We also played a few games to get to know one another better. First, we went around the circle and said our name and one thing for which we are thankful. Students mentioned their homes, families, friends; one student said he was thankful for pizza. Then we played a game called Popcorn. Sitting in a circle, each child crouched down pretending to be a tiny kernel of corn waiting to be popped. On his or her turn, the child popped up and said his or her name. Then everyone popped up and said that child's name. The Popcorn game was a great way get to know everyone's names and it was also great exercise!
After that I introduced the idea of mindfulness. I asked returning students to share their thoughts about what mindfulness is to the new students. Many children talked about how mindfulness is something that helps them feel calm and relaxed. We also discussed how we are PRACTICING mindfulness. I asked the children if they practice anything else in their lives. They talked about practicing the piano, soccer, horseback riding, and singing. I explained that mindfulness is also something we will practice together, and for mindfulness we will practice focusing on the present moment (or what is happening RIGHT NOW!). We began by practicing mindful bodies; bodies that are still, sitting criss cross applesauce with a straight spine. I had several of the returning students demonstrate what a mindful body looks like. Then we used the Breathing Ball to focus on our inhales and exhales. Once again, I relied on returning students to lead us in this activity. It is wonderful to have several older students who have been in the class for one or more sessions who are mindful leaders in the class.
Remaining in a circle, I then read the book I Am Yoga by author Susan Verde, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds:
This is a book about a young girl who, in the beginning, feels out of balance. She talks about how the world is spinning too fast and she feels as if she doesn't fit in anywhere. Then she practices yoga and the practice helps her gain perspective, feel in control, and feel calm. The book goes through many different yoga poses, and we took the time to try half of the poses presented in the book during this first class. We will practice the remaining poses next class. The book is a great introduction to many of the different yoga poses that we will work with throughout Mind Move Make's Session 2.
Lastly, for the art part of the class each student received a sketchbook. I asked everyone to design a front cover image that either represented the thing that they were thankful for from the beginning of class, or to draw him or herself in one of the yoga poses that we tried. Here are some of the fun front covers the students created!!!!
