Hey Warrior! Naming & Taming Anxiety

I have been teaching young children and mindfulness practices for over 20 years.  Many years ago (prior to 9/11) parents would ask if I'd consider teaching yoga to children. I would always respond, "kids don't need yoga - they should teach it"!  
Fast forward 17 years- our world has become increasingly fast paced, loud and well...just plain scary.  As a result, we are seeing more and more young people suffer with anxiety.
I have recently discovered a children's book that explains anxiety beautifully. It's called "Hey Warrior".  I have created a screen cast in order to share it with you.  If you would like your own copy you can order it from this website - enjoy!

https://www.heysigmund.com/

And here is an article on how to detect and respond to childhood anxiety-

https://www.heysigmund.com/anxiety-in-children-things-kids-say-that-could-mean-im-anxious

May we be peaceful and happy together.

Happiness in Four Pebbles

After learning about the importance of peace related to the life and teachings of Martin Luther King Jr, our class enjoyed a simple peace meditation.

This lovely book outlines a simple meditation technique, inspired by the teaching of the Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, who King nominated for a

 Nobel Peace Prize.

Each student received 4 small stones, representing a flower, mountain, water and space.

While holding each pebble, you breathe out it's unique quality:

Flower - Freshness

Mountain - Solidity

Water - Calmness

Space - Freedom

The students then drew pictures of what each stone represents while listening to this song by Betsy Rose which outlines the special qualities of the pebble meditation.

After we were done, the kids took a "gallery walk" around the classroom, enjoying one an others art work.  After the experience was complete the students used words like - peaceful, joyful and happy to describe how they were feeling.  
Mahatma Ghandi said, "If we are to reach real peace in the world, we shall have to begin with the children."  After our "Handful of Quiet", it felt as if we had begun to make a dent in it.

We have a brain in our belly. When our stomachs are stronger we get smarter!

It's not easy to be a super hero.  You need to develop focus and concentration.  Watch these adorable first graders show you how to access your inner ninja.