Release Pent Up Energy: The 30 Second Cycling Trip
24 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Family Relaxation, One Minute Relaxers, Relaxation Practice, Relaxing/Balancing the Body Tags: calming technique, creative relaxation technique, energy management, kids relaxation technique, one-minute relaxation for kids, physical body relaxation, relaxation, relaxation tool
Ever need a quick tool to help your child release energy to re-focus in the moment? This one-minute relaxer is fun, engaging and does the job to get that excess energy OUT while activating the imagination at the same time. I use it with my girls at home and in my office at school to help kids relax and release unwanted pent up energy.
Remember your last exercise class where you leaned back on your elbows, raised your feet up two feet off the floor to pedal the air bicycle? This is the same, except you get to make it super fun by traveling in your imagination. Set the timer for 30 seconds and get started. (It is possible to experiment with differing time increments that fit the energy level and the amount of energy that needs to be released). Next, while you are pedaling, begin to tell a little story and to journey in your imagination. Pedal super slow up hills, coast down narrow garden paths, swerve around trees and run away dogs, turtles, and surprise apple carts along the way. Enter a dense rainforest, listen for the toucan’s call, and screech to a sudden stop on the beach to listen to the waves hit the shore. The more abstract, the more imaginary your journey, the better. See just how interesting and creative you can make it. As your child if he sees what you see along the way and ask him for suggestions for additions to your imaginary travel plan. Always finish by getting off your bike and lying down in the soft green grass or warm sandy beach to relax for a moment. Breathe deep, let go of your wild ride and say to yourself, repeating three times, “I am re-focused and calm.”
Happy cycling away! Practice transforming from tense to calm in 60 seconds flat!
Your Mind is Your Playdough!
10 May 2012 3 Comments
in All Relaxation Activities, Positive Self-Talk, Uncategorized Tags: neuroplasticity in children, positive thinking for kids, positive thoughts for kids, power of positive thinking
What if we gave children the analogy of likening the mind to big hunk of playdough? Essentially that is the case. Brain research is exploding with tales of neuroplasticity and our awareness is expanding with the knowledge that our brains are continually developing and changing based on what we are programming them to do. Therefore, we have a giant opportunity to be very mindful, pun intended, about what we are putting into both our own and our children’s minds.
So, I encourage you to remind your child this week, that they are the masters of their thoughts. They have the power to program their minds for feeling good, for feeling calm and relaxed whenever they want to. And it is as simple as differentiating the feel good thoughts from the ones that don’t feel good and making a choice to practice the feel good thoughts if they want to feel good. In my house, when we entered a period of negative thought, we would say, “no more stinking thinking, I choose to feel good.”
Because the concept of positive thinking is often a little abstract for children under the age of six, you can make it more concrete by creating fun activities around planting positive thoughts. Here is one idea:
Get out your colorful playdough and shape it into little brains. (This can be an excellent opportunity to discuss cerebral anatomy as well). Take a toothpick and carve in little grooves so it will look like a real brain. Then talk about how our brains respond and are shaped around the thoughts we have. The more we think calm, relaxing, feel good thoughts, the more we feel calm, relaxed and actually feel good. The brain is trained by what we think. And our feelings are related to how we think. If we think lots of stressful thoughts and repeat them over and over, our brain will be trained to think stressful thoughts and then we will begin to feel more stressed a lot of the time. But, if we catch our brain thinking stressful thoughts, we can say “STOP” to our brain and give it a better, more positive, feel good relaxing thought to think. If we practice these relaxing thoughts over and over, then we will begin to feel more relaxed. Here’s an example of a relaxing thought: “I remember to take a deep breath and count to three when I feel angry.”
Discuss how we can pay attention to our thoughts and shape our brains around positive, feel good thoughts. Have some little slips of paper with both positive and negative thoughts written on them. Pass some out to each person and share how you would feel if you were thinking that thought. Your mind is your playdough! Feel good as you shape it around positive, calm, relaxing, feel good thoughts!
