggles, and there's also a parents' section packed with tips and strategies. The app also has a Spanish-language setting.

Image: BREATHE, THINK, DO WITH SESAME

2. Calm Kids

Calm, which was named Apple App of the Year 2017 and Google Play Editor's Choice 2018, ranks as one of the top mindfulness and wellness apps for adults but it also has a great section for children, Calm Kids. It provides mindfulness exercises, relaxation activities and "Sleep Stories" for kids of all ages, which are updated every week. The app or desktop version has a 7-day free trial; after that it's $59.99 a year.

3. DreamyKid

DreamyKid is aimed at kids age 8 and over, with its programs most suitable for kids who struggle with self-confidence, anxiety or settling down at bedtime. Strategies include a "rainbow body-scan," "schoolwork mastery meditation" and confidence affirmations, and there is also a wide range of relaxing, ambient background sounds to help send your little one to sleep. The app is free, but the guided meditations are $3.99 each.

4. Headspace for Kids

Headspace for Kids is structured around five themes: Calm, Focus, Kindness, Sleep and Wake Up. Each one has programs for three age groups (5 and under, 6-8 and 9-12) based on breathing exercises, visualizations and focus-based meditation. The quirky cartoons help to engage kids, with the soothing voice of Headspace co-founder and former monk, Andy Puddicombe, offering guidance throughout. A subscription costs $12.99 monthly or $94.99 a year.

5. Calm Counter

Calm Counter is a simple but effective app designed as a visual and audio tool to help children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders to calm down when they're anxious or angry. The app's opening screen reads "I need a break" and then switches to a red screen with an angry face and the number 10. With each tap of the screen, it changes color and the face becomes calmer, prompting the child to count backward from 10, followed by a deep breath. It costs ￡2.99.

6. Stop, Breathe & Think Kids

Stop, Breathe & Think Kids, developed in collaboration with activity-based mindfulness expert Susan Kaiser Greenland, is most suitable for ages 5-10. This app helps kids recognize and understand their emotions through a wide range of activities, from friendly wishes to frog jumps, with each activity offering reward stickers. The app has a free tier, and a premium subscription option for $9.99 a month or $58.99 a year.

7. Calm Child

Calm Child, created by child psychologist Dr. Eugenia Steingold, consists of stories designed to be "emotional metaphors for mediations." Every story is written for a specific fear, anxiety, or emotion, such as anger, jealousy, being teased, or a fear of something bad happening, and is read by a child to improve engagement and empowerment. As your child listens to the story, they learn to focus on their breath as part of the story. The app is free but the stories are $0.99 each.

8. Mindful Powers

Mindful Powers is designed to introduce grade-schoolers to mindfulness by leading kids through a series of interlinking stories. A cute sea creature called a "Flibbertigibbet" helps kids stay focused and encourages them to calm their thoughts and be more mindful in their actions through breathing exercises. The childlike quality of this app makes it particularly appealing for younger users. The app and the first three lessons are free.

9. The Zones of Regulation

The Zones of Regulation, winner of the Mom's Choice Award, is geared toward elementary and secondary age kids. It teaches strategies for managing emotions based on a cognitive behavioral approach and utilizes four colored zones, each representing a different emotion. Activities are designed to help students recognize when (and why) they are in different zones and learn how to get back to the right zone. It costs $5.99

10. Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind has programs for kids of all ages, but there are so many options that younger kids may need some help to use it. In fact, many of the activities for younger kids speak directly to the parent, and include activities, like close hugging, that require parental involvement. In addition to breathing meditations and sensory exercises such as listening to music, the app tracks when kids meditate. The app, built by a non-profit, is free.

Read more great stories from Small Humans:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 apps to help kids control their emotions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Small Humans , an ongoing series at Mashable that looks at how to take care of - and deal with - the kids in your life. Because Dr. Spock is nice and all, but it's 2018 and we have the entire internet to contend with.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
"Just Breathe" by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh Salzman (Wavecrest Films)