Inspired by questions from my last article on how to actually teach mindfulness to kids, I'm putting out a new weekly post with FUN mindfulness exercises for the family. After all, who said mindfulness had to be a drag?!
Remember, mindfulness takes training. The goal is to train your mind to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgement or criticism. In this, you can cut out habitual, negative thought patterns and prevent downward spirals of negativity. You further carve a path to access expansive inner resources of peace, contentment, meaning, and well-being.
If you want to go deeper with your learning, there are many good on and offline materials available. In fact, one of the best books I've read on the subject is Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World.
This post (and the ones to follow) will primarily deliver fun and simple exercises you can practice with the family. One goal of these exercises is to train the mind to purposefully focus attention on a present experience. Try them in the morning, before bed, or at my favorite place/time: the dinner table right before you eat.
1. Breathe like a bee.
2. Create magnetic hands.
3. Dissolve a thought.
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Illustration credit: www.gozen.com