We started the classes this week by recapping the affirmations that we have learnt so far and saved in our mindfulness rainbow tool bag, namely:
- I am powerful / important (violet)
- I am safe (indigo)
- I am true to myself (blue)
Today we looked at the colour green which is often associated with the heart space in yoga, but I decided to pair it with the affirmation “I am calm”. The reason for this is that, with the recent rains in Cape Town, I have noticed a lot more greenery in the parks and forests around us. That got me thinking about how calmer we feel after spending time in nature, being surrounded by its beautiful shades of green. Nature is so good for kids (and us!) on so many levels, but I have been particularly struck by how much more grounded and calmer my own children are after spending time with Mother Earth.
Our breath awareness exercise for the week was flower breathing where we learnt to smell the flower (breathe in through the nose) and blow out the candle (breathe out through the mouth). I had a beautiful rose from my garden for the children to smell (which they absolutely loved!) and we lit a scented candle for ourselves to blow out. This was a real hit with the younger classes who still find candles and flames very exciting!
Our mindful movement was a lovely yoga routine of a tree growing from a seed. The children started in child’s pose as the seeds and then grew into tall trees. They stretched their branches from side to side (crescent moon) and then finally stood firm on the ground as tall oak trees (tree pose). I transformed into the wind and moved through the forest of trees trying to “blow” the trees down. Squeals of delight! The older children were determined to remain balanced and not let me distract them. I was very impressed as they remained standing tall with their roots firmly planted on the ground.
In some of the classes, I guided the children through a happy tree sad tree visualisation. This is a wonderful guided visualisation for children to work through uncomfortable feelings and begin to understand the transient nature of emotions.
And the finally it was time for the mosaic boards. The kids are thoroughly loving this activity and the boards are coming along nicely. Only three more weeks to go until they are grouted!
I wish you all well for the week ahead and hope you manage to find yourself in nature for some grounding this coming week.
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