Mindful Practices

Make sure you have room around you to move

Flex your arm muscles like a body-building monkey

Then breathe in and lift them up 

Bringing them down as you breathe out.

Relaxing your knees too on the out-breath. To make a monkey pose.

1. This is a great distraction from worried thoughts. It also helps to install confidence and concentration.  

2. Stand up tall with your feet wide apart.

3. Turn your right toes out and press your left heel away

4. Bend your right knee deeply, stretch your arms out at shoulder height and make like a warrior 

5. Hang ten for a few relaxed breaths, feeling the strength of your body, then shake out your legs and try it out on the other side. 

This is a good mindfulness movement practice to use to bring focus and calmness. It is especially good for self-love.

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1. Standing or sitting. Cross your arms, so each hand is flat on the opposite shoulder.

2. Raise your hands with your out-breath and place them back on your shoulders                    with your in breath - flapping slowly like butterfly wings
   
   For older children or adults, you can interlock your thumbs on your chest and flap the fingers just like butterfly wings. 

1. The longest conversation you will ever have, is the conversation you have with yourself  - so be kind and say nice words - because in all this world there is no one else just like you.

2. Whenever you feel scared, worried or blue…or just unsure.- whisper them, or shout them loud. Remind yourself of what you have forgotten.

“In all this world there is no one else just like me

I am safe. I am strong. I am loved. I am whole.

I AM ME!”

Stand like a tall giraffe with a long neck. 

Spread your feet wide apart - look down to check

Stretch your arms to the sky - let your palms touch.

Twist slowly at the waist but not too much.

To the left and then right move gently and slow.

Do it again, let the chill feeling grow

Like gentle giraffe breathing through your snout,

feel breath in your nostrils go in and out

Relaxing your body, let tension go. 

Bring your arms to your waist at the elbow

Take one more deep breath giraffe tall and proud.

Let stressors float away like a puffy cloud

1. The longest conversation you will ever have, is the conversation you have with yourself  - so be kind and say nice words - because in all this world there is no one else just like you.

2. Whenever you feel scared, worried or blue…or just unsure.- whisper them, or shout them loud. Remind yourself of what you have forgotten.

“In all this world there is no one else just like me

I am safe. I am strong. I am loved. I am whole.

I AM ME!”

​Here is another useful breathing trick

To use anytime your anxious thoughts stick

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Breathe anytime, in all types of weather.

Shake out your two  hands like birds with feather

Breathe in and trace your thumb up to the top

Round the corner, breathe out, until you stop

Breathe in and trace pointer up to the top

Round the corner, breathe out, until you stop

Breathe in and trace tall man up to the top

Round the corner, breathe out, until you stop

Breathe in trace ring finger up to the top

Round the corner, breathe out, until you stop

Breathe in and trace pinky up to the top

Round the corner, breathe out, until you stop

Shake both hands out again and say each word:

“Polly likes to eat crackers!  Polly’ the  bird! 

This is a fun way to just chill or even read a story - Grown-ups- this practice lowers blood pressure too!

1. Before you start make sure you have a blanket, a pillow and of course a wall

2. Sit down with your side against the wall, then roll onto your back, slide the length of your legs up the wall, arrange the pillow under your head and drape the blanket over you for comfort.

3. Now let your body flop and drop

4.  There is nothing to be done right now and nowhere else to be

​This is a good fun practice to use to calm children down after being upset. It is a good variation of the belly breathing practice. And a brilliant way to introduce correct mindfulness breathing to very small children.

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1. Lay down and place a stuffed toy on your belly

2. Watch as it rises up as you breathe in 

3. And goes back down as you breathe out

1. Standing at some distance from the next person

2. Clasp your hands in front of you, with your thumbs side by side

3. Extend your arms out in front of you

4. As you breathe in lift your thumbs up - like an elephant's mouth opening

5. Close them as you breathe out
   
   A variation of this is to lift the arms in the air on the in-breath and down on the out-breath - but this is not as calming - but easier for smaller children.

This is a good fun practice to use to calm children after a noisy activity
 

1. Standing or sitting

2. Place you hands over your ears

3. Breath in deep and just listen

4. Breath out and listen
   
   It will sound like your listening inside a seashell

This is a good fun practice to use to wake children up and bring them back to the present after have a tiring activity
 

1. Standing up make sure there is room around you

2. Bring your hands together in front of you, palms together

3. On the in-breath raise them above your head

4. Then on the out-breath - circle round to your sides and back together in front of you, palms together

5. Like a whale's blowhole spitting up and out