This is a continuation of my previous post about mindfulness resources. If you haven’t read part 1, please go check it out before you read this post.
In the past mindfulness has been something I felt I "never had time for", both as an SLP and a person. One of my goals for these posts is to show people how accessible a mindfulness practice can be, that you don't need hours a day. It's easy to get overwhelmed with the ever increasing requirements of being SLP, especially in the schools. So when someone says, "Hey want to add another thing to your to-do list?", my answer is usually a colorful and resounding "NO!". I hope these posts allow y'all to find some ways, however small, to incorporate mindfulness into your therapy or into your life.
Alright let’s dive right in to teaching mindfulness!
Explicit Teaching about Mindfulness
There are a ton of wonderful explanations out there about mindfulness for every age, so here are few of my favorite ones.
The mindful jar: I found this explanation and exercise really simple but effective; essentially using a glitter jar to explain what can happen when our emotions overwhelm us and why deep breathing can help us during moments of intense emotions.
In this YouTube video mindfulness is explained really clearly and I've seen it mentioned frequently on other cites. It’s animated, but honestly it’s a pretty great explanation for most ages. It’s part of Cosmic Kids Yoga, which many people are familiar with, and is a great resource to use with students/clients and kids.
Here is a video that does a nice job of explaining how to observe your thoughts without judgment, for older students and students who are able to understand complex concepts. It talks about the idea of awareness without immediate action, something that we know is so important for working on executive functions.
And one more video for older students and/or adults. Though it absolutely uses more complex vocabulary and abstract concepts. I think it gives a great overview but with students, you may need to review it over several sessions, review some of the vocabulary first or use it after you have taught some of the foundational concepts. What I appreciate is that it expands on the concept of the many different ways you can practice mindfulness; that is more than sitting still and breathing.
Here are two ‘virtual calming rooms’ - one that was created by some students from the school district I grew up in! The other is from a district in California. What I love about both of these sites is that it gives lots of options that might help someone practice mindfulness or regulate. They have music, videos, mediations, yoga/movement, apps, games/coloring, mental health resources and many other options. Sometimes physical movement such as yoga is needed because just focusing on breathing is hard. Sometimes putting on noise cancelling headphones and watching a video of whales swimming can help regulate a child so they can bring their attention back to the present moment.
Book Suggestions
There are so many books out there, I’ve listed a few and tried to include ones that can be used for a variety of ages.
My Magic Breath by Nick Ortner and Allison Taylor
A Handful of Quiet: Happiness in Four Pebbles by Thich Nhat Hanh - it's by Thich Nhat Hanh, what more could you need!
I am Peace by Susan Verde - this author has a whole series of “I am” books that are great for mindfulness and social emotional learning.
Breathe and Be by Kate Coombs - this one encourages the use of visualization and could be used for a bunch of different ages.
Charlotte and the Quiet Place by Deborah Sosin - especially great for more urban areas
These books are available on Kindle Unlimited (KU) and of course as hard copies
5-Minute Mindfulness Meditations for Teens by Nicol Libin, PhD
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking - mostly for adults, written by someone working at the Happiness Institute.
The Big Feelings Book for Children: Mindfulness Moments to Manage Anger, Excitement, Anxiety, and Sadness by Sharon Selby, really sweet with lots of activities
Mindfulness Workbook for Kids: 60+ Activities to Focus, Stay Calm, and Make Good Choices (Health and Wellness Workbooks for Kids) by Hannah Sherman
If you are looking for something more comprehensive, here is an overview of some of the many mindfulness programs available to use in schools. Once on the page you have to scroll a bit, it’s a very long page of resources, but there is block of text in yellow called ‘A Guide to Bringing Mindfulness into Your School”. It also has links to a lot of research showing the benefits of mindfulness for students and several articles about the importance and benefits of using mindfulness with students.
Practicing Mindfulness and Meditation
I plan to do a whole separate post on the importance of the outdoors and all the ways that being outside can be helpful with regulation and mental health. However I know that many of us when working with students don't have the option to simply pop outside, so the virtual calming rooms can be a helpful alternative. However for SLPs, teachers or parents who can easily get outdoors, being outside allows so many options when it comes to mindfulness and attending to the present moment. Observe and comment on things like the light, how the wind feels, describing the trees/grass/flowers, etc, noticing any smells, notice how many different sounds you hear, etc. Being fully present outside without any technology is something that can be novel to a lot of kids. The free PDF I listed below also has several activities you can practice outside.
