Mindfulness is the process of paying attention to what you are currently doing and feeling. Attention is a vital skill that is too often underemphasized, particularly when teaching young and developmentally challenged individuals. Movement strategies are useful for teaching mindfulness, self-control, and attention. Several useful movement strategies are listed below that can help young and developmentally challenged people to be mindful and pay attention better.
Standing Mindful Clock: A movement activity to promote mindfulness and body awareness, especially with people who lack the coordination to use deep breathing for relaxation. It involves verbalizing specific words (designated in bold print) while moving in a specific sequence (described in italics) to promote basic awareness of the front, back, top and bottom of the body. The entire sequence is done 3 times.
Tic squat Tock stand on toes Like a squat Clock stand on toes
‘Till we squat Find our stand on toes Center assume a centered standing position
Tic lean forward Tock lean back Like a lean forward Clock lean back
‘Till we lean forward Find our lean back Center assume a centered standing position
Tense & relax muscles: A brief progressive relaxation strategy involving the muscles people often tense up when their anxious. Participants tense their muscles for 3 seconds then relax 5-10 seconds, doing each numbered section 3 times.
1) Tense; then relax all the muscles of your face and jaw.
2) Elevate both shoulders towards your ears; then drop and relax both shoulders.
3) Fist hands tightly; then completely relax both wrists, hands & fingers.
Bird: A strategy that uses simple movement to teach deep breathing for relaxation. Gradually lift both arms (from the sides like a jumping jack or straight up vertically) while breathing in and expanding your belly. Then at a slower rate lower both arms while breathing out.
Nose Breathe: A strategy that combines hand stretching with deep breathing for relaxation. The nose breathe strategy is especially helpful for students whose hands feel tense or spasm from handwriting or who have difficulty using breathing for relaxation. The fingers are extended and separated for relaxation, then the thumb is fisted in a mudra hand posture that promotes relaxation. It is done three to six times after the hand motions are learned.
1) Breathe in through your nose (making your belly go out) while opening your hands wide, extending and separating your fingers.
2) At a slower rate breathe out while bringing your thumb inside your hands making fists.
Focus on Feet: Eyes closed feel one big toe, the smaller toe next to it, center toe, second smallest toe, and little toe. Feel your toes, bend them, notice if you have socks on and whether there are holes in your socks. Move back to feel the ball of your foot, back further and feel the arch of your foot and notice if it hits the ground. Move back again to feel your heel. Finally, feel or press down on the entire bottom of your foot.
Focus on Palms: Put your open hands in Dali Lama prayer position and push them together as hard as possible for 10 seconds doing an isometric contraction. Then position your hands palms up and close your eyes. Feel your thumb, pointer, middle, ring, and little finger. Then feel the palms of your hands for 5-10 seconds.
References:
Brain Gym International www.braingym.org
Greenland, S. K. The Mindful Child. http://www.susankaisergreenland.com/
Koester, Ceci www.movementbasedlearning.com
