Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

CHAPTER 6: MINDFULNESS ON THE CUSHION • 117

INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL 6.1: CALMING MIND JAR

• Get materials together:
  
  
  • Empty water bottle (no glass jars)
  
  
  • Clear glitter glue (gives the liquid a viscosity that allows the glitter to more slowly settle
    in the water. You can also use clear glue and extra glitter. Be sure not to use white glue.)
  
  
  • Glitter of all sizes
  
  
  • Sequins of all sizes
  
  
  • Funnel
  
  
  • Water
  
  
  • Duct tape
  
  
  
  


• Create the calming mind jar:
  
  
  • Fill three fourths of the bottle with water.
  
  
  • Add glue or glitter glue and shake the bottle. Add more water as needed.
  
  
  • Add glitter and sequins using the funnel and shake the bottle. Start with a little of each
    size and add until you find it to your pleasing.
  
  
  • Cut duct tape to size and seal the bottle closed.
  
  
  
  


• Use the calming mind jar:
  
  
  • Ask the students to notice how they are feeling. Have them check in with their bodies,
    thoughts, and feelings.
  
  
  • Ask the students to shake their calming mind jars and then set them on their desks or in
    front of them if they are seated on the floor to practice.
  
  
  • Ask them to watch (i.e., rest their attention on) the glitter slowly fall to the bottom of
    their calming mind jars as they breathe deeply and closely.
  
  
  • If they notice that they are paying attention to something other than the glitter as it
    settles, they simply bring their focus back to the glitter.
  
  
  • After everyone’s jar has settled, ask the students to notice how they are feeling. Have
    them check in with their bodies, thoughts, and feelings.
  
  
  • Ask the students to share their experiences with the class.
  
  
  
  

The Sensory Sloth

Connecting to the here and now can be difficult. Students are often lost in their thoughts,
distractions, or feelings. Getting connected to sensory experiences can bring students back
to the here and now (Greenland, 2010; Rechtschaffen, 2014). The sensory sloth activity pro-
vides an opportunity for kids to slow down, connect to the present moment, and engage
each of their senses. It is fun to do this activity along with mindful eating (see Mindful
Eating, this chapter). You can set up a series of sensory stations. At each station, students
observe the artifacts with each of their senses (saving taste for mindful eating) moving
slowly in a walking meditation from station to station. The main objective is awareness of
what is observed through the senses as they work to stay present to each step and breath as
they move as slowly as a sloth. Stations can include a scent tray for the sense of smell, with
items such as bay leaves, whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, dried flowers, and peppercorn.
For the sense of sound, set up a music station with headphones and songs from which they
can pick out one or two instruments and describe their sounds and how they blend, or do
not blend with other instruments in the piece. For mindfulness of the sensation of touch,