Cultivating Mindfulness: Aerial Yoga and Creative Arts for Kids
Empower your child with mindfulness through Aerial Yoga and Creative Arts, fostering emotional regulation, self-confidence, and a growth mindset for life's challenges.
As parents, we all want our children to be well-equipped to conquer any challenges that might come their way. While we can’t control everything and anything that comes into our children’s lives (even though we might wish we could!), it is comforting to know that there are skills like mindfulness that can empower them to cope well with these challenges.
What Is Mindfulness?
So what exactly is mindfulness, and why is it important for our children to be exposed to this as early as possible?
Simply put, mindfulness is the understanding and acknowledgement of one’s self. It is understanding why one responds in a particular wayin a given situation and acknowledging that instead of ignoring it.
It is also about how to manage one’s emotions even through complex and big emotions of frustration, anger or unhappiness. It is practised through the act of adjusting one’s mindset and being truly present in every moment.
Mindfulness Is a Science & Mastering It, an Art
Scientific studies have shown that the art of practising mindfulness has a correlation to better stress management and has a positive impact on a person’s relationships with others.
It also hones good communication skills and helps in dealing with emotional challenges. It is therefore important for everyone, and having an early head start can be extremely beneficial for one’s mental wellbeing.
Knowing the right techniques to manage stress and build one’s self-esteem is especially crucial to developing well-balanced children and equipping them to cope with the fast pace and stressors of life.
Activities to Practise Mindfulness
Mindfulness activities are very popular even with adults (think Yoga or Pilates!), and it’s no surprise with their numerous benefits. Better health and well-being, improved concentration and even better physical outcomes can be derived from such activities.
Remember that all-too-familiar feeling of anxiety as we stepped into the examination halls for an important exam? Or the time we had to present something in class and our palms got all clammy? Everyone will experience this at some point, and equipping our children with the tools to stay calm and build self-confidence will speed up their emotional learning in life.
Here are some activities that will aid in developing mindfulness in children.
Activity #1: Take A Deep Breath…. And BREATHE
Even though it sounds simple enough, learning the proper way to breathe actually unlocks potential and allows us to reach our personal best. Even world champions and Olympians master this for optimal results during their training and competitions.
Breath work and mindful walking in the garden improves children’s ability to self-regulate, stay calm and centred.
Even better, combine mindfulness with positive affirmations to build a growth mindset of “I can do it”. Your child will grow, learn and embrace the challenges that come their way!
Activity #2: Creative Arts
Fostering acceptance is one of the key themes of the Creative Arts, as the mind is actively trained to have heightened awareness and acceptance of one’s emotions.
Creative Arts sessions are expressive, engaging and imaginative through stories, role-play, art, music and movement to:
Release thoughts and feelings in a safe and creative space
Make sense of the environment and relationship to others
Boost self-confidence and self-awareness
Develop positive communication skills
Build emotional and mental resilience through play
Self-expression aside, a sense of stability is derived as we learn to connect with our emotions on a deeper level.
Activity #3: Aerial Yoga
Aerial Yoga, provides a fun and therapeutic environment to flip, rock and swing to improve body and spatial awareness.
Honing one’s attention and focus is required for such an activity, and this skill can later be applied in the area of academics as well. Being up in the air enhances your child’s self-confidence, responsibility, observation and listening skills to move in and out of different poses.
Cognitive skills aside, endorphins are also released through this exercise, triggering positive thoughts and emotions – Staying happy is mental wellness in itself!
Inversion is a great tool for self-regulation of the central nervous system. Being upside down with the help of gravity aligns and decompresses the spine, promotes blood circulation and a calming sensory to the brain
Movements in different orientations and directions help develop a strong sense of balance and trains the brain’s focus, motor planning and working memory.
It’s Never Too Early To Get Started
If you’d like to give your child that head start in life with these must-have soft skills, they can learn to do so in a fun and nurturing environment for the holidays. Our Mindfulness camp covers activities like Aerial Yoga, Mindfulness and Yoga, and Creative Arts for a wholistic approach to developing these habits and skills that will help them develop into well-balanced and well-adjusted adults.
Holiday Programme
Mindfulness + Aerial + Yoga + Creative Arts
Month: Jan, Mar, Apr, June, July, Sep, Nov, Dec
For more information
www.mindfulspace.com.sg
WhatsApp 9783 7313
Sources:
The Harvard Gazette and The Greater Good Magazine by Berkeley
The State Of Mindfulness Science
When Science Meets Mindfulness
Harvard researchers study how mindfulness may change the brain in depressed patients
Creative Arts
https://www.artofmindfulness.org.uk/
Aerial Yoga
https://www.mindfulchildaerialyoga.com/sensory-and-cognitive-benefits-of-aerial-yoga/
https://www.mindfulchildaerialyoga.com/5-ways-mindful-aerial-yoga-improves-your-mental-health/
