It felt rather lovely and fitting to be holding the group orientation session for our first 'MBCT for Life' course this Valentine's day.
The ancient Chinese word 'nian', translated as mindfulness, is formed of the characters meaning 'now' and 'mind/heart'. Having a mind and heart that are present
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We do a lot of work in mindfulness sessions in school around emotional literacy - gently observing, naming, and allowing feelings to come and go like the weather, as part of what it is to be human.
On this theme, our 8-year-old son has come to love the movie Inside Out. He was a little unsure at first but as his understanding has grown, it has become a firm favourite which he returns to time and again. All emotions have a role in our lives and a recurring conversation we have around the movie involves the importance of sadness as an emotion - how it helps us and others understand when we could use the support and listening ear of someone who cares. We can gently allow our emotions to be here, and learn from them. They aren't something to be ashamed of or suppressed. It's full of humour too which always helps With year 3/4 (ages 7-9) I've been working with the 'NACC' framework that I find so helpful (Notice, Allow, with Compassion, Choice). We've been practising gently noticing what is here in the present moment - our breathing, sensations in our body, our wandering puppy mind, sounds coming and going... and letting all of these be as they are.
Most recently we've been exploring the attitudes of allowing and 'non striving' more directly. We have talked about how we spend a lot of time trying to do things; we work hard towards a goal or challenge – and often we need to do this, we need to get things done. The adults in our lives are probably even busier doing doing doing! But when we practice mindfulness we can shift mode for a while and practice not trying to make anything different, to notice whatever is here and let it be here. This is also a great opportunity to point out that we are not even trying to relax when we practice together - we are pausing to notice with gentleness what is already here. The children are invited to create something together - without trying to make anything in particular, without having a plan. This is not easy and leads to some wonderful noticing of the thoughts, feelings and urges that come up during this group activity - and of how much of our time we spend doing and striving. Spot the group below who really grappled with the invitation to not have a shared plan.... This is a great exercise for adults too! February). I love teaching mindfulness in primary schools and passionately believe it has a role to play in helping children build resilience.
With the year 5/6s this past week we've been working with the Paws b (#MiSP) session 'Steadying ourselves when we wobble'. When might you feel 'wobbly'? "When I feel upset... anxious... angry..." The children are encouraged to explore what might be helpful anchors in the body for them when they feel shaken up like a glitter jar or wobbly like a weeble (which wobble but don't fall down). Another analogy I like to use is of a tree - it's branches stirred by passing weather but anchored in the ground through the solidity of its trunk and roots. Just about managing these past few days to keep a cool head, warm heart in the face of sibling rivalry and some loud conflicting wants...
Feeling the resources laid down on retreat helping me to stay grounded and to not meet fire with fire, but also feeling them becoming steadily depleted 😬 I do my formal practice 'on the cushion' each day but it's all the small moments throughout the day of remembering to ground myself (by being aware of a few breaths, or feeling my feet in touch with the ground) which help keep me resourced and reminded of my intentions, more able to respond rather than react... It might sound clichéd, so simple as to be daft, but I've learnt time and again that it's true - these small acts of coming into the present throughout the day are what carry the deep felt sense of grounding that I have experienced on retreat into real life. I just have to keep doing it. The greatest challenge is to remember... grounding, grounding, grounding, feel my feet, feel my breathing. What is here right now? Can I find a steady anchor when my mind is scattered all over? 'Everything rests on the tip of intention' is a lovely phrase that comes to mind when I think of this. Happy Friday! |
AuthorI'm Claire - and I (re)learn something every day from practising and teaching mindfulness... Archives
March 2022
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