Manage back-to-school exhaustion and pandemic anxiety with grace.
Here are simple techniques to help us all get back on track using meditation from our friends at LoveHero.
Is it possible that we’ve all forgotten how tiring the first week of school or just visiting the office after being away for so long, really is? The 18-month long new normal’s transition back to the old and connecting with classmates and co-workers in real life has been much harder than expected for some of us. You are not alone.
1. Start with movement
For most young kids, attempting to sit in meditation without any exercise first will be a challenge. Kids understand energy. And, energy can be used as a vehicle to meditate. Start with 5-10 minutes of energetic exercises such as jumping jacks, scissor jumps or running in-place.
2. Use positive language
While exercising, maintain a positive attitude that will get kids thinking about their ability to monitor their emotions and tune into positive feelings. Affirmations such as “I am positive!” work great for this.
3. Use breathing to channel the energy
The next step is to start slowing down the intensity of the exercises and to start replacing them with breathing. Breathe with your belly holding the breath longer and making the inhales and exhales deeper each time.
4. Sit down, breathe and focus on the heart
The other thing that kids understand well is positive emotions. In a sitting position do a few more rounds of breathing, but this time, with the hands on the heart, imagine this energy you’ve built up turning into rays of green light that are shooting from the heart.
5. Become a hero
What good is love if you don’t share it? Kids love being heroes. Use the light shooting from your heart to send love to someone or something that might need it. It can be a group of people (frontline healthcare workers), a person you love, a pet or a plant. Become a hero using your heart to uplift others.
6. Sit in stillness
Finally, sit in silence and stillness for 30 seconds or longer if you can. It helps to play soothing music at this point. Each child is different, so start small and build your way up.
To practice more yoga and mindfulness, find a live instructor in-person or online from home with LoveHero and other yoga options on ActivityHero today.