KS3 Mindfulness

Hello everyone, welcome back after your Summer break.

Creative mindfulness is now a huge part of The Link School community with our values being imbedded throughout. Working in partnership with our families provides a holistic approach and this is the reason why we will be sharing this wonderful practice with you via the school website.

Connection is a huge part of mindfulness and this half term we are focusing on being connected to our breath.

Mindful breathing is a very basic but powerful exercise with the idea being to focus the attention on each inhale and exhale and how doing so can make the body feel.

(image taken from the Deep Sleep co)

 

Using essential oils when practicing deep breaths causes the brain to send messages to areas of the body that affect mood and other symptoms. This can help to calm anxiety, stress, reduce nausea, and promote healthy sleep patterns.

The essential oil we are using this term is orange. This has a mood lifting effect with a 2013 research study finding that aromatherapy with orange essential oil reduced the pulse rate and stress hormone in children during emotional outburst.

(please follow the safety instructors when using essential oils)

Step 1 – sprinkle oil into hands

Step 2 – rub hands together to create heat

Step 3 – bring palms near face and inhale the wonderful aroma

 

Meditation

Meditation is a mind-body practice that can initiate moments of calm, bring about self-awareness, and allows people to stay connected with themselves

Here at The Link School we practice a no pressure rule where each student will arrive at their meditation journey at their own pace.

Key stage 3 students take part in mediation during their afternoon Creative Mindfulness session, we have many favourite visualisation scripts and we are now sourcing different ones using YouTube, Podcasts, Apple Music, Instagram and BBC Sounds.

Here are what we are listening to this half term

The coping skills they learn from practicing meditation can last a lifetime. More specifically, a consistent practice of meditation can help children with the following:

• sleep
• attention
• self-regulation
• focus
• retention of information
• creativity
• mood
• managing stress
• overall well-being

If you would like to have Creative Mindfulness resources to access at your home, please get in touch with your class teacher.

Instagram @linkschool2020

 

Keep a look out for more information on how mindfulness is helping us here at The Link School.

Nicole

Lead Mindfulness Practitioner

The Link School.