Good Morning! I am so honored to be able to sit here and blog (FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER), alongside Zemirah. For those of you wondering, my name is Maurie and I am interning under Zemirah this semester as I am close to graduating with my undergraduate degree. I have always loved to write (journaling …
Here’s a quick one-minute relaxer that you can do in your classroom. Invite students to grab a pencil. While holding the pencil horizontally between their palms, slowly begin to breathe in and out while mindfully rolling the pencil up and down between their palms. Breathe in, roll up to the fingertips. Breathe out, roll down …
The Mindful Pencil: Classroom One-Minute Relaxer Read More »
We always hear “heart of gold” being used to describe someone’s loving and generous presence. Today in my girls’ group, we talked about how to take care of our own hearts, which are our inner gold. I explained to the fifth grade girls that what’s really really special about each one of us comes from …
This past weekend, as I was busy staying indoors, I suddenly had the desire to be surrounded by plants. Not just any plants but the ones inside my house that I love, and with whom I have a standing long-term relationship. I gathered them all together and created a plant sanctuary, a plant bath quiet …
Snake Hiss I like to practice breathing like a snake with students at school. To begin, I ask them what kind of snake they would like to be for the day. I get all kinds of fun answers like cobras, pythons, boa constrictors, and rattlers. The other day, one student was a Pueblan Milk Snake. …
Scratch and sniff stickers are a BIG hit in my relaxation classes. They are colorful, come in a variety of “smells,” and are fun to stick as reminders to slow down and take a deep breath. We also use them for mindfulness practice. The stickers are a great tool to help children focus and pay …
Summer vacation is upon us! As a parent, have you ever been caught off guard and experienced a non-relaxed state with your child at 33,000 feet? Flying provides the perfect opportunity to practice the art of relaxation and prepare our minds and bodies for the trip ahead or returning home. Here are some in-flight relaxation …
Want a quick way to practice deep breathing with your child or in your class? Here’s another one-minute relaxer that is easy to practice. The goal of this activity is to make the exhale twice as long as the inhale. Also, to allow the inhale to naturally expand. Make sure you have explained to children …
