Mindful

We all have times when we get really powerful feelings. Sometimes they may seem like they are more under our control that others. Sometimes they can seem scary too! The Glitter Globe Feelings Scan is a practice of letting your feelings settle so that you can choose how you want to respond to a situation. Unlike the practice with our Glitter Globe Mind Scan, this time we are sitting with our feelings instead of letting them float by like our thoughts. A lot of times we think it’s not okay to have angry or sad feelings, but those are a part of us just like every other thing we feel! When you have this, or any other feeling, it may seem like someone took the Glitter Globe and shook it up (Teacher: shake up the Glitter Globe). We might feel it all over the place, just like the glitter floating all around the Globe. If we sit with that feeling, and keep noticing what is going on, we can learn to let the glitter settle down to the bottom. We can follow that feeling as it goes from a glitter storm, to resting glitter. We are able to see things more clearly when the glitter isn’t floating all around.

Begin this practice by finding a cozy seat. You can be cross-legged on the floor or sitting up tall in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Bring your hands to rest on your knees and make your spine really tall by breathing in deeply and reaching up through the top of your head. Now gently close your eyes and begin to take your attention to how you are feeling in this moment, right now. Maybe you are happy or sad, angry or scared. Anything going on inside is important. Think about the feeling you are having right now, really focusing on what you notice in your body as you feel it. Now
imagine that feeling is a Glitter Globe inside of you. As you notice what you are feeling, imagine that your Glitter Globe has just been shaken up. Notice the glitter storm, and keep following the as it trickles down. Keep noticing your feeling and follow the glitter as it settles all the way down to the bottom. See if you can let follow the feeling until it goes from a glitter storm, to resting glitter, and a clear Glitter Globe.

This is a practice we can use with any feeling if we want to notice what is going on inside of us. It can be especially helpful if you are feeling really angry or really excited and want to do something right away. Sometimes it is good to let out glitter storm settle a little bit before we make a decision or do something, and the Glitter Globe Feelings Scan is one way to do that.

Next time you have one of these feelings, try practicing the Glitter Globe Feelings Scan and write down, draw, or tell your teacher or a parent what you noticed.

Teachers Tip: This is a great practice to remind a student of when they are really upset or really excited to do something. You can guide them through the practice again if they don’t remember, or cue them to follow the glitter storm until it settles.

This can also be a good practice to do before a field trip or big event at school where kids might normally forget the rules because they are so excited. If a student is feeling angry, this is a wonderful practice to do in a rest nest until they feel their anger glitter storm settle as well. Students can definitely use a real Glitter Globe as a visual aid, rather than imagining it internally. Just cue them to have a soft gaze rather than closing their eyes completely.

This week is the second of our Mindful Glitter Globe Activities. It is called the Glitter Globe Mind Scan. The Glitter Globe Mind Scan is tool to use when there are a lot of thoughts going on in your mind, or if you are having a lot of one thought in particular that might be making you upset, worried, or anxious. We suggest you use your Mindful Glitter Globe for this practice, but it can be done with your imagination or a video of a Glitter Globe too.

Teachers: begin with a demonstration using the Mindful Glitter Globe. You can explain that sometimes when we have a lot of thoughts in our head, our minds can look like a shaken up Glitter Globe (Shake up the Glitter Globe here). This is a practice to help us notice what is being shaken up inside our heads and to take a step back to let it all settle down before we make any decisions. It can seem really easy to react to something that is frustrating or overwhelming, but we are learning to use the Glitter Globe in our minds to help us respond. The difference between these words is that you do one with thought (or Mindfulness), and the other without thinking too much about what might happen.

Think about a time that someone upset you. Did you say something mean to that person and felt bad right after? That is an example of reacting. On the other hand, did you take a few moments or breaths to figure out what you wanted to say to someone? That is an example of responding. We can use the Glitter Globe Mind Scan to help us find space to respond to things that make us upset or worried instead of reacting to them.

