The MIND-BODY-GROW program maintains that when students feel safe and are provided with opportunities to tune in and pay attention to their inner world, they are building skills linked to self-regulation. With a supported and consistent practice that cultivates self-awareness, students can then harness learned coping skills to help them manage feelings, thoughts and behaviors that may be barriers to their learning. The more opportunities to put these skills into practice, the more self-aware and self-reliant students become. The program also recognizes that a teacher’s ability to manage their own stress within the classroom has a direct and positive impact on their student’s well-being. Teachers participating in this program are supported in cultivating their own awareness practices, making self-care a priority and consistent routine in the classroom. When teachers learn to consciously manage their own nervous systems, they’re more available to attune to their students needs and to teach them to do the same. We just completed three months of our Mind-Body-Grow program in twelve elementary classrooms with Midland Public Schools in Midland, Michigan. We collect data from 7 teachers and 145 students who participated in the 12-week program and this is what we learned about their experiences: Skills learned in the Mind-Body-Grow Program have helped me: 73% focus in school. 70% focus in sports, music or some area outside of school. 65% pay more attention to my feelings. 62% pay more attention to my thoughts. 68% pay more attention to my behaviors. 70% to be more kind towards myself. 53% fall asleep at night. 52% think more about my own mental health. Here is what some students shared about their experience with the program: "It helps me by relaxing my mind and body so that I can focus in school." "It helps me at school by getting me focused when I talk with neighbors too much and it helped me by getting me back into "wise owl brain" before I started taking a test because I was so worried about the test." "One time I was really freaking out because I didn’t know what to do on a paper so I did Take Five breathing and it really helped me calm down. "When I think poorly of myself I use positive self talk and breathe." "I am taking care of myself more at home because of Mind-Body-Grow." "It has helped me keep calm when I have to do things I don’t want to do." "When I got angered by my sister and my brother I would go to my room and check in with myself." "It helped me focus on my homework, the yoga poses." "MBG helped me calm down after I got a question wrong on my math test." "I get along better now with my family." FUTHERMORE.... 100% of the teachers who participated in the MBG program report that their students have benefited from the MBG program. "We use MBG practices everyday in our classroom. The kids really relate the concepts to their feelings and brain states within themselves and each other." "It allows us to take time everyday to practice being mindful - bringing awareness to ourselves." "I have witnessed students applying skills they have learned from the program various times throughout the day when they feel stressed." "It helped students reflect on their emotions. They were better able to identify feelings." 100% of the teachers who participated in the MBG program report that they have personally benefited from participating in the program. "I love these practices so much that I do them at home with my own kids!" "I have used different breathing techniques in different stressful situations. Also making time for myself has been huge!" "I have learned the effect that I can have on my students when I am not regulated." "This program has taught me to “name it to tame it” and also breathe when I need to." 100% of the teachers who participated in the MBG program report that they intend to share the MBG practices with new students next year AND would recommend the MBG program to other educators. Our Mind-Body-Grow program:
To learn more about the Mind-Body-Grow program click here Jen Rapanos, LMSW, RCYT is a child and adolescent psychotherapist working in private practice. She is the owner of Well-Bean, LLC Copyright 2021 Well-Bean, LLC. All rights reserved. www.wellbeankidsyoga.com Shortened cold, gray and damp days are hardly elements that motivate us to get outside, right? When I talk with teens in my office about spending time in nature, particularly in the winter months, the conversation quickly shifts to avoiding the cold and waiting until Spring when things warm up and everything starts to brighten and bloom again. I get it. We’re more inclined to associate winter as a time for solitude and it's important to make time for rest, but the reality is when we allow the conditions of each season to control our relationship with the natural world, our preferences may result in waiting out the “uncomfortable” for the more “comfortable” and before we know it, we can end up spending days, even months stuck inside. When we consider the growing body of research that has advanced our understanding of how time in nature improves our mental health and well-being, it seems worthy to reconsider the conditioned response that has many of us avoiding the winter climate. Nature provides the ideal setting to observe our reactions to present moment experiences. Pause for a moment now, and imagine yourself preparing to spend the next 20-minutes outside no matter the conditions. What happens within your own internal landscape? Maybe you notice resistance, slight tension in your body, feelings of dread, maybe your mind creates negative thoughts about how this experience might unfold or excuses for why this is a bad idea? Or maybe, you welcome the proposal noticing a small burst of energy in your body and your mind is already preparing to bundle up for an adventure? Regardless of your current relationship status with the natural world, taking into account that nature is also the ideal setting for quieting the mind, calming the body, and resetting the nervous system, one might argue that it’s a relationship worth making space for. And beyond our own benefit, research suggests that how we think about nature; our affective relationship with and the extent to which we see ourselves as part of nature has an impact on nature’s wellbeing too. Whether it’s simply standing outside your front door to stretch and take a few full breaths of fresh air, gazing out the window to experience snowflakes gently falling to the ground, or mindfully taking a walk through your neighborhood, setting the intention to venture outside several times a week (yes, even in the Winter) is important for your mental wellness and here are some ideas to get you started this season! Feeling Cold A negative association with feeling cold is often one of the biggest deterrents to spending time in nature during the winter months. In this exercise, we set the intention to spend just a few minutes outside exploring the sensation of cold, with a curious attitude versus judgment. You might dress in a winter coat but leave the hat and mittens for your mindful winter walk; the aim is not to experience extreme discomfort, but to simply notice the sensations of cold. Be safe and consider the temperature before heading out.
