Come visit us at the Rochester Children's Book Festival at MCC on Nov. 4!
Mindfulness and Kids
What is Mindfulness?
Judgement-free awareness and compassionate attention to your present state of mind and body. Mindfulness practice helps you notice and respond to whatever is present for you in the moment, helps you manage stress, trains your attention and teaches you how to be here now.
Jumpin' Junior Pause
Have you noticed your littles one frustrated and frightened during this pandemic? Here are the most popular sessions I teach to help kids understand their emotions and manage these emotions during this difficult time.
The following mindfulness sessions have been adapted from in person to virtual lessons. Custom sessions are available upon request.
Primary Peace (grades K-5)
Are you noticing your child having difficulty focusing and paying attention? Mindfulness can help us learn how to pay close attention to many things. Are your kiddos struggling with anger, sadness, frustration or any other difficult emotion? Mindfulness can help calm us down and bring us peace. It can help us focus and do well in anything we set out to do. Course includes:
- Introduction-Mindful Bodies & Listening
- Mindfulness for Breathing-Finding your Base
- Heartfulness-Sending kind thoughts
- Body Awareness
- Mindfulness of Breathing-Staying at your base
- Heartfulness-Generosity
- Thoughts
- Mindful Seeing
- Heartfulness-Kind and Caring on the Playground
- Emotions-Creating Space or Show Me, Tell Me
- Slow Motion
- Gratitude-Looking for the Good
- Walking
- Mindful Eating
- Mindful Test Taking
- Ending Review
Secondary Serenity (grades 6-12)
When we develop and strengthen our mind we are increasing our ability to focus, recognize and manage our emotions, make better decisions, and empathize in our relationships. The eighteen sessions included in this curriculum:
- Emotions/Punching Bag: Mindfulness of Sound
- Response vs. Reaction. Breath 1- Anchor
- It’s Not Just About Me-It’s About Us. Heartfulness
- Thoughts
- Fairy Tale Ogre. Breath 2-Counting
- Pleasant/Unpleasant
- Mindful Eating
- Trees in a Forest. Connection to Others
- Past/Present/Future
- Breath 3-and more
- Guest House Poem. Body Scan
- Soaking in the Good. Loving Things
- Judgment. Body Awareness
- Mindful Walking
- Help Yourself First. Heartfulness for Oneself
- Letting Be. Mindfulness of Emotions
- Mindfulness in Conversation
- Gratitude and Appreciation
The Mindful Middle School Athlete
This course will give our young athletes real time experience and time to practice strategies that can be used come game time. It is especially relevant for student athletes who may be burning out, or those whose love of the game is being overshadowed by negative self talk.
“Let’s tame that brain, get your head in the game!”
- Recognize the pitfalls of individual athletes’ minds on and off the field
- Invite athletes to share specific thoughts, images, feelings, memories from a past game
- Investigate student athletes’ typical reactions on and off the field and how they affect performance
- Provide strategies such as mindful sideline bodies, body scan using C.A.L.M., mindful ears, anchor breath, five senses exercise, introduction to loving kindness and gratitude
- Present the “Hub” and teach positive affirmation rap