Emotional Well-being Exercises
From the latest Heart & Mind book, Heart & Mind: Meet A New Friend!
The best gift we can give our kids is teaching them how to release heavy emotions. In Heart & Mind: Meet A New Friend, children will be introduced to a new friend, Awareness, a superhero flashlight who teaches them how to release emotions like anger, sadness, and fear. They will learn that these feelings come and go, like clouds in the sky and the steps to take when they experience “stormy clouds.”
Awareness helps us see that life is not so scary.
When it is dark in your room, how does it feel to look under your bed?
Now, turn the light on. How does it feel now?
How can you use awareness in other areas that feel scary?
If you’re unable to feel your heart’s love and joy, there are stormy clouds around.
Lie down and place your hand over your heart. Can you feel your heartbeat?
Now, place pillows on your chest. Can you feel your heartbeat?
The pillows are like the stormy clouds or emotions that are heavy and make it hard for you to hear your heart. The next time you don’t feel love or joy, release the stormy clouds by following the steps below.
How to release a stormy cloud:
Close your eyes.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Bring your attention to your body.
Where is the stormy cloud? In your belly? Throat? Head? Legs?
Place a pillow or stuffed animal on the spot where you feel the heavy cloud.
What does the stormy cloud feel like? Mad? Sad? Hurt?
Focus your awareness (turn your flashlight on) on the pillow or stuffed animal and keep breathing.
Keep going until the stormy cloud has floated away!
After the stormy cloud has passed:
What did the stormy cloud feel like?
What happened when it went away?
Do you think it might come back?
Draw a picture of the stormy cloud.
Feelings come and go, just like the clouds.
Pick your favorite yoga pose: down dog, tree, butterfly, cow, or touch your toes.
Stay in the pose for one minute.
As tiredness or discomfort shows up in your arms and legs, stay with it and breathe.
When the time is up, slowly leave the pose.
What did you learn about tiredness and discomfort? Did they stay for long? Or did they float away just like a cloud?
