Our students have been practising mindfulness with Erica and Ren each Tuesday.

Here is the coverage for Lessons 1 & 2, with ideas for you to try at home.

Lesson 1 - Mindful Body

A Mindful Body does not only mean sitting in absolute stillness. Let’s discover how much stillness or motion feels “settling in your body” - like you can be ready to pay attention.

Mindfulness means “paying attention with kindness”

Follow-up discussions for teachers and parents:

If you have time and space, you can reinforce this lesson at home by practicing with your child and asking these questions:

• I heard that you learned something called mindfulness. What is mindfulness?

• What is a Mindful Body? What does it look like?

• What does your body feel like when it is still? What does it feel like when your body is moving?

Video:

Short Mindful Body - Two Minutes

Mindful Body - Four Minutes

Lesson 2 - Mindful Listening

We hear sounds all the time, but how often do we sit on purpose, non-judgmentally, and just listen to the sounds around us?

When we stop to do that, we might notice a clock ticking, the train in the far distance, our stomach gurgling, or even a bird singing. All those sounds were there all along, but we didn’t stop and notice them. And when we do, sometimes we notice how listening to the sounds actually makes our bodies calm and relaxed—not always, but sometimes.

Listening to sounds can bring our minds back into the present moment—what is happening right now—when we are not worrying about the future or regretting the past. We are purposely paying attention to what is happening right now, and we are not judging it—just noticing.

We can’t do this every moment of the day, but can we use this practice when we notice we’re getting anxious or angry about something? Can we just stop for one minute and listen to the sounds that are way far away and the sounds that are very close?

Whanau/Community Practice:

You can reinforce this lesson at school and at home by practicing with your child and asking these questions:

● What is Mindful Listening?

● What did you notice when you stopped to listen for one minute?

● Can you show me how to listen mindfully?

Short practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHZwh-32c7M

Long practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNJtebF6sVE

A reminder that I am here to make mindfulness as easy as possible for you all. One of the easiest things to do is start to use some of the practices that you enjoy and make them your own.

Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions.

Ngā mihi,Erica ViedmaCEO/Head Teacher MindfuliMindfulness in Schools Ōtautahi027 6622497