Chrissy recently had the opportunity to join A.J. Hilton and Shayla Reaves on WCCO Mid-Morning, where she shared some simple tips for bringing mindfulness home this summer. Watch the segment now!
Summer is a time of excitement and transition. While the change in routine and less structure of summer may sound wonderful in theory, there are those of us who need a little support for this transition. Since so many schools incorporated mindfulness and movement into their learning day this year, we thought it would be helpful to highlight a few simple practices that can help you with this transition:
Sometimes the lack of structure and disruption in sleep schedules (staying up later, sleeping longer) make it hard to get up and out of the house on time. Consider trying Slowly Sway as a gentle way to bring tired energy up to help your family get moving. Stand with loose arms and begin to sway as you breathe slowly. Keep breathing slowly and swaying as you share information about what the day ahead holds. This simple Move allows children to move while they are listening to what comes next.
Sometimes the uncertainty of going to a new summer program or a camp can leave children feeling anxious or scared. Hands on Head is a simple movement we see athletes do all the time! Practice placing your hands on your head with your children. Ask them if they notice they can take bigger, slower breaths this way. Explain how this Move reminds your body that you are safe even if you are feeling anxious. Ask children to try this if they are feeling overwhelmed and follow up to see if it was helpful in the moment when they needed to self-soothe.
Moving your body can change how you feel, but so can changing what you are focusing on. As you transition into summer, ask yourself, what am I looking forward to? Picture it in your mind or jot it down and put it where you can see it. You can do the same with your children. Have them write or draw the things they are most looking forward to this summer. Don’t let summer pass you by without being present and intentional. See how incorporating a little mindfulness can help you and your family reset, refresh, and restore!
Looking for some simple visuals and language to help you incorporate mindful movement this summer? We just dropped the price on our movemindfully app to $4.99 in hopes that even more families would utilize this simple tool.
Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play to download or share the app today!