An excellent book that addresses the difference between positive and negative thoughts, is Meet Thotso, Your Thought Maker by Rachel Robb Avery, Nancy “Fern” Bennett Phillips, and Rebecca Davie Hazen. You can buy it on amazon or visit their website at www.smartthot.com. Kids love the interactive nature of the book and the fun way it depicts sunshine thoughts, boo boo thoughts, and bandage thoughts.
Dragonfly Relaxation
02 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Guided Imagery, Uncategorized Tags: children's meditation, children's relaxation, dragonflies, guided imagery, peaceful moments for kids, relaxation activity, relaxation script
Have a Kaleidoscope Day!
19 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Family Relaxation, Uncategorized Tags: acceptance, adjustment to change for kids, positive perspective, positive thinking, relaxation, stress management
When I was a kid, I used to love to play with my dad’s kaleidoscope. As I peered inside, a whole new world, a whole new view of the world appeared. It didn’t matter what I was looking at, in what direction I faced. There was always a surprise in the view. A slight turn of my hand would magically create a whole new experience. Any direction you faced gave you a beautiful glimpse of another possibility. Infinite ways of seeing things, infinitely changing. The kaleidoscope had a way of transforming anything you were looking at into something beautiful, if not at least interesting.
Life is like that. Every day is the opportunity to experience things as if for the first time. Everyday we have the choice to look for the beautiful in the mundane, the enchanting in the ordinary. What if we encouraged our kids to do the same? We could all practice together having kaleidoscope days. Starting each day with the idea that everything is brand new, a fresh new beginning. Every day is full of constant change, which we get to accept or resist, our choice, but it is always there. Stress, at its origin, is simply resistant thoughts. When we are thinking “not okay” and “needs to be different”, we are creating resistance. The body starts to respond by contracting, holding, pushing against what IS. Having a kaleidoscope day involves the following:
*Today I decide I want to feel good
*Today I accept that my world is constantly changing
*Today I look for beauty wherever I can, in whatever I see
*Today I go with the flow and say “okay” (doesn’t mean that I like it, just means that I accept it)
*Today I am flexible. I challenge myself to look at every situation from multiple possible points of view
Have a kaleidoscope day with your child today! Start by doing your favorite deep breathing exercise. Get a kaleidoscope and practice looking and sharing what you see. Then talk about the agreements listed above. Create little cards or sticky notes to remind yourself and collect your kaleidoscope moments throughout the day. Breathe, relax, enjoy.
My dad is still creating kaleidoscope images through photography, such as those seen here, and sending them to me. He has a photography program that will translate “normal” photographs into these beautiful images. You can snap a photo of virtually anything and then transform it into a kaleidoscope image. These shots are constant reminders for me to approach life as if I were looking through a kaleidoscope, pointing my attention in the direction of things I find interesting and allowing the picture to fall into place, infinitely creating, changing and showing me endless points of view.
Like this:
Calm and Focus: The Potential Effects of Deep Pressure Touch
10 Apr 2012 1 Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Educator Resources, One Minute Relaxers, Relaxing/Balancing the Body, Uncategorized Tags: calming techniques, deep pressure touch, focus, grounding activities, one-minute relaxation, quick relaxation activities, relaxation techniques, relaxation tools, self-regulation, sensory exercises, sensory integration
Deep pressure touch has been found to be very calming to the nervous system. I work with many students who struggle with sensory integration and moderation and sometimes deep pressure touch works to help them focus and/or calm down. Please use this technique with caution, starting with a very non-evasive exercise such as the finger squeeze and then moving to the other exercises once you have made careful observation of your child to see if she appears to like it and/or experiences benefit.
