Teach Your Kids to Take Meditative Snow Breaks
We could all use a little more mindfulness right now, but learning to meditate regularly can be intimidating, especially for children. But adding mindfulness to their daily routine shouldn’t be about sitting for 10 or 15 minutes at a time and trying to clear your mind of all thoughts; there may be small moments here and there that allow them to slow down, live in the moment, and calm their mind and body.
Even though it’s hot outside today where many of us live, I’ve found that one fun and easy offer of mindfulness uses what is now refreshing: snow.
Today’s parent explains how to teach our children to take a break from snow:
As you move from, say, iPad to the dining table, have your child lie on the ground, close their eyes, and imagine a light snowfall falling on them. When they are “all covered with snow,” it’s time to jump up, shake it off and move on to the next lesson.
Try the Snow Break exercise during the transition – especially good advice as the transition period can be particularly stressful or difficult for many children. A little moment of mindfulness between sessions can help calm them enough to make it easier for everyone to transition to a smoother transition.
And if the Snow Break technique doesn’t work, you know that there is always a “Wet Cat” technique to resort to – both of these exercises are equally good for both children and adults and are small moments of mindfulness that you can add to your daily routine. or retreat when anxiety starts to build up.