The Mindfulness Tools and Kit Cards

Mindfulness exercise: F.O.G. (Feet. On. Ground).  

The intention of this meditation is to take attention away from the whirl pool of thoughts and emotions in which we can sometimes lose ourselves, to a place that is, by contrast, still, stable and silent, namely the floor or ground.  By concentrating on the physical sensations in and around the feet we can provide an alternative point of focus for the mind.  This may then, allow us to take a pause and perhaps after a few minutes of practise, decide how best to respond to our present situation instead of reacting unconsciously. 

Very much like a tree in a storm, the crown and branches are not the best place to be.  The most stable place will be the roots, just like the feet can become our supporting roots in a stormy foggy mind.

(N.B. It is important to remind students that in any mindfulness exercise there is no expectation of any outcome.  We simply notice what is happening and look after ourselves as best we can).https://player.vimeo.com/video/470125407?h=1611431ad8&dnt=1&app_id=122963https://player.vimeo.com/video/470140233?h=b0b646dd10&dnt=1&app_id=122963

The picture above is of the kit card which illustrates this practice.  Examples may be given to children at the end of the story to take home and share with parents/careers.  

Mindfulness exercise: Hand On Belly Breathe (also known as Belly Balloon Breathing and abdominal breathing.)  

The intention of this exercise is to focus on the felt sensation of the breath in the belly and introduce the technique of counting as a means of supporting concentration.

Abdominal breathing is a great way to relax both the body and mind as it mimics the action of a relaxed body.  If you watch a young child as they sleep, you may have noticed how the breath moves very deeply within their body.  Abdominal breathing simply copies this action and encourages relaxation.  It should be remembered, however, that in mindfulness there is no expected outcome, so no pressure.  We might relax, we might not.

(NB. It is important to point out that full abdominal breathing can sometimes make us feel a bit dizzy because a lot of us automatically breathe in a stressed way using the upper chest only.  If you should feel dizzy allow your breathing to return, for a few moments, to whatever is normal for you, before deciding to start again.)https://player.vimeo.com/video/470127114?h=6f7283c56a&dnt=1&app_id=122963https://player.vimeo.com/video/470142362?h=98ba7b55b7&dnt=1&app_id=122963

The picture above is of the kit card which illustrates this practice.  Examples may be given to children at the end of the story to take home and share with parents/careers.  

Mindfulness exercise: Hand Breathing

The intention of this exercise is to combine belly breathing with movements of the hand such that the fingers reflect the movements of the belly.  

• So, when the belly rises and expands on the in breath, the fingers can move outwards, increasing the area of the hand.
• While as the belly sinks on the out breath, the fingers can move gently back.

This exercise is particularly relevant to children who are naturally kinaesthetic or would simply enjoy experimenting with something else to focus on in addition to the belly. 

(N.B. If a child is feeling particularly angry or full of emotion, when breathing out you may wish to advise them, as they move their fingers back towards the palm, to form a fist squeezing the fingers to the palms.  Resting their awareness within the sensations that arise within the fingers, hand, and arm, but as they breathe in, they may stretch their fingers outwards again until the next out breath begins.)  https://player.vimeo.com/video/470129473?h=3234d979d3&dnt=1&app_id=122963https://player.vimeo.com/video/470535296?h=bdb295efe0&dnt=1&app_id=122963

N.B. The relevant Kit card could be shown here and the following sentence perhaps repeated. The picture above is of the kit card which illustrates this practice.  Examples may be given to children at the end of the story to take home and share with parents/careers.  

Mindfulness exercise: Finger Climbing  

The intention is to feel the sensations generated as a finger is moved in rhythm with the breath along the sides of the fingers of the other hand.  

So, one hand is held such that the fingers are stretched out, allowing a gap to form between each finger.  This hand is called in the story the ‘hedgehog hand’ while on the extended version provided here for teachers, the ‘Home Hand’.  

The index finger of the other hand is placed at the top of the index finger of the ‘home hand.’ On the inbreath this finger (the climbing finger) is moved down the gap between the first and second fingers of the home hand and on the out breath it is moved up the side of the second finger.  In this way the climbing finger moves between and along fingers until reaching the top of the little finger of the home hand and then it moves back towards the index finger etc.   The downward movement of the finger reflects the movement of the breath as it is drawn into the body on the inbreath, while the upward movement parallels the outbreath as it flows up and away from the body.  If children move their fingers in an opposite way, that’s fine to.

Attention is shared between the movement of the breath within the body and the sensations generated by the moving finger both within that finger and the fingers of the hand it is moving between.https://player.vimeo.com/video/470130910?h=80a14fa716&dnt=1&app_id=122963https://player.vimeo.com/video/470575201?h=dc9055a381&dnt=1&app_id=122963

N.B. The relevant Kit card could be shown here and the following sentence perhaps repeated. The picture above is of the kit card which illustrates this practice.  Examples may be given to children at the end of the story to take home and share with parents/careers.

Mindfulness exercise: The Body Scan  

The intention of this exercise is to become familiar with sensations in the body by focusing on specific areas.  

The suggestion is made that the children imagine that their attention is similar to the sap of a tree which rises from the roots to the crown, just as their focus can be guided upwards from the feet to the head.  Children are asked to discover areas of the body that may feel tense or relaxed as well as noting how they are sitting. They are also asked to bring their attention to their thoughts by using the analogy of clouds and the sky.https://player.vimeo.com/video/470131999?h=495bd9d19b&dnt=1&app_id=122963

N.B. The relevant Kit card could be shown here and the following sentence perhaps repeated. The picture above is of the kit card which illustrates this practice.  Examples may be given to children at the end of the story to take home and share with parents/careers.  

Week 4 / 5. Mindfulness exercise: Doing a Times Two

A breathing exercise in which attention rests upon the felt sensations of the breath while inviting the length of the in breath and out breath to reflect a specific counting pattern which encourages the outbreath to be slightly longer than the in breath.  This can sometimes encourage a feeling of calmness and relaxation.

The in breath, for example, stimulates the sympathetic or stress system making us feel more alert (sensory receptors increase our heart and breathing rate etc.).  The out-breath, by contrast, switches to the para-sympathetic or relaxation system (slowing the heart and breathing rate).  

In, ‘Doing a Times Two’ we work with this relationship by making the out breath approximately twice as long as the in breath, thereby encouraging the switch to the parasympathetic calming side.  It is also helpful to breath from the belly as deep breathing also stimulates the parasympathetic system.  

Another method is the yoga breathing method of counting 7 on the in breath and 11 on the out breath.  Try both and see which works best for you.  Indeed, we also provide a recording of a 2 * 5  rhythm you may wish to experience.

It is important, however, to tune into the effects this breathing is having on you and at any stage, please don’t hesitate to switch back into whatever your normal breathing rhythm is.

N.B. The speed of counting on the recording is only a guide, please encourage children to count at their own rate.  For example, they may decide to count more quickly particularly if they find my count of 4 on the outbreath too slow!  https://player.vimeo.com/video/447155058?h=d2ab379534&dnt=1&app_id=122963https://player.vimeo.com/video/470144407?h=40103c848a&dnt=1&app_id=122963

N.B. The relevant Kit card could be shown here and the following sentence perhaps repeated. The picture above is of the kit card which illustrates this practice.  Examples may be given to children at the end of the story to take home and share with parents/careers.  

You will discover additional meditations elsewhere in the course which build upon the exercises illustrated above.  Please see the notes for each week for further details.