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!
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.
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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!
Stress Rating Charts–Five Ways To Make It Fun!
15 Mar 2012 3 Comments
in Educator Resources, Family Relaxation, Relaxation Practice, Uncategorized
I believe that relaxation practice must be engaging, fun, and rewarding if we are going to see ultimate buy-in and interest from our kids. Since body awareness is an essential first step component to relaxation practice, (i.e. ya gotta know when you are stressed and how much to know when ya need to use a tool and what tool to use), I like to introduce some fun ways to show kids how to check in with their bodies to know the various levels of stress and how stress impacts them, both physically and mentally.
One way to begin to pay attention to and monitor stress levels is to use a stress rating chart. A stress rating chart allows kids to pair a metaphoric theme (eg. food, critter or nature) with the level of stress they are feeling in their body. For instance, if you were feeling very low stress, at level one, you could relate it to feeling like a still lake or a clear sky. Feeling ultimate stress, or level 5, would relate to a volcano that was about to erupt. Show children that levels 3 and above usually require the use of a relaxation tool in order to get back to a level 2 or 1. Possible ways to explain the chart use include:
1. Go through each level and discuss how the body feels when that level of stress is experienced. Discuss particular bodily sensations that are possible, (eg. sweaty hands, shortness of breath, feeling hot or cold, dizzy, intense focus or lack of focus, etc. . . ). Talk about how it relates to the metaphor provided and ask your child if she agrees with the metaphoric example. If not, you might need to change the example to one more meaningful for her.
2. Cut apart the levels and allow your child to re-arrange them in order. Discuss why each one goes where it does and how the body feels at each level.
3. Write life scenarios, real or imagined, that relate to each level and invite your child to talk about why they feel a certain level of stress when they encounter that scenario. Match each scenario with a level on the chart. Put the scenarios in a box and select one a day for discussion.
4. Complete role plays in which you act out using and/or teaching a relaxation tool. Take turns being the instructor and the instructed. Discuss where you think your stress would register on the chart before and after applying the tool.
5. Play charades. Act out a stressful scenario or a relaxing scenario and then guess which level the person is demonstrating.
Try out the following charts and let me know what you think!
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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. . .
Relaxation Seeds
23 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in Family Relaxation Tags: relaxation; tools; reminders; intention; peace; stress
Chances are, if you are reading this, you have experience with a child who struggles with stress, anxiety, or other strong emotions. And, if you are like me, then there are times when you fervently wish that you had a magic wand that would create peace wherever pointed.
I am writing this to remind you and to remind me that we are gardeners in this field of relaxation techniques. We cultivate the ground, fertilize the soil, plant seeds of relaxation and water them with care. But, we never truly know when they will sprout and grow. Our job as the gardener does not involve digging in the soil to check on the seeds. Our job is to plant the seeds and to let go with patience and love. End of story. Period. No amount of magic wand waving or wishing will change the fact that the relaxation seeds sprout when they are ready, just like all other seeds.
My daughter has been challenged this week with stressful thoughts about eighth grade homework. As she was becoming more and more frustrated, more and more stressed out, her tears and thoughts appeared to cycle around and around, getting stuck on “I don’t have enough time to get it done. I never have downtime with you on school nights. I can’t have fun anymore. There is too much work.” She was working herself into a stressful cycle that began to infiltrate both ends of the day, bedtime and waking.
I suggested techniques, I modeled techniques, did what I could to promote a peaceful environment, and tried all the distraction tools I could think of. Nothing appeared to be working. I played music in the bathroom in the morning, even Katy Perry, who is not my first choice of the day, and nothing seemed to shift the focus from STRESS. I was getting frustrated too.
Then, one night, after several nights in the cycle, seemingly out of the blue, my daughter made a request before bed. She said, “Hey, you know that Katy Perry song about money? Could you play it tomorrow while I am in the shower? It is one of my favorites.” “Of course,” I replied. Then it struck me. I never know for sure the impact that my “seeds” are having. I don’t know which things will touch her, if they will touch her, or when. I don’t know when the relaxation seeds will sprout or how they will actually grow.