The next time you bundle up to head outside, notice your anticipation or reaction to going out into the cold. How could it impact your experience? Step Outside to Energize Take a short break from online school or homework and notice what happens when you connect with nature by stepping outside into the cool brisk air for a mind-body break.
Moon Gazing With less daylight in the winter months, the darkness provides us with more opportunities to witness the moon rise and set. Look up with wonder and awe concentrating on the here and now; moon and stargazing is a fun mindfulness experience to share with friends or family! Dress for the weather, make sure you’re comfortable. You can sit or stand, or consider using a warm blanket and lying down. Find a comfortable place outside where you have a clear view of the moon and/or stars. In this exercise allow your body to settle and be still. Bring awareness to the simplicity and greatness of being under the stars in the brisk winter air. Look up at the sky taking in the wholeness of what you see. Simply spend time gazing at the moon and stars. If you get distracted by thoughts or things around you, simply guide your attention back to what you’re seeing above you. Before ending this mindfulness activity, check in with how you feel and then head inside for a warm cup of hot chocolate! Mindful Winter Walk Consider setting an intention to walk each week engaging your senses in the present moment. A simple walk in your yard, at a nearby park, or grab a friend and check out one of the many county parks near you! Slow your pace for a portion of your walk bringing your full attention to the sensation of your feet connecting to the earth beneath you. Pause for a minute or two to engage your senses:
Nature Meditation by a Window We often go through the motions of daily living without really paying attention to the wonder that’s right outside the window. This simple exercise is an invitation to pause and connect with the natural world from the comfort of your own home. Dropping into the present moment can activate the body’s natural relaxation response, reducing stress levels. The key to accessing the benefits of this break is to bring a level of attention and mindfulness to the activity.
Author Jen Rapanos, LMSW, RCYT child and adolescent psychotherapist and owner of Well-Bean. © Copyright 2021 Well-Bean, LLC. All rights reserved. www.wellbeankidsyoga.com It’s that time of year again! We love sharing gift ideas that incorporate yoga, mindfulness, and self-care for the littles and young people in your life. This year, more than ever, small businesses need our support so we’ve provided links to local (MI) businesses where each of these items can be purchased! Most all can be purchased online or offer curbside pickup if that feels safer for you and your family. From our Well-Bean family to yours, wishing you well this holiday season! I Like Me! (Poster) The newest addition to the Well-Bean shop this year! Taking care of ourselves through practicing kindness is important for both kids and adults. Explore positive self-talk and what it means to stand in who we are with this poem that can be used as a morning mantra or positive affirmation whenever needed. The song and accompanying yoga poses are available on our website. This popular poster was created in partnership with Well-Bean and Michigan artist Katie Eberts. Printed on durable, matte and museum-quality archival paper. Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind Written by Jessica Hische, her follow up book to Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave, highlights social-emotional skills like listening and cultivating empathy. With uplifting positivity, this book is a reminder of the impact we have by simply practicing kindness. Not to mention the beautiful lettering and colors! You can find it at Books & Mortar in Grand Rapids. Just Bee Yoga Cards Yoga cards such as these are great for involving the whole family! Each adorable card includes a yoga pose with a positive affirmation or inspirational quote! Focus on one pose or draw a variety of cards to create a flow to match different