Lets close our eyes together and practice following our thoughts as they settle down. Remember the Glitter Globe that was shaken up earlier? Imagine that the inside of your mind looks like a shaken up Glitter Globe right now- with your thoughts moving all around. Practice Thought Clouds here and watch your thoughts as they float by, without giving them any names or calling any of them anything (good, bad, happy, sad). Let your thoughts to keep on floating, without trying to figure them out, make them stay, or go away. Imagine your thoughts are the glitter in the Glitter Globe, slowly floating their way down to the bottom. See what it feels like to not have to do anything but notice.

Take a few more moments to practice this. You can always start again from the top, following the Glitter in your mind as it floats its way down.

Try this practice out next time your feel upset or nervous or worried. Instead of putting a label or name on your thoughts, or feeling like you have to do something right away, practice the Glitter Globe Mind Scan and let all of those thoughts float their way down. Then notice how you feel, and hopefully you’ll have a little more space to respond to what is going on around you with Mindfulness.

Today’s practice is called the Glitter Globe Body Scan. If you weren’t able to make a Mindful Glitter Globe, you can definitely use your imagination to join the practice. If you have a snow globe or something similar, feel free to use that too.

To begin, introduce the Mindful Glitter Globe to your students. Turn over the jar in front of them so they can see the glitter float its way down. Have them watch as the glitter in the jar as it travels all the way down to the bottom. In this practice, we will be following our attention, just like the glitter, as it travels down our bodies to the ground.

To begin, find Mountain Pose. Feet as wide as your hips, arms resting along your sides, palms facing forward. Lift up through the very top of your head to make your spine nice and tall. Let the eyes gently close, and notice your breath. Feel your belly get bigger as you breath in, and feel your belly empty as you breath out. Take three more belly breaths here.

Now bring your attention to the very top of your head. The place you lifted to make your spine long and tall. Imagine that you are standing inside of a Mindful Glitter Globe, and the glitter has just been turned over above your head. See if you can follow the glitter as it travels down your body here, becoming mindful of everything in its path. Start by noticing the top of your head, where the glitter began. Then follow it as it travels down the muscles of your face, maybe scrunching up your face muscles and releasing here (so no glitter gets stuck). Feel the glitter travel down the back of your head too, moving over your shoulders and down your back. See if you can roll your shoulders back and down to help the glitter move more easily on its path.

Follow the glitter as it rolls over your heart space, and down across your belly. Take a big breath in to the belly here, and a deep breath out. Imagine the glitter brushing down the fronts and backs of your legs, touching your knees, and floating all the way down to your toes.

Take a big inhale through your nose, exhale out of your mouth and blow any leftover glitter away!

Take another deep breath in here and grow really tall. Then for good measure, shake out your arms and legs, just to be sure there’s not glitter left.

Teachers: It might be fun to bring a little glitter in and offer students a sprinkle of it to remember the activity!

Teachers: a Mindful Glitter Globe is a fun and visual way to teach your students about Mindfulness. They are inexpensive to make, and can be used for many mindfulness practices. The following post is a tutorial to make a Mindful Glitter Globe, which will be used in our practices for the following weeks. You can still participate without the Mindful Glitter Globe, but its use is highly recommended, as it provides an opportunity to teach the abstract concept of Mindfulness from a concrete modality.

This is also a great activity to introduce to your class during an art day. Kids can even bring in their own jars from home. All you would have to supply is the water and glitter!

Supplies needed:

• Medium to large size Mason jar with a secure lid.
  • Empty spaghetti sauce jars, jam jars, and other large glass jars are great a great resource that won’t cost extra money!
  • *If sending these home with kids, plastic jars are a good alternative to glass.
• Water
• Glitter

Assembly instructions:

• Fill up the jar with water
• Add glitter
• Screw on lid securely

We will use the Mindful Glitter Globe as a metaphor for processes in the body, mind and feelings. However, you can certainly find other creative ways to use it. Let your imagination be your guide, and stay tuned for next week’s post.

Note: you may have to change out the water and glitter eventually.