Here is a list of some of the most common free mindfulness apps
Insight Timer - free and paid versions
Calm - free and paid versions
Smiling Mind - Free
Breath, Think, Do by Sesame Street - free
For meditating you absolutely don’t need to use apps, though they can be a helpful tool when introducing the concept. They also have the benefit of being able to be sent home and practiced fairly easily.
Insight timer is one I use for myself, which has free and paid versions. One thing that might be cool for students is that on insight timer you can see everyone who is meditating when you are, in the ‘connect’ section there is a map with everyone who is using the app all over the world. There is also a ‘for parents’ section that has lots of meditations you can use with students and recommend to parents.
Breathe, Think, Do was created by Sesame Street and is great for younger students. It has videos and characters they may be familiar with practicing mindfulness techniques.
Smiling Mind was created for children in Australia, but has programs and mediations for all ages. It is free and was first designed for the purpose of educators to use in school settings.
Calm is a very popular app, which I personally do not find as useful as insight timer as their free material seems fairly limited. However I know many people who love the Calm app and different apps work for different people. They also have videos (and not just audio), which can be really good for some people.
No prep resources
Just a few miscellaneous resources, especially helpful for school/private practice SLPs that need no prep activities.
Here is a free boom deck that has several breathing and calming techniques, which may be particularly nice for teletherapists.
This free PDF has lots of different mindfulness activities and is good for a no prep lesson you can do with groups. This also is the one that has several activities you can do inside or take outside!
This free handout has a ‘mindful morning’ check-in which you could use with your students at the start of sessions, in the classroom or parents this is a great way to practice mindfulness at home as a family. Honestly I printed it out to use for my students and have already used it for myself a few times! You could use it as is and/or adapt it into a ‘daily mindfulness plan’ with your students/clients.
Body Scanning
Body scanning is powerful way to practice mindfulness, especially given many times our students struggle with interoception and just the general awareness of how they are feeling. Practicing body scanning may sound simple, but many children (and adults) are often unaware of the body parts they are tensing or how they are feeling and that they have the ability to relax parts of their bodies that are tight. Or that the tension they are holding gives them information about what they might be feeling or thinking, but they need some practice on simply scanning their body through a nonjudgmental lens.
This video leads students through a three minute body scan and is a great way to introduce body scanning when a child is seated. This could also be a nice way to start or end sessions, so students can check in with themselves and practice tuning in to how they are feeling.
This body scan from insight timer is definitely long for a therapy session (it’s 11 minutes) but if self awareness is a big issue you are working on, the concept of body scanning and being aware of the physical sensations you are feeling is so important.
This could be sent home for parents to do with the client and then report back on how it went.
You could make a plan for when the child is going to do the body scan.
You could talk about the vocabulary used, e.g., what does it mean when he says, ‘let your body be soft?” Let’s practice making our body tense and then soft. Or what does the word ‘notice’ mean? Can they see themselves in their imagination practicing body scanning? See if you students can understand the vocabulary, which also allows you to take data on tons of goals.
You could pull out a few sentences from this body scan audio and target understanding sentences, vocabulary goals, defining unknown vocabulary, compare and contrasting, answering wh questions, etc.
One aspect I really appreciate about this one is the person leading it reminds you that “no one can pay attention all the time” and to notice when you have stopped and simply bring your attention back to the present. No judgment, just noticing.
Here is a sweet one for squeezing and releasing body parts designed for younger children, but I think it could be used for a fairly big range of students. Especially if you feel that your student/client/child is struggling with body awareness. Some people also find this type of activity really helpful to practice before bedtime, so parents this might be another good one to try at home.
And that's it. Wooohoo! You made it! I tried to list a variety of resources though currently because I’m doing all Telehealth many of the resources I provided can be used both in person or remotely. However the only thing you really need to practice mindfulness is you. Your breath, your body, you making your space a safe and comfortable environment for kids to practice breathing and being present. As always, meet your students where they are and practice these techniques with your students. You might be surprised what you discover. Sometimes you may think a child is disregulated and put on a body scan for them, but as you are listening to it, you discover your jaw is clenched and your shoulders are so tight they are almost touching your ears. I know that has happened to me plenty of times.
If you try any of the resources listed, please come back and let me know what worked! Or what didn’t. Or what you modified or discovered along the way. Mindfulness is not something to accomplish or perfect. It is a practice we are forever learning and growing from because life, just like our minds, is a messy, beautiful, terrible and wonderful place.
Please visit our homepage to inquire about speech, language and executive function services for kids and teens in North Carolina. Consultation and parent coaching services also available!
Comentarios