Erica the Founder/Head Teacher of Mindfulness in Schools Ōtautahi visits Papatūānuku once a fortnight and runs a Mindfulness lesson with each kaiawhina group. We love it when Erica visits, she is a kind and calming person who shares her wealth of knowledge with us in a fun way.
This week we learned how to pay attention to our body.
“What if we start by learning to listen to what our body is trying to tell us now? Being mindful of your body helps you notice what it may need so that you can better take care of it.” We learnt how to do a body scan.
Erica shared some tips for whānau and a video to lead us through a body scan.
Home/Whanau Practice
Bed time: Many children struggle to fall asleep at night. After reading a story to your child, if they are still awake, try having them practice a body scan.
Many people use the body scan at night to help them fall asleep. Instead of getting into one of your thinking habit loops (e.g. I have so much work to do, did I remember to . . .), you can try noticing each part of your body, noticing if there is any tension, and then relaxing that part. Continue from the toes to the top of your head, and if you are like many people, you might fall asleep before you reach your head
We will continue to practice this skill at school but would encourage whānau to also try it out at home.
Here is a link to Erica’s website.
https://www.mindfulschoolschristchurch.org/