Zensational Kids Mindfulness and SEL

Breath | Movement | Mindfulness

Simple Beginnings

by

Sometimes we are afraid to start something new. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the commitment. Sometimes we are reluctant to start something new because we are not even sure it will be worth the time and effort. So “why bother?”

In regards to mindfulness, the research is pretty clear. Improvement in behavior, mood, temperament, focus, resilience, etc. It is all there. When I ask educators if these are essential skills needed for learning, they are pretty clear as well. “Yes.” So why are so many reluctant to start???? See the paragraph above.

Today’s practice is a great way to introduce yourself and your students to a very quick, easy to follow practice. It is a simple beginning to all of our practices in our Middle and High School Curriculum, Everyday Mindfulness.

Are you ready?

Here we go.

Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
 Nothing fancy here at all.
Check out the video and practice along.

Never underestimate the power of our breath to bring us into balance.
Helping students to JUST BREATHE in a paced, rhythmic sequence, helps them to regulate their own nervous system (and you as well). When we are in a state of overwhelm, fear, anxiety, stress, etc, our breathe is erratic, fast, and shallow – turning on the sympathetic nervous system, creating a stress response. This pattern supports states of dysregulation. We are counteracting that by teaching ourselves and our students how to use the breath to pull the nervous system into balance, creating more internal ease.
Guess what…..internal ease, then creates external ease.
 
Try it right now for yourself and see how it feels. Be your own guinea pig. 
Think of it as an experiment with a sample size of 1.

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