Guidelines for the use of deep pressure touch as a calming activity:
- apply steady, gentle, consistent and firm pressure
- always communicate with the child as you are applying pressure, check in frequently to ask how it feels
- always stop if the child reports that it hurts or is uncomfortable in any way, that means that the desired result is not happening
- the desired result is that the child experience increased calm, focus, and feelings of being “in your body”
DEEP PRESSURE TOUCH MENU
Arm Squish—Adult firmly squeezes arms to body, starting near the shoulders and working your way down to wrist level
Shoulder Push—Firmly push straight down on top of shoulders (not squeeze, simply push down)
Hands on Head—Instruct student to interlock fingers and place on top of head, pushing down firmly
Hands Together– Place hands together, palm to palm and press together
Knee Push—Place hands on knees, making sure knee is directly over ankle and feet are on the floor, and press down
Feet into Floor—Push feet down into floor
Finger Squeeze—squeeze each whole finger one by one
Individual Finger Squeeze– knuckle by knuckle squeeze each part of the finger, working through all of the fingers individually
Thumb Massage—Find the soft squishy part between the thumb and the hand and massage it
Self Hug—wrap your arms across the front of the chest and “give yourself a firm squeeze”
Hands Under Chin—interlock the fingers of the hands together to provide a “platform,” place under the chin and push gently up while the chin is pressed down
7 Apps To Help Kids Relax
02 Apr 2012 2 Comments
in All Relaxation Activities, Bedtime Relaxation Activities, Educator Resources, Family Relaxation, One Minute Relaxers, Relaxing on Airplanes, Uncategorized Tags: apps for kids, reducing stress in kids, relaxation apps for kids, relaxation for kids, relaxation help for parents, relaxation ideas for kids, relaxing on the go for kids, stress free kids
My iPhone and iPad have become instant hits with my kids. They love to play games on them. They are great for when I’m out at a restaurant or waiting at the airport and they need something quick to stay occupied. In spite of the battery run down and the fact that I rush to get text messages that end up being reminders to “feed the horse before it dies,” it has been a great portable tool to keep busy. The other day we were riding in the car and my older daughter was stressing about her homework. I was wishing that I had a relaxing application on the iPhone to help her relax. So, I started researching and here are some ideas that I found:
Take a Chill http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/take-a-chill-stressed-teens/id496802813?mt=8
This app is great for tweens and teens. It sends gentle reminders to practice mindfulness and affirmations periodically throughout the day. It provides a way to track your mindfulness practice and has small activities built directly into the app. Great introduction to mindfulness practice!
My First Yoga http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-first-yoga-animal-poses/id365336362?mt=8
I use this app almost every day during a sensory break with one of my students at school. The poses are cute, simple, and provide easy, step by step directions to follow. Do just one or all of them, it is easy to choose. I love the peacock pose. The fun animals join us every day in my office. The stretches are relaxing and provide an excellent opportunity to focus in the moment.
iZen Garden http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/izen-garden-2-portable-zen/id347232643?mt=8
Just like the sand trays with little rakes that allow you to calmly draw beautiful lines in the sand, this app is perfect to promote a moment of calm. Using your fingers instead of a rake, you can draw lines in the sand while listening to cheerful chimes.
Gratitude Journal http://itunes.apple.com/app/gratitude-journal-your-positive/id299604556?mt=8
The Institute of Heartmath (http://www.heartmath.org/), shares extensive research on the relationship between thinking thoughts of appreciation and feeling relaxed and at ease. What better way to practice with your child than to keep a gratitude journal. Try out this adorable app that reminds you and your child to think of 5 things you are grateful for each day.
Arabian Nights by Relax Kids http://itunes.apple.com/app/arabian-nights/id500474568?ign-mpt=uo%3D5
Just out in March by Relax Kids, this Arabian Nights app is delightful. Soothing voice, calming journeys, you can travel to exotic places in your imagination. Topics include belly dancing, snake charmers and magic carpets, your children are sure to be engaged and practicing relaxation right along with this app. Enjoy!
S
ilent Island Relaxation Lite http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/silent-island-relaxation-sale/id296191442?mt=8 Listen to the peaceful sounds of a bubbling brook, rushing waves, rain, or birds. Bonuses include videos of floating ice and a slideshow of the islands. It is perfect for those much needed mini moments of relaxation. This version is free, but a full version can be purchased to forego the ads.
For the iPad only:
Enchanted Meditation http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/enchanted-meditations-for/id490096965?mt=8
This app has brief meditations for kids and also includes a tree pose activity. Christiane Kerr’s voice is pleasant and soothing, easy to listen to. I especially love the jellyfish meditation. What fun to flop like a jellyfish!
