Self-Awareness for Kids | What is Mindfulness? | Mindfulness Meditation for Kids

Learn self-awareness! What is mindfulness? Annie & Rocco describe mindfulness as “paying attention,” and they explore ways you can be mindful of the things you say, the things you do, and the things you think.

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Rocco is NOT so mindful of his language. In admiration, he tells a friend his shirt looks like the color of a booger. While Rocco has the best of intentions (he has a strong fascination for boogers), he isn’t mindful of how his comment may be taken as an insult. He may not be aware that some people aren’t fond of boogers.

Annie is NOT so mindful with her actions. She refuses to go to sleep at midnight because she hasn’t finished her homework. Her intentions are great, but it’s important to know that sleep is very important. While she may not finish her homework and experience negative consequences as a bad grade, the consequences of not getting any sleep may impact her health.

Annie & Rocco show an exercise called “Mind in a Jar” to understand how stress and anxiety can impact your thoughts and learn how meditation and belly breathing can help settle your mind, creating an experience in which we are mindful about our thoughts.

We found this exercise in the book Planting Seeds, Practicing Mindfulness with Children, by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community. A jar of water represents our mind. Different colors of sand represent our thoughts. Throughout the day, we fill our mind with many different feelings and thoughts. The colors of sand are stirred to demonstrate how our all of thoughts can be “stirred up” when we are feeling anxious or stressed. When we meditate and practice belly breathing, we stop stirring the sand and the sand, which represents our thoughts, begins to settle at the bottom of the jar. They are still there, resting peacefully.

Annie & Rocco practice belly breathing, in three cycles, with the sound of a crystal bowl in the key of “E” while watching the sand settle to the bottom. Children are instructed to fill the belly with air as you inhale, creating expansion and allowing the belly to flatten on the exhale.

We can practice belly breathing any time we are feeling uneasy to settle our thoughts and practice mindfulness. Paying attention to our thoughts, allowing them to settle on a daily basis can also help us be mindful with our language and actions.

Share our mindfulness video to teach your kids about mindfulness and meditation and practice together!

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Social Emotional Learning is empowering for children and adults. As described by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), "Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions."

"Research confirms and teachers, parents, and principals agree: Social and emotional competencies can be taught, modeled, and practiced and lead to positive student outcomes that are important for success in school and in life."

"Decades of research studies demonstrate the following benefits of SEL:
-Improvement in students’ social and emotional skills, attitudes, relationships, academic performance, and perceptions of classroom and school climate
-Decline in students’ anxiety, behavior problems, and substance use
-Long-term improvements in students’ skills, attitudes, prosocial behavior, and academic performance
-Wise financial investment according to cost-benefit research"

"Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
SEL advances educational equity and excellence through authentic school-family-community partnerships to establish learning environments and experiences that feature trusting and collaborative relationships, rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction, and ongoing evaluation. SEL can help address various forms of inequity and empower young people and adults to co-create thriving schools and contribute to safe, healthy, and just communities." Quoted by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)"

SEL can have a great impact on many aspects of our lives. It is our hope that Annie & Rocco can help children engage in this type of learning throughout their early education studies and incorporate this understanding in all aspects of their lives.