moods or time of the day (calming, bedtime, morning, etc.) The owners of Just Bee Yoga + Well-being, Kay Epple & Cathy Fitzgerald are a duo who took part in our Well-Bean Teacher Training a couple years ago! Their classes are located in Traverse City and the Yoga cards can be purchased online. Listening with My Heart: A Story of Kindness & Self-Compassion What does it mean to practice self-compassion? Giving kindness to ourselves is just as important as giving it to others. In the book the main character, Esperanza, is reminded of what it means to be a friend to yourself while also exploring themes of empathy. We’ve included the link to Epilogue Books in Rockford, if they don't have the book in stock they can order just about any book for you and you can have it delivered! Plant Therapy KidSafe Essential Oils We’ve recommended these oils on past lists and still believe they’re “essential” in helping to create a calming space or balanced mood, especially with the constantly changing world kids find themselves in lately. EcoBuns Baby +Co. located in Holland offers the KidSafe wellness set or various roll-ons to help with focusing, calming, or sleep. Malamiah Juice Bar & Eatery Gift Card Pair yummy and healthy with the perfect stocking stuffer and you have a gift card from Malamiah! Not only do they make the yummiest smoothies & juices but they do some incredible work in the Grand Rapids community too. A local purchase you can feel extra good about and the kids in your life will appreciate it too! Calming or Herbal Teas Perhaps some of these gifts have sparked interest in creating a relaxation gift set for some of the older kids in your life? Herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint can be part of a mindful practice before bed. It engages the many senses and why not practice hot cocoa (or tea) breathing while you’re at it? Herbal teas in bags or looseleaf can be purchased from one of the many tea/coffee shops or local grocers, one of our favorites is Global Infusion. Lavender Eye Pillow Last year Well-Bean offered a self-care workshop for teens in collaboration with Nestology Shop & Studio. Teens learned about evidence-based self-care practices then created their very own eco-dyed eye masks to support self-care practice at home. Consider purchasing one of these eye pillows from Nestology for the older child or teen in your life and encourage their rest and relaxation practice at home! Be: My Mindfulness Journal What better way to help young people understand what feelings look like and how to manage them than a journal that’s all their own? Filled with fun pictures, prompts, and activities, this journal also teaches the brain science behind what it means to be calm (something we love over here at Well-Bean!) Hopscotch Children’s Store in Grand Rapids currently has this great gift idea in stock. Warmies Hot Pak These cute, cuddly characters could easily become part of a nighttime routine. Gently designed with lavender (a calming scent), they are simply popped in the microwave to heat up. A neat way of engaging senses while signifying relaxation time or an established nighttime routine. Wanderlux Beauty & Wellness Spa has a couple of these adorable creatures left! Buddha Board These unique boards allow room for creativity while also reminding us of what impermanence means. Simply using water and imagination, the Buddha Board can guide families towards different discussions focused on how feelings don’t last forever, they can be fleeting but also serve a purpose, along with the many experiences of life. Spirit Dreams offers different sizes and even a gift edition! Wooden Rainmaker We love incorporating musical instruments into our practices at Well-Bean! Whether it’s shaking them while dancing around the room and moving our bodies or listening very still to the sound it creates. What different sounds does it make depending on how you tilt it? Does it become loud or quiet depending on how you use it? Items such as this are wonderful for encouraging the practice of mindfulness from even a very young age. This one is from Hopscotch in Grand Rapids. Written by Heather Reid.