Each moment provides us that opportunity to return and return again to our intentions and alignment with out desired outcome, regardless of what is actually going on around us. Each moment brings the opportunity to be a space of peace, to be open to expanding into the present moment. Showing up is the first step. Continuing to show up is the second step and all the steps that follow.
You never now when your relaxation seeds will suddenly sprout and grow into beautiful peaceful moments. Keep planting. Keep growing within yourself. And have fun doing it!!!
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Body Rock
30 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Bedtime Relaxation Activities, Family Relaxation, One Minute Relaxers, Relaxing/Balancing the Body, Uncategorized
Body rock involves gently rocking the body back and forth to calm the nervous system. Have your child lie flat on the floor. Use a yoga mat or lie on a soft carpet for increased comfort. Don’t use a pillow to obstruct air flow or to place the neck in an unnatural position. Play soft music, dim the lights and use aromatherapy to prepare the environment for relaxation. Begin by inviting your child to take a couple of deep breaths. Tell your child to simply allow his body to melt into the floor and prepare him that you are going to gently rock his body back and forth to calm down his muscles and nerves. Share with him that the more he can be like a rag doll and let go, allow his body to relax, the more powerful body rock will be. Then gently begin to lightly rock his body back and forth, alternating sides. First give a gentle push on the left and respond with a gentle push on the right. Use very gentle touch, as light as using one finger to move. Apply a relaxed, gentle, steady rhythm. Imagine that your hands are carrying on a very sweet relaxation conversation. As one hand moves on one side, the other gently responds. Allow the body weight to help carry the momentum of the rock back and forth. Move slowly up and down the legs and then to the torso, gently pushing on each arm. Allow the head to remain relaxed and lying on the floor. Be as gentle as possible, and increase in lightness of touch as you continue. As time passes, you will notice the body begin to let go and relax more and more, as evidenced by its effortless motions. Simply allow it to rock, back and forth, back and forth. Check in with your child to make sure he is doing okay or to ask if he needs anything. Complete this for a couple minutes the first time and begin to increase the amount of time spent rocking as your child adjusts to it. Place a blanket over your child for added security and warmth to support further relaxation. He might fall asleep, this is a natural response. If not, allow him to rest in silence for a few minutes when you are finished to allow him to integrate the experience and to become fully aware of the relaxed sensations.
At a later time, discuss with your child how his body felt before, during and after the body rock experience.
Cave Time
16 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Family Relaxation, Uncategorized
Remember when you were a kid how fun it was to build a fort? I have had a fort in my living room since last weekend’s sleep over. ”It’s so much fun, Mom! Can’t I just sleep in here one more night? Then I will move it, I promise!”, my nine-year-old daughter reassures me. And, even though my living room has been taken over by millions of stuffed animals and there is a sheet suspended from the banisters using headbands, scarves, hair ties, duct tape, and my brand new sheets as building materials, I have to admit it is cozy and relaxing. Since its construction, she sleeps there. She reads there. She creates art there. She relaxes there.
When kids, or adults too, are feeling stressed, often the mind is busy at work. It is working overtime and lots of thinking often doesn’t promote feelings of relaxation or peace. During times of stress our focus gets distracted and our energy is very scattered. It is useful to find ways to bring our focus inward and to call our energy back to ourselves. One way to accomplish this is by getting into smaller, enclosed spaces where the focus and energy are more easily contained. Indoor forts or caves can do just that. It is very relaxing to contain our energy in cozy, defined places.
So, I encourage you to construct your very own cave or fort for relaxing. As you head into the holiday season this year, find a cozy space in your house and construct your relaxation cave. Put it on your holiday “to do” list to design some stress-free spaces in your home specifically for relaxation. Purposefully design your relaxation space with close quarters so that you amplify the cozy factor. It can be as easy or complex as you and your child decide to make it. Simple includes throwing a blanket over a table. Complex requires some additional architectural trial and error. Both can be very rewarding.