Cloud Thoughts
05 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Bedtime Relaxation Activities, Family Relaxation, Mindfulness Practice, Positive Self-Talk, Relaxation Practice, Relaxing in Nature, Uncategorized Tags: meditation, mindfulness activity, positive thoughts, relaxation, stress reduction
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=3973
Mindfulness is known as the ability to pull your attention into the present moment, increasing your awareness of the thoughts that are happening as they happen. When you pause to let go and really just allow yourself to be in the present moment, relaxation, naturally, just happens!
As you think about trying to explain meditation or mindfulness practice to your child, you might wonder where to begin. It all starts with the ability to be still, to pay attention to the present moment, and to begin increasing awareness about the thoughts you are having. Try this Cloud Thoughts activity with your child as a perfect starting place.
Step One:
(Materials: A fluffy cloud day, a spot of lush green grass, a blanket and some sunglasses) Invite your child to go with you outside, to lie down in the grass, and to watch the clouds in the sky. Tell her that you are going to take a cloud journey, simply paying attention to the clouds as they float across the sky. Share with her that you are going to do it in silence and that there will be time to share your experiences with each other later. Spend a few moments just relaxing on the blanket and watching the clouds as float past. Watch as they dance, float, morph and transform on their journey across the sky. See what kind of animals or shapes they make. You can share your experiences with each other later while you are doing step two.
Step Two:
(Materials: timer, crayons, pencils and paper) Go back inside and get some drawing materials. Draw a picture of clouds with your child. Place it in front of you and set a timer for 3 minutes. Tell your child that you are going to simply watch the picture, just like you did outside, and pay attention to the thoughts that drift into and out of your mind like clouds. No need to try to stop or change the thoughts, just watch them with interest. If you like, you can pretend you are a thought scientist and you have been given the task to simply notice and pay attention to the thoughts in your head to see what they have to say. You might be surprised at the thoughts, what they contain and what they want to do. You might notice having more or less thoughts. Just watch with interest for three minutes.
Step Three: When three minutes are up, tell your child that you are going to take the picture you have drawn and write in the clouds some of the thoughts you noticed.
Additional Idea for Use:
- Make this a daily practice. Practice for three minutes each day and notice how it gets easier to watch your thoughts drifting in and out and around in your head like clouds in the sky.
- Skip step one and complete steps two and three before bed each night.
- Start a Cloud Thoughts journal for paying attention to and collecting the thoughts in your head. Discuss any changes you notice as you experience the activity over time. Notice if the thoughts change, if the speed with which they float in and out changes, if the speed changes related to how you are feeling that day, if you feel more or less relaxed after the experience, etc. . .
Transforming Anxiety Resources
01 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Educator Resources, Resources Tags: anxiety treatment, coping strategies, emotional regulation, relaxation, resources, self-regulation, stress management
Check out these two resources for anxiety and its treatment!
Up and Down the Worry Hill by Aureen Pinto Wagner and Paul A. Jutton http://www.amazon.com/Down-Worry-Hill-Childrens-Obsessive-Compulsive/dp/0967734762/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
This is a book you can read right along with your child. Although, it is specifically for treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, the tools included would also be useful for other strong worries or anxious thoughts. It does an excellent job of explaining how anxious thoughts operate within the mind/body experience and also provides a useful tool for when your child encounters an anxiety provoking situation, event or thought. The illustrations help to explain and encourage your child to “ride out the worry response” until you get to the other side of the “hill” or, rather, the other side of the peak feeling experience. Not only an excellent metaphoric visual for the physiological and emotional anxiety experience, but another tool with specific steps to add to your coping skills tool box.
Transforming Anxiety by Doc Childre and Deborah Rozman Ph.D. http://www.amazon.com/Transforming-Anxiety-HeartMath-Solution-Overcoming/dp/1572244445/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330633609&sr=1-1
Drawing on scientific research from the Institute of Heartmath, (www.heartmath.org), this book is perfect if you are looking for deeper understanding of how we can re-program our neurocircuitries for feeling more calm and relaxed. The book provides an in-depth explanation of how the nervous system can be calmed by using a mixture of both physiological and psychological techniques. Included are very simple, step-by-step activities for repetitively shifting focus, interrupting old dysfunctional patterns so that the brain can be re-patterned promoting increased feelings of calm, wellbeing, harmony and peace. Visit their website to find many additional resources on emotional self-regulation for children and adults of all ages.