© Copyright 2020 Well-Bean, LLC. All rights reserved. www.wellbeankidsyoga.com When children are in a calm state, their ability to see the bigger picture improves. Science says that positive emotional states affect brain activity associated with cognitive flexibility. It makes sense right? When a child is calm, their ability to think more rationally and with more flexibility improves. But it's not that simple. What's important to remember is that the prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain that helps us see the bigger picture) doesn't fully develop until our mid-20's. So when we expect children to naturally and independently change their thinking, see another point of view, or use what we call a growth mindset, it's often an unrealistic expectation. The reality is that many children require the support of an attuned adult to help them develop these skills; over and over and over again. These executive functioning skills aren't a one and done learned skill; it's the repeated experience that helps create pathways for learning. Children need nurturing adults throughout their childhood and even beyond late adolescence to help foster the development of these skills. This doesn't mean you're problem-solving for them or fixing their problems. The joint effort in problem-solving is often what's required for children to reframe their thoughts to be more helpful and useful. The work of Dr. Ross Greene is a wonderful resource to help in this process. His evidence-based model based on neurobiological research provides a framework for parents and educators to help children develop these skills. We recommend his books Lost at School for educators and Raising Human Beings for parents and caregivers. We hope you enjoy the visual in this blog from our MIND-BODY-GROW curriculum. It can be used as a resource in your classroom or at home, but don't let eye-catching visuals stand-alone and replace the learning that comes only when an attuned adult connects with a child and collaboratively supports their learning. AuthorJen Rapanos, LMSW, RCYT is a child and adolescent psychotherapist and owner of Well-Bean. © Copyright 2020 Well-Bean, LLC. All rights reserved. www.wellbeankidsyoga.com
We spend a lot of time and energy trying to change circumstances that are outside of our control. When we focus our energy trying to change the things that can’t be changed, it leaves us feeling frustrated and exhausted. When we resist whatever is happening in the moment, and focus our mental energy into wishing things were different, we bring added suffering to what might already be a painful or challenging experience. This rumination brings added suffering ~ the pain you're experiencing might be inevitable, but the suffering, this is optional. What if instead, you choose to focus on accepting and managing the feelings you do have, on putting your energy into the things that you do have a choice in. When your child is feeling overwhelmed by a situation or circumstance outside of their control, your first effort can be to connect with them on an emotional level. A simple phrase like "I notice you're having a hard time" or "this is a difficult situation for you" can be helpful. Being seen and heard is validating for everyone! Invite them to take a few deep breaths and name what they're feeling. Naming our feelings and noticing where those feelings show up in the body is what Dr. Daniel Siegel calls the "name it to tame it" strategy. These simple steps integrate both hemispheres of the brain and calm the emotional center, making your child more available to access the part of the brain that can see the big picture. Then, collaboratively explore the kind of things your child does have control over. The human mind seeks certainty and while this may be challenging in the current environment, there are still things you can control, ways to find peace, even in times of uncertainty. Thanks to our partnership with Katie Eberts Illustrations - we've created a visual to support you in these conversations. We hope you enjoy "10 Things You Can Control" May it help guide you and your child in taking good care of your mental and emotional health ~ especially in these times. AuthorJen Rapanos, LMSW, RCYT is a child and adolescent psychotherapist working in private practice. She is the owner of Well-Bean, LLC which is committed to providing services & programs that foster the emotional & mental well-being of youth. Well-Bean offers child & adolescent psychotherapy, yoga & mindfulness classes, wellness workshops and education & training for parents and educators. © Copyright 2020 Well-Bean, LLC. All rights reserved. www.wellbeankidsyoga.com
Yoga, mindfulness, breathing and self-care are all practices ~ so we're sharing some of our favorite resources hoping to bring more embodied practice into your home, planting more seeds for well-being in your family this holiday season! Mindfully Taking Care of Me from A to Z! This sweet little poster provides a gentle reminder of the many ways we can mindfully take care of our feelings. As a visual, families, therapists and teachers can use this poster as a talking point, inviting conversation and encouraging children to explore evidence-based strategies for managing strong emotions. This popular poster was created in partnership with Well-Bean, LLC and artist Katie Eberts. Printed on durable, matte and museum-quality archival paper. Bedtime Meditations for Kids Regular and consistent sleep is important for mental and emotional health and guided meditations are a great way to support a child with calming their mind and body at bedtime. This cd features captivating bedtime meditations for relaxation; created by Christiane Kerr, a Montessori teacher, yoga teacher and founder of Calm For Kids. Animal Herbal Eye Pillow Eye pillows are a wonderful prop that can help set the stage for scheduled relaxation time or to soothe before bedtime. Fashioned from organic cotton and stuffed with organic herbs and flax, we love these cute eye pillows from Gardener's Supply Company and appreciate their mission to spread the joys and rewards of gardening, because it nourishes the body, elevates the spirit, builds community and makes the world a better place! Check out our Relaxation is a Skill blog to learn how to bring more relaxation practices into your child's life. Big Life Journal Journaling is a tool that can help children process their feelings and communicate their ideas. We love this particular journal because the guided activities are specifically designed to help develop strong social-emotional learning and growth mindset skills in children! Mindful Moments for Kids One of our favorite musicians, Kira Willey, offers a unique collection of one-minute mindfulness exercises to practice with kids! This is a convenient and easy way to incorporate breathing, movement and mindfulness into the day! I Am Love - A Book of