Introduction
Objective
Introduce the learners to mindfulness as a tool to create emotional awareness.
Activity: How do I feel? (10 min)
Step 1:
Learners close their eyes and sit tall. Make sure that they are all sitting up straight. It helps to use a visual, such as:
"Imagine that your stomach is a balloon. As you breathe in, the balloon expands, and when you breathe out the balloon deflates. This is belly breathing."
Step 2
Tell the learners to place their hands on their belly to feel belly breathing.
Step 3
- Ring a chime, or gently tap a pen on a window, or a spoon on a glass.
- Listen to the sound for as long as you can, while still focusing on your breathing.
- Ring the chime a second time.
- Listen again for as long as you can, breathing slowly in and out.
- Listen to the sounds your body is making.
- Notice any sensations you are feeling in your body – tension in one part of your body; a pain or an itch. Don’t try change this, just be aware of it.
- Notice any feelings you are feeling. Don’t judge or try change them, just acknowledge them. Greet your feelings in your own mind: ‘Hello anger’ and ‘Hello sadness.’
- Then go back to your breath.
Step 4: Explain emotional awareness
Talk the learners through the idea of emotional regulation, and introduce them to the RULER and mood index methodologies. Ask the learners to fill in the mood index and RULER worksheet for homework.
Hand out the 'Mood index' and 'RULER' worksheets.