Mindfulness Mondays Fun-tivities
6/1/2020
Try an affirmation today! Affirmations are positive sayings, phrases and words that you can say to yourself to make them come true. When you think positively and bring that positive energy into your mind, you will be much more likely to achieve your affirmations. For instance, if I think to myself "today will be a great day, like the sunshine, I will shine bright!" you are much more likely to be thinking positively than if you say "today is going to be terrible, there's nothing good about today." You will probably have a bad day with the 2nd thought pattern! Make up your own affirmation and say it to yourself today. If you need help, an example you can use is this one:
For one minute, repeat "may I be happy, may I be well, may I be filled with kindness and peace."
5/18/2020
For a relaxing Monday break, try this Mindfulness Monday activity: Dandelion Breathing! Imagine you are walking on top of a sun drenched hill on your bare feet; feel the grass beneath you and the warm sun rays flow over your skin. Find a dandelion, or pretend you have found one and blow slowly as the seeds gently blow away. As you do this, think of one wish you would like to come true. Repeat one more time, with another wish. Then one last time, with a last wish. You can follow the video below as you do this watch how relaxed you become and how better you feel. Adults, you can do this too!!!
5/11/2020
For today's mindfulness Monday, play some mindfulness bingo! This bingo board has lots of fun ideas to practice mindfulness. Just take a walk across the bingo board and once you've done 5 in a row, you win! Maybe your parents could give you a special treat if you complete all 5! 
;)
Go to this link and click 'download' to access the bingo card! It's free! Have a Marvelous Monday!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mindfulness-Bingo-5401871?fbclid=IwAR2RvJOkQJDh8nlDZtJG62nt3bi14OL31SpLSVRpWq6qblBB_gPph1KVLdY
5/4/2020
Happy Monday! For today's mindfulness Monday, you will need a raisin or any bite size snack (a peanut, a granola bar, a fruit snack, a chip, anything really!). Concentrate on the raisin, look it over carefully. What do you see? Ridges, lines, wrinkles? What does it feel like in your fingers? Is it smooth? Wrinkly? Rough? Take a smell of the raisin...how does it smell? Sweet, strong? Mild? Now take a very slow taste of the raisin...what does it taste like? Sweet? Sour? Smooth? Squishy? When we take time to really notice everyday experiences, it teaches our mind to slow down and concentrate on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or thoughts that create too much stress.
You can also follow along with this video:
4/27/2020
Glitter jars!
Happy Monday everyone! For today's Mindfulness Monday, try a fun activity of making a glitter jar! The instructions are in the picture below! There are many benefits to having a glitter jar around. Glitter jars can help us focus in on little details like the specks of glitter floating around in the liquid, like stars in the night. Think of what the glitter reminds you of, how do you feel watching the glitter slowly trickle around the bottle? Glitter jars can slow your heart rate when you're feeling upset, angry, anxious, nervous....they help ease your body! Try making one today 
:)
Monday 4/20/2020
Full body scan: Today, try doing a body scan. Start by sitting in a chair. Close your eyes. Make sure it is quiet and you're free of distractions. Breathe in and out slowly. As you breathe in, imagine as much air and oxygen as you can entering your nose and body. Breathe out gently through your mouth and feel your body relax a little bit. Now move to your shoulders. Roll them up and down and around...when you stop, make sure the pressure that was in your shoulders before is less. Push your shoulders down to relax them more instead of clinching them tight near your ears. Now move to your stomach, notice if it feels tight or relaxed. If it is tight, breathe slowly and focus on making it lighter. Move to your legs, are they stressed? Are they relaxed? Think of a calm ocean wave cascading over your legs and washing away any tension or worry. Now move to your feet. Feel your feet against the floor, feel the heat, the vibrations, the material of the floor. Relax your toes so there is no more tension left. Take deep breaths in and out to breathe out any remaining tension. Repeat any time you need to re-focus or calm yourself after a stressful time!
Monday 4/13/2020
Spring break! Enjoy it!
Monday 4/6/2020
Bubble breathing: Imagine you are a bubble. Breathe in deeply and feel yourself be filled with air, just like a bubble is formed into a circle when you blow through a bubble wand. Breathe out and imagine yourself floating through the spring air, catching the rays of sunshine and watching your colors change from purple to blue to pink, as bubbles have beautiful rainbow colors in them. Focus on the moment right now, how do you feel in this exact moment? As you breathe, feel your body relax and try and make it feel weightless like a bubble. Imagine any negative thoughts gently floating away. Repeat to hopefully feel a little more lifted!
Monday 3/30/2020:
I want you to try a mindful walk to bring calm and focus to your body. Go outside, breathe the fresh air. Feel the grass or the driveway beneath your feet. Think about the feelings you experience, are you barefoot? Are you wearing shoes? How does the ground feel? Soft, wet, hard, dry? Now take a few steps and simply breathe in and out slowly, in your nose and out through your mouth as you take a stroll through the grass. Think of something good that happened today. Concentrate on your feet connecting with the earth beneath you. Look at the sky, what do the clouds look like today? Tell your parent or a friend how your walk felt and how you feel after the walk. You can use this strategy any time you need a break or a cool down, or just something different to break up your day! Happy walking!!
