PHOTO: VOYAGERIX/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM“Mummy,
I’m bored”
Loraineis a leading authority on
yoga for children and teens. She
has trained thousands of people
around the world on how to
teach yoga to children in a way
that is educational, meaningful and fun.
http://www.zenergyyoga.comBy Loraine Rushton
24
february/march 2019yogajournal.com.auOvercome school-holiday boredom
with yogic thinking.
ARE YOU CURRENTLY, hearing the phrase
“I’m bored” uttered around the house?
Boredom is a description of mindset
rather than the circumstance. What one
fi nds boring another may fi nd extremely
engaging and exciting. If you are hearing
this phrase a lot at the moment, then
maybe it is time to take some of the
following actions:Look beyond the
reaction
Saying “I’m bored” is not usually the
result of conscious thinking but more
often it is a reaction of the mind in a
moment. We need to get interested in
more than just the situation and look at
the context, what is the want, desire or
need that the thought, ‘I’m bored,’ has
sprung from. Once this is identifi ed, we
can address the cause rather than at the
symptom.Jointly create
something to do
When children feel lost, lonely or are
craving your attention, their way of
communicating this is through the
language they know and the phrase,
“I’m bored,” is an easy go-to. Ask
yourself, do they want some
one-on-one time with you? Do they
want your help in thinking up an activitythey can focus on? If yes, then now
is the time to open one of the arts and
crafts presents they got for Christmas.
They will get the attention, time with
you, focus, creativity and enjoyment all
in one. For an activity that will be long
lasting, create a mindfulness jar together.
(For instructions, go to #zenergykidsyoga
and scroll to the mindfulness jar.)Use it as a starting
point
Use “I’m bored” as a starting point to
create something different. Don’t argue
with the statement “I’m bored” or tell
them they “shouldn’t be bored”. As Jung
said “Resistance causes Persistence.”
Instead of telling them what to do to not be
bored, ask questions, “What would you like
to do so you won’t be bored?”, or “How
about we make a list of fi ve things we can
do today that are fun and interesting.”See the reality
As part of moving beyond the reaction,
work with children to understand
what they actually mean by “being
bored.” One way to do this is to
compare activities they enjoy to
activities they fi nd boring and come
up with a list of what makes something
‘boring’ and a list of what makes
something fun, interesting or exciting.
With these lists in hand, whenever thephrase “I’m bored” comes up, we can
look at what is making it boring and
how to shift it into something fun
and enjoyable.Manage the network
of conversations
Do you or other family members, say
“I’m bored” on a regular basis? The
conversations that occur with a group or
family setting are often contagious and
build upon each other. If they don’t hear
it being said, they are less likely to say
it and the more they hear it, the more it
becomes encouraged.Switch from a
mindset of describing
circumstance to
creating circumstances
Very often we speak from and think
from a mindset of describing the
circumstances we are currently in,
rather than creating the circumstance
that we want. For children, the phrase,
“I’m bored” is very often just that: a
description of a current circumstance.
It creates an opportunity for us to start
to develop a mindset that says, if I
don’t like my current circumstance,
I have the power and ability to create
something new.SIX BOREDOM BUSTERS:
- Colouring Mandalas
- Making yoga statues from play doh
and then teaching you the class - Writing their very own story about
how they are bored. - Help a neighbour (for no reward)
- Making a collage from precious
pieces of nature they collect from
the garden or a walk - Sit alone for x minutes, and then get
them to tell you what they noticed
“For children, the phrase,
“I’m bored” is very often just
that: a description of a
current circumstance.”PARENTING
Om