Ocean Breathing–One Minute Relaxer
21 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Deep Breathing, One Minute Relaxers
Have some fun with deep breathing today and teach your child ocean breathing, otherwise known as ujjai pranayama in the yogic traditions. It is known as the ocean breath because of the ocean-like sound made in the back of the throat while breathing in and out. It helps your child to slow down the airflow, allowing for longer, deeper, slower breaths. This in turn, gives the body a chance to use more oxygen since the breath is slowed.
Call this practice ocean breathing to give it a fun image while trying it out. It is a centering breath because it provides a focal point. Your child’s focus is reigned in as she concentrates on the sound emanating from the back of her throat. It is the perfect one-minute relaxer that can be done anywhere.
Explanation Ideas and Steps:
(Suggested supply: hand held mirror)
First, explain to your child that you are going breathe making the sound of the ocean. Invite her to think about the ocean while you are practicing. Start with a little visualization. Take a moment to close your eyes and see the waves crashing on the shore, listen to the sound of the surf upon the sand.
- Start by holding the hand held mirror in front of you, (or hold your hand up, palm facing inward, holding a pretend mirror if you don’t have a real one). Take a full breath in, breathing slowly and allowing the stomach to expand while you inhale. Then exhale, forcing the air out like you are trying to fog up the mirror. Allow the back of your throat to constrict, just slightly to make the “haaaah” sound while exhaling. It might sound a bit like hissing. No need to push or force, just allow. It should be very soothing, sounding like the roar of the waves upon the sand. Repeat this practice several times.
- Once your child understands how to make the sound through her mouth, she is ready to try it while inhaling and exhaling through the nose. Inhale through the nose, gently constricting the throat and passage of air. Pause. Exhale, gently constricting the throat and pushing the air back out. Pause.
- Remember to exhale as long as possible and pause slightly after the exhale if possible. This allows for ultimate relaxation within the body.
After you have learned the breath, you might want to play some ocean sounds on your ipod/iphone while you are doing it, (See Nature: At the Beach on the downloadable free mobile app Relaxation Lite, Silent Island, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/silent-island-relaxation-lite/id299531614?mt=8).
The Melt Away
29 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, One Minute Relaxers Tags: letting go of stress, relaxation tools, stress relief, tension relief
Tension can just melt away through the focus of our thoughts. The Melt Away is a visualization that can help kids release muscle tension and relax in the moment. It’s a quick tool that can be used anywhere to help kids get re-connected with their bodies to feel more relaxed.
Here are the instructions to read to your child:
1. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Take two deep breaths, inhaling to the count of 5, exhaling to the count of 5. Pause
2. Now begin with your toes. Imagine that a big sun is shining over your toes, melting away any tension. Allow the tension to melt and sink into the floor, just like melting snow or melting butter. Feel how warm and relaxed your toes feel. Just allow yourself to relax in the light. Breathe.
3. Repeat the visualization by reading step two over and over while focusing on each body part: legs, arms, hands, shoulders, back, neck and head. Keep going until you have addressed every body part.
4. Completion: Now that you have melted away any tension or tight places in your body, just allow your whole body to melt into the floor. Feel the floor beneath you holding you. Imagine that the big sun above you is shining a brilliant golden light over all of your body and allow that warm light to touch every part of your body. Breathe. Pause to allow your child to rest in the calm moment. Now gently begin to rock you body back and forth. Really small mini movement. Wiggle your toes and your fingers. Take a deep breath and get ready to open your eyes. Place your hands gently over your eyes. You can open your eyes when you are ready and allow your hands to drop away.
This tool is particularly useful if you have one particular body part that is feeling tense and needs to relax. For example, for headaches, you might want to use The Melt Away to focus on relaxing the neck and face muscles. 
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