Mindful Magic for Teens & Tweens

MINDFUL MAGIC

Meet Emma - Our Teen & Tween Mindfulness Expert

We are so lucky to have Emma working with Lela Loves to bring helpful insights into how mindfulness can become a key coping strategy for young people growing up with the many pressures of everyday life.

Emma is a Mummy, primary school teacher and owner of ‘Mindful Magic Cobham’. Mindful Magic, based in Surrey runs sessions for children (ages 4-13 currently) to learn tools of mindfulness. During each session the children breathe, focus, move, create and meditate.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness – have you heard of it? Lots of people all around the world are talking about it, but do we really know what it is?

In a nutshell, Mindfulness means being PRESENT. That means living in this moment, acknowledging that we feel a range of emotions and that our thoughts are all temporary. It is about understanding that ultimately we are all OK, because we are! We can’t feel happy all of the time, other emotions that we feel are perfectly normal. What we can do is understand these emotions better and remember that they will pass. If you are feeling sad one day that’s ok, that doesn’t mean it will be forever.

Mindfulness can involve using different breathing techniques to help uncover our inner calm. We all breathe, but do you ever actually focus on your breath? Using your breath correctly can help you to be calm, help you to sleep and ultimately help you to be present.

So whilst you read this, why not give it a go? Take a deep breath in through your nose… and then slowly out through your mouth. And again… take a deep breath in through your nose… and then slowly out through your mouth. Do this one more time. Now, consider - how do you feel? Do you feel calm? Is your mind calm? Try doing it again, this time if you want to you can close your eyes. Really focus on your breath when you do it.

For a breathing ‘tool’ you could try the ‘Hi 5 breath’. This is where every time you take an in breath, you trace up one of your fingers using your index finger from the opposite hand. Then during the out breath you trace back down that finger. You then do this with the next finger and so on until you have covered all 4 fingers and thumb. The key is to let your fingers follow the breath, and not let your breath be influenced by your hand.

So, breathing is the first step to Mindfulness. You could try it for the next week… Anytime you think you need to, focus on your breath. This could be whilst brushing your teeth, getting ready for school, during your day or even just before you go to bed. Just try to breathe properly and notice how you feel; you could even practise the Hi 5 and see if that helps.

Until next time...

Emma

@mindfulmagiccobham

Emma.mindfulmagic@gmail.com