It's back to school time and the perfect time to practice relaxation techniques with your kids! Recently, the first graders and I created a "Forest of Calm" through the Vrksasana yoga pose, or "tree pose." All of the kids gathered together to assume the tree poses...
Did you know that by simply gazing upon a calming color, it can produce a calming effect on the body and mind? When I was in Undergraduate school I worked in an engineering library that was colorscaped, as they called it, with special colors in mind to support the...
Here's a quick break for all of the kiddos you know that could use a pause and some sensory input to help them balance and calm their minds and bodies. To introduce this break or for practice, I ask the boys in my group to drop and "be a snake in the grass." First...
This morning in our small group yoga time at school, we practiced relaxation skills using a spinner visual aid. This visual aid helped students to stay focused on what we were learning and was a great tool to bring attention back to the present moment when it was...
I have been enjoying sharing this book with the children I work with. Once Upon a Touch by Mary Atkinson and Sandra Hooper is a wonderful book to introduce the relaxing power of massage and to teach various massage techniques through the use of story. For ages 3-11,...
Give your child a relaxation and self-calming tool to feel deeply loved and secure in a moment's notice. The Big Bear Hug is just that, a BIG bear hug....for yourself. Next time when your child's energy is erratic and he is having a hard time settling down, help him...
I have been practicing Qigong! According to the National Qigong Association (nqa.org), "qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention." The other day while I was finishing my morning...
I think bath time is THE perfect place to practice relaxation. When my daughters were little, I would bring in the bubbles, turn down the lights, create a bouquet of flowers from the garden, play some soft music and diffuse some lavender into the air around the tub....
Feeling loved, feeling seen, feeling heard, and feeling cared are balms for the brain! Brain science is reporting that the Prefrontal Cortex, the part of the brain responsible for higher order thinking and problem solving, is at its maximum capacity when we perceive...
When energy is scattered, out of control, and "all over the place," it is very hard for kids to calm down. Here are some grounding techniques that can help you and your child re-center, re-focus, and calm the body for focused attention, becoming present and...