Compassion Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds continue their collaboration with the fourth book in their bestselling wellness series, I Am Love. This beautiful book invites parents and teachers to have important conversation with children about taking care of themselves by practicing self-love. Table Topics - Family Edition When parents ask their children the old standard "how was your day?" they often don't get the results they were looking for. These Table Topics questions are a great way to get conversation in your family flowing! We recommend you use them at dinner, in the car to keep siblings engaged and having fun, or use a question or two as a way to connect with your child as they're winding down before bed. Bee Happy - Eco Yoga Mat for Kids Practicing yoga asanas with children provides an opportunity to become curious about how a pose feels in the body in a way that is curious and kind. Practicing yoga at home and school can help with modulating energy and mood and relieve stress. Of course you don't need a yoga mat to practice, but sometimes using a mat, especially with younger children, can signal it's time for yoga and you can't go wrong with this biodegradable Bee Happy mat for kids! Hoberman Sphere -breathing ball We love using props when teaching and practicing breathing and the Hoberman Sphere aka breathing ball is always a favorite! Great for families and schools, add it to your quiet space or peace corner and use the ball to practice diaphragmatic breathing. Check out our blog Breathing Ball to read more about how to use the Hoberman Sphere. Plant Therapy for Kids - Essential Oils Is there anything better than practicing diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation when there's a calm scent in the air? KidSafe by Plant Therapy has developed an essential-oil line especially for children, targeting specific issues and ailments that are common in this age range. AUTHOR Jen Rapanos, LMSW, RCYT is a child and adolescent psychotherapist working in private practice. She is the owner of Well-Bean, LLC which is committed to providing services & programs that foster the emotional & mental well-being of youth. Well-Bean offers child & adolescent psychotherapy, yoga & mindfulness classes, wellness workshops and education & training for parents and educators. © Copyright 2019 Well-Bean, LLC. All rights reserved. www.wellbeankidsyoga.com It's okay to be sad;Â TEACHING OUR CHILDREN THE LIFE LONG SKILLÂ OFÂ BEINGÂ WITH OUR FEELINGS.11/13/2019
I was recently in my office working on paperwork at our Early Childhood Center when I overheard a preschool teacher outside of the classroom talking with students. What captured my attention was the question she was asking. "How are you feeling today?” As I made my way to the hallway to get a better view, a small girl maybe 4 years old must have pointed to the sad face on the poster outside the classroom door. The teacher replied, “you’re feeling sad, where do you feel sad in your body?" The little girl put her hand to her heart. The teacher waited a few seconds then replied, “you feel sad and you feel it in your heart. Sometimes I feel sad too, sometimes I miss my mom too. It's okay to feel sad” The teacher got down to the little girl’s level, she prompted her to take the picture of herself and place it beneath the visual of a sad face located on the feelings poster on the classroom door. Then in a nurturing way, walked with her into classroom. You see, these students get to start their day off at school exploring how they are feeling - happy, sad, silly, hungry, mad or sleepy. Observing this interaction brought to mind a couple of things that I would like to draw attention to. First, the teacher's actions communicated to the child “I see you, I hear you and acknowledge what you’re experiencing.” It’s so important to be seen and heard; it’s a beautiful way to connect with a child and to validate what they're experiencing. This compassionate act in and of itself helps children in developing emotional awareness and asking them simple questions like "can you name what you're feeling and where do you feel it in your body?" helps a child build skills for emotional regulation. This teacher's morning greeting and practice also provided students with the gift of learning to pay attention to the moment. Every day, she gives her students permission to stop, explore and notice for just a moment what they are feeling. As adults, we often move through our days on autopilot, completely disconnected and unaware of our thoughts and feelings and how they may be impacting us. Lastly, the teacher taught the little girl that whatever she was feeling was okay, she gave her permission to be sad and then they were able to move forward with the day. How often to we dismiss how our children (or ourselves) are actually feeling? The teacher could have replied, “you’re fine, you’ll see your mom soon.” Sometimes we try to fix what our children are feeling so that they don’t have to experience discomfort, “oh, don’t be sad, let’s go inside and play.” Often, we miss out on these teaching opportunities all together by completely ignoring feelings by not acknowledging them at all. By teaching our children to be mindful of how they are feeling we are building a strong foundation for learning how to be with what we are feeling, whatever that feeling is—happy, disappointed, angry, silly or embarrassed. It’s okay to have these feelings. When we learn to take a moment and pay attention to what it is we are actually feeling, we can learn that feelings won’t hurt us. Feelings are not something that we have to avoid, push away or even cling to. When we learn to make friends with our feelings, whatever they may be, we learn that they don’t last forever. Feelings like everything in life are impermanent, they come and they go. And when this lesson is learned, it opens the door to learning how to cope with our feelings more skillfully when they do arise. So the next time your child appears sad, disappointed or even happy. Notice how they are feeling, help them label the feeling, ask them what it feels like in their body. Give them permission to feel whatever it is they are feeling. Then explore what they might do to cope with this feeling; teaching your child that the feeling won’t last forever and that there are many positive ways to cope with a feeling. When you take the time to teach your child the skill of being aware of their feelings, give them permission to feel whatever they’re feeling then help them cope with that feeling, you are teaching them a lifelong skill of dealing with the ups and downs of what we call, life. Author Jen Rapanos, LMSW, RCYT is a child and adolescent psychotherapist working in private practice. She is the owner of Well-Bean, LLC committed to providing programs and services that foster mental well-being and development in youth. © Copyright 2015 Well-Bean, LLC. All rights reserved.
