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To be grounded means to be in the present moment, not staring middle-distance and living in your head. If your kids know how to identify a birdsong or remark about the smell of charred burgers wafting in the air, you’ve got some grounded-minded ones. But how do we get more kids out of their heads, phones, headphones, and into the now? Here are a couple of sensory exercises:
Find tastes that have power. Sour candy, wasabi, and cilantro offer an excellent reset button to be present in the now. Many have a visceral reaction to at least one if not all the flavors. Imagine a sample platter of intense flavors and the conversation after each taste? Offer these as a fun experiment (blindfold even, maybe)?
Take the senses for a walk. While walking, encourage them to label a sound, a sight, and a smell. If their mind wanders, it's okay, guide them to start over. It isn’t easy to have a conversation in your head when you must pay attention to what’s going on around you.
Photograph only one color. It’s simple and attention-grabbing. Make prints of color-targeted photos and create a collage for a photo wall.
Meditation. Depending on your little one's attention span, meditation can be as short and simple as you want it to be. Check out our favorite Meditation Apps.
Try box breathing. This guided breathing exercise is a favorite among yogis. Breathe in for four; hold for four breaths; exhale for four breaths and hold for four breaths. Repeat. Such a pattern helps rebalance the vagus nerve, the longest nerve that runs from the head to the gut. There’s a reason health practitioners and scientists refer to the gut as the “second brain.”
Teach yoga sequences to kids. There are many physical asanas that are appropriate for kids to express their physical self in a calming atmosphere. Remember to adapt the practice, depending on your kid’s needs. For those living with physical disabilities, be sure to check out the series from Nina Boswell Brown’s Adaptive Yoga with Nina.
Avoid asking kids to overstretch or partake in Bikram (hot yoga). Allow them to go at their own pace—whether a play speed or centered quietness—and go for about 20 minutes.
Downward Dog. Use this as a gentle start and alternate with Child’s Pose as well.
Donkey Kicks. This warms up the core, legs, shoulders, and arms. In general, kids love this asana without even knowing they are “doing” yoga. Allow them to enjoy the strength in their bodies.
Classic Sun Salutations. Work up to this sequence with careful, slow instruction. Linger on each pose with multiple breaths. Read All About Sun Salutations.
Tree Pose. Encourage balance and playfulness in this pose, prompting your kid to visualize being a big tall tree in the forest. Remember to do this pose on both sides of the body. Read Strengthen Your Roots with Tree Pose.
Lotus Pose. Wind down the session with lotus to encourage being quiet and still. Here is a great time to try box breathing and guided meditation.
By Tricia Louvar; All Rights Reserved @2021
By Tricia Louvar; All Rights Reserved @2021