Once you have your relaxation cave built, put some fluffy pillows, stuffed animals, soft blankets inside. Hang some pretty stars from the top and lie down on your back with your child and just breathe. Do some simple counting breaths where you count to five on the inhale and count to five on the exhale. Set aside some moments to just breathe and let the world outside the cave simply pass on by for a few minutes. Melt into the blankets. Let go. Fully surrender into the moment and allow yourself to pay attention to the feelings that arise while you are simply lying there. It can serve as your “do nothing” space or it can serve as your space where you only practice relaxing activities. Read gentle stories with sweet themes. Tell a bedtime story, but make sure that the theme is gentle and soothing. Designate it as a place where only soft voices, whispers or silence can visit. Do some gentle stretches such as child’s pose (http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/475), or butterfly pose (http://www.americanyogaacademy.com/PDFs/ButterflyPose.pdf).
So, after you have established your relaxation cave, practice using it when tension arrives. When you see your child struggling to manage her energy or feeling visibly tense, suggest a little cave time and crawl in along side her.
Let your imagination run wild in the creation of your family cave. If you are looking for some additional ideas, here’s a site I found that has stellar ideas:
http://wondertime.go.com/life-at-home/article/indoor-kid-forts.html
Thank you Relaxation!
21 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in All Relaxation Activities, Family Relaxation, Uncategorized
While in the book store yesterday, I came across a new little book by Leah Dieterich called ThxThxThx (http://thxthxthx.com/). In the book she writes thank you notes to just about everything you could think of. Many of her themes are adult related, but while reading her gratitude, I got to thinking. What if, as a family, you facilitated creating your relaxation atmosphere and emphasizing your intention to relaxation practice, by writing little notes of gratitude to anything related to your relaxation experience that occurs throughout the day? I believe strongly that what we focus on expands in our awareness. Therefore, why not find a fun, playful way to focus on all of the ways your relaxed today? Most likely the more you focus on what is going well in your relaxation practice and draw attention to how many ways you are relaxing, the more relaxed you will feel. While you are writing to your relaxing thoughts, relaxing moments, relaxing deep breaths, relaxing stretches, etc. . . . It would also prime the brain for more relaxation since you are drawing attention to and rehearsing all the ways you currently bring relaxation practice into your daily life.
Here is an example thank-you note:
Dear Relaxing Thought,
Thank you so much for being in my mind while I was doing my homework. It is so much easier to concentrate and my body feels so wonderful and calm when you are in my mind.
Love, Z
Some other ideas to write to and acknowledge include:
yoga stretch, yoga teacher, positive thought, deep breath, a pause to smile, a mindful moment, a time when you slowed down your pace to feel and BE, a relaxation script activity, a moment while coloring a picture. The possibilities are endless!!
The point is to have fun recognizing and celebrating how much relaxing you are practicing throughout the day!
Relaxation Station
02 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
Designate a space in your home to be the “Relaxation Station.” This can be a consistent, calming spot where kids and adults alike can go to re-connect with inner peace and establish a calm mind and body. Identify a cozy, out-of-the-way place. Place some comforting pillows, hang a pretty curtain, and include calm, soft lighting. Other possible items to include in the space include:
Calming music, nature sounds, small fountain, rosewater or lavendar water misting bottle, nature pictures, journals and writing utensils for collecting thoughts or drawing experiences, sweet smelling bean bags to put over the eyes, stress balls to squeeze, blankets, and a favorite stuffed animal or two
It is important to establish a consistent space so that the body and mind get accustomed to relaxing in that space. When consistently used over time, the relaxation response will automatically initiate upon entering the space. Spend some time practicing relaxation activities in the space to further strengthen the relaxation response associated with it.
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