"Take a deep breath." We've all heard this phrase and most likely have used it with our children. It's an invitation to use the breath to help calm down, to push that pause button before making a decision or taking the next step. Yet, I often hear children say that "it doesn't work." Children are often right, it doesn't work for them and here's a few reasons why:
"For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them." - Aristotle One of the greatest gifts we can provide children is the experience of connecting with their own breath and providing them with frequent opportunities to get up close and personal with this internal resource. In a world that often suggests looking outward for guidance, familiarizing children with their own breath is like placing a welcome mat in front of them, teaching them to go inward for information, direction and validation. The regular practice of checking-in with curiosity to our breath builds awareness skills that help lay the foundation for self-regulation. With this foundation, children have the capacity to build more awareness around how their breath fluctuates with their emotions, and subsequently, that the way they breathe impacts the way they think, feel and cope. The way we feel changes the way we breathe and the way we breathe changes the way we feel. So how do you start this foundational work with your child? My suggestion is to start with YOU. Whether you're a parent or educator, consider this an invitation for you to get up close and personal with your own breath first. Taking time to pause during your busy day to check in with your own breath is the first step in teaching your children how to do the same. Here are a couple of resources to get started and check back with us soon for posts about breathing exercises for kids! "6 Reasons Why Mindfulness Begins With the Breath" Mindful Magazine "Mindful Breathing a Guided Meditation" Stop, Breathe, Think AUTHOR Jen Rapanos, LMSW, RCYT is a child and adolescent psychotherapist working in private practice. She is the owner of Well-Bean, LLC committed to providing programs and services that foster the emotional and mental well-being of youth. relaxation is a skill; why Our kids need it and how to make it a regular practice in their life.3/2/2019
One of the most profound realizations that I’ve stumbled upon in working with youth is that many don’t know how to relax. In a society that values busyness and multi-tasking, it seems relaxation is merely an idea and the practice of it is non-existent. Stress has been identified as the single most potent risk factor for mental health problems in children and adolescents. Our children are growing up in a highly competitive, over-stimulated and sometimes overwhelming world without the necessary skills for managing it. Stress is a part of life and not all stress is bad. Our physiological response to stress, hardwired in all of us, is key to our survival. But stress in the modern world has become an epidemic and the reality is, many of the adults in children’s lives aren’t practicing strategies for managing it - so it’s not being modeled, it’s not being taught, it’s just not a priority. "For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” -Aristotle Relaxation is a coping strategy for managing stress and the ability to relax is a skill that has to be taught. Children need opportunities to learn about stress, the symptoms and the effects it can have on their health and well-being. Moreover, they need opportunities to embody the practice of relaxation if they are to make it a priority in their lives. This takes effort, patience and persistence. I’ve found in my practice as a psychotherapist and yoga and mindfulness teacher that once children know what a relaxed state actually feels like in their body and mind, that they start to request more and more of it. And once they’re familiar with the strategies, they are able to generalize these practices at home and at school. Relaxation techniques are often free and can be practiced nearly anywhere. As a process and state of being, relaxation helps decrease the physical and mental effects of tension, stress and anxiety experienced in our daily lives. Relaxation doesn’t mean zoning out in front of the television or in front of an iPad, this does little to reduce the damaging effects of stress. Evidence-based practices like deep breathing, meditation, guided imagery, rhythmic exercise and yoga however have been proven to activate the body’s natural relaxation response (the parasympathetic nervous system), which helps reduce stress, boost energy and mood and improve mental and physical health. |