As futile as it seems to keep talking about how totally and utterly crazy 2020 has been, it was difficult to start this December journal without mentioning it.
It goes without saying – the infinite uncertainties that lie ahead are causing unimaginable stress for so many of us. But it’s worth stopping to think about how our children have coped with this whirlwind of a year, too – like us, little ones need the same (if not more!) support and help understanding their emotions when the going gets tough.
For me, the last year has felt like walking a tightrope as I’ve navigated time for work, relationships and dealt with the emotional pangs of not being around loved ones. As mum to two gorgeous rascals, 4 and 2 years old, I can’t help but wonder if, how, and – more importantly – when we’ll start to see the effects, this crazy time has had on our little ones.
Luckily for me, earlier this year I stumbled across the fabulous tool that is WAVE, a mindfulness resource for children. I had never been entirely sure what term “mindfulness” really meant (and was especially unsure of how it would apply to people with the attention span of a nanosecond!), so was delighted to discover their highly effective collection of exercises to help keep my little ones calm in this unsettling time. Frankly, every parent need something like WAVE at hand – read on to learn about the brilliant founding duo Gemma and Ella. It should give you some tips on how to approach the Christmas holidays – and give you, and your whole family, space to breath.
Beatrice.
WAVE: What is mindfulness for children?
After years of practicing mindfulness, the founders of WAVE, Gemma & Ella realized the incredible effect it had had on their lives. They were lucky enough to learn techniques for teaching mindfulness to children by expert practitioner Christiane Kerr, which they’ve now built upon to create their own, unique methods which they’ll share with us today…
The name WAVE came from the inspiring quote from the mindfulness guru, Jon Kabat-Zinn: “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn how to surf.” Gemma and Ella found this idea resonated particularly well with children, as it captures how different feelings can come and go, in all shapes and sizes, like waves in the ocean. WAVE helps little people understand their emotions, and equips them with the tools to deal with them, talk about them – getting to know themselves better as a result.
The term mindfulness is increasingly becoming part of our vocabulary. By definition, mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with curiosity and kindness. The magic superpower which drives mindfulness is our BREATH – it’s always there for us, whenever we need it, to support and ground us.
Like most things, the more we practice mindfulness and meditation, the easier it becomes. At first, sitting and listening to your breath can seem daunting – and maybe even boring – but the more your practice, the more you’ll see the benefits of that space of calm which connects you to your body and helps you feel ready for the day.
Our classes start at age 2 and a half years old. For younger children, we concentrate on sensory-based exercises and focus on teaching the children to connect with their superpower – the breath. We use various props, games, movement and colouring to teach them about feelings, thoughts and the connection between our bodies and minds.
As the children get older, the focus shifts to meditation, breathwork, discussion and science around the brain. We investigate how we can change our mindset and reframe our outlook on life.
We believe that in times of high anxiety like these, our breath is our saviour. The long, slow, deep belly breaths we teach help calm and ground them.
Christmas time can be especially stressful for children, and given the circumstances, this year could be even harder than usual. To help, we wanted to share a few useful tools to help you and your children. Below are a few of WAVE’s top tips to help you through the Christmas season, along with a short video. These simple rituals should be eye-opening, enjoyable, and you should start to see the change in your children and you as parents, rapidly. Enjoy.
- A morning ritual can be tricky when you’re tasked with getting everyone ready for school or nursery. We find three long, deep morning belly breaths before you start the day to be a great grounding exercise before the morning rush.
- We’ve been posting a daily kindness calendar with suggestions throughout December on our Instagram, which is a lovely tool for your children to encourage compassion and empathy.
- We have a brilliant hand mudra you can use anytime and anywhere, with the mantra “I am the ocean, these are the waves”. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth whilst using your finger to trace up and down your hand. Have a look at the photo to see what we mean.
- We believe a daily gratitude discussion at dinnertime with your family is a brilliant tool to encourage openness. Everyone in the family gets to explain what they’re grateful for that day, and helps children feel their voices are being heard. This is a great routine to practise together over the Christmas period whilst you have the chance to eat together regularly.
- At bedtime, a body scan after a story, or a quick meditation with breathwork can be brilliant ways to release any stress or worries from the day and help aid a restful night’s sleep.
HOW WAVE CAN HELP
WAVE have recently added a SHOP section to their website where you can download some useful breathwork and meditation tools to help your children. These include tools to fight anxiety, boost confidence, aid sleep, encourage resilience, cope with anger and increase focus. They also offer a specific night-time ritual which includes a body scan and night-time meditation. WAVE are in the process of filming a six-part introductory course, which will soon be available to purchase from the SHOP section of our website.
