Mindful of Interconnections

This week Lesley Smith led the children in a mindfulness activity which brought their attention to the interconnections between people and all living things – several of our principles address the importance of our connections! We played a game with yarn that demonstrated interdependence and in the process we created a yarn web. Lesley then introduced a contemplative practice that focused on connection.  

You know the song, Magic Penny? For our final activity we drew positive symbols on dot stickers which we then stuck to pennies, with the intention of passing the messages of hearts, smiley faces and peace signs on to people we know and leaving them around for people we don’t know to find.  

 

Preschool was downstairs with Augusta and a parent volunteer.  Preschoolers continued their exploration of African culture, African American heritage and how both enrich the culture in the United States.  The activity of the day was making a fruit salad using fruits that are grown on the African continent. 

Meditate Upon a Star

This past Sunday Lesley led us in an exercise that involved closing our eyes and imagining a star…  Lesley used a mindfulness activity written by Susan Kaiser Greenland:

“In this visualization we imagine there is a special star in the sky that helps us relax our bodies and quiet our minds.  

Imagine that there is a star in the sky that is just for you.  It can look like anything at all – it can be any color, be made out of any material, and it may change from moment to moment, day to day, just as everything changes. Sometimes large and sometimes small, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, your star is always there. Let’s feel the warmth of the star on our bodies.

As the starlight shines on your forehead, feel your forehead relax and all the stress and strain of the day fade away.  Then imagine that the starlight shines on your shoulders, your arms, your hands, your chest, your back, your belly, your lower back, your legs, your ankles and your feet.  Finally, imagine that your whole body is resting in the warmth of the starlight.” 

 

We turned off the lights and pretended to be outside on a warm summer’s night or wrapped up in a snuggly sleeping bag on a cold winter’s night.

Our art project involved wooden sticks and glue.  This coming weekend we will add tissue paper.  We used two different designs to accommodate the age range we have and in the end, I think everyone successfully made both kinds of stars.  One boy remembered he learned how to make a star without glue and that was super cool!

 

We will use the same mindfulness exercise in our RE December Solstice service on the 17th and we will hang our finished stars on the chalice table for everyone to enjoy.

We will also sing following songs with the congregation:

Twinkle Twinkle – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCjJyiqpAuU

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder what you are

Up above the world so high

Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are

 

Shine on Me – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO5oDiZ1VKE

Shine on me

Shine on me

Let the light from the lighthouse

Shine on Me

 

Great Big Star – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS23bzABGko
Great big stars way up yonder
Great big stars way up yonder
All around the world gonna shine, shine.
All around the world gonna shine, shine.

Mystery Boxes and Mindfulness

As a warm up this week, children practiced mindful walking as a strategy for bringing their attention to the present moment. They did two kinds of focused walking, first they noticed  the sensations involved in the process of walking.  Secondly, they included a wish of gratitude with every step and sent a wish of thanks to others.

Our main focus for the day was a game called “Mystery Box”.  Children took turns guessing what was inside a mystery box.  After we found out what was inside we noticed how it feels when we don’t know the outcome of a situation or the answer to a question. Anxious, excited, and frustrated were all feelings that children described.   After a couple of rounds of the games, one child noticed that the feelings didn’t change the outcome of what was in the box.  Later we prepared “mystery envelopes” so that children could play a version of the game at home with their families.

 

The game Mystery Box was inspired by the Mindful Living work of Susan Kaiser Greenland.

Minding Stones

This week children used stones as part of their practice bringing their attention to the present moment.  They experimented with using their senses as a tool for focus, noticing the sight and feel of stones.  Children tried it a couple of different ways, both guided and using a chime as a signal.   Later children chose a special stone to keep in a pocket to as a special reminder of qualities  that they would like to develop. All kids enjoyed using acrylics to paint the rocks with special symbols.

 

Mindfulness Through Taste

Lesley continued to help the children with their mindfulness practice.  Children focused on the present moment using their sense of taste and tried a simple mindful eating experience.

The lesson concluded with the children making fruit kabobs for the congregational social after the worship service.  Generosity and mindfulness – what a great way to spend a Sunday morning!

 

Meditation and Touch

This past week the children explored the practice of isolating their senses from one another, focusing especially on the sense of touch as perceived through our hands. After the practice of bringing our attention to the present moment, everyone had an opportunity to make their own Squish and Relax fidget toy.   See the photo for the squishy demonstration in action.

Scent and Mindfulness

This week Lesley led the RE group in exploring ways to use scent to develop focus on the present moment and acceptance of feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. I was lucky enough to participate.  Lesley set up six smelling stations – orange, lavender, patchouli, coffee, eucalyptus, and dried flowers including roses.  She asked us to do four things at each station: 1) relax 2) smell and 3) write down the memory or scene the scent made us think of 4) relax and let go of the memory.  At the end of the contemplation time we shared our scent memories which ended up sounding a lot like poetry.  We both agreed that next time it might be better if we eliminated the writing because it distracted from the process of centering, but that it was a meaningful exercise to be explored further.

Meanwhile, in the preschool,  Jacy and the children began a review of the seven principles, and connected them to our on-going discussions concerns about Civil rights and justice.

Artwork made with a  sharpie and watercolor. This was created while practicing with the art materials the preschoolers will use for their self-portraits.

 

 

Sight and Mindfulness

Sunday, January RE 8th, the children explored the sense of sight as a tool for cultivating awareness in the present moment.  Kids participated in an activity that explored different kinds of visual focus and made snow globes that can be used as a focusing object. – Lesley

Mindfulness on Care

 

Lesley Smith led the children through a mindfulness session on caring and being cared for. The lists show some of the people and things that the children thought about during the exercise.  At the end of the session, Lesley left them with the encouragement to continue to notice actual moments of care in their daily lives.

Lesley states, “The intention of this contemplative practice is to develop habits of mind that recall the feeling of being cared for.  By helping children learn to recognize and to be open to the stable sources of care as well as the many moments of connection in their lives we foster and reinforce a sense of safety and security.  Research shows that this will ultimately promote growth and learning and ultimately care and concern for others.”

The framework Lesley is using comes from the Sustainable Compassionate Education.  (http://courageofcare.org/programs/initiatives2/initiative-1/)

The children also practiced singing three songs for the solstice service:

This Longest Night (Solstice Round)  by unknown

Great Big Star (traditional Appacchian)

Thank You  by Burchie Green