How do you explain mindfulness to kids?
Mindfulness is simply noticing what is happening in this moment, without judgment.
Noticing how your body feels — what you see, hear, smell and taste — how the sunshine touches your skin, how the wind tousles your hair… It is noticing what you are experiencing, what emotions you are feeling, and how that expresses itself in your body — whether something tingles, feels tight, or really good.
It is also noticing what your mind does when you are noticing these things, and learning to not label, judge, or react to them. It is focusing your attention on noticing what is happening right now, in your body and mind, without judgment.
In this week’s story, “Happy New Now”, Jerry is a disgruntled gentleman attempting to grasp to the good sensations in his life, and push away the negative ones. Consequently, he is always dissatisfied with the present moment, and nothing can quench his thirst for a perfect now… until he realizes that each fleeting instant of being alive is the biggest gift to be enjoyed just as it is.
This story demonstrates that when we learn to pause between the emotions and thoughts we have and how we react to them, we gain more emotional balance and resilience, and most importantly, contentment.
We hope you share this playful rhyming tale with your whole family!
