C*A*L*MTo calm is to ease...
How easy is adding CALM to BODY?
Some people are calm on the inside, while they move fast on the outside. Also, a body can rage on the inside and appear calm on the outside.
I believe calm is the best 4 letter word. Calm is what my body craves. I've learned that calming myself takes practice. With dedication, calming my body has become easier.
Some people do not feel that staying calm is an option. Do you know any kids, parents, or teachers that insist, "calmness is not realistic in practice?"
Calm is a choice. It is easy to see that a classroom of calm may be a lofty goal. One person's refusal to "stay calm" can hamper others' ability to achieve calm.Back to school, this time of year, is no sweat for some. Some parents are feeling confident in their child's ability to calm themselves. You can see calm on some parents' faces. You can even see calm on some teachers' and kids' faces.
Do you think some kids are choosing excitement over calm? Sometimes, excitement can push a body outside the realm of self-control. Experience has taught me that enthusiasm is twice as in-JOY-able as excitement. Enthusiasm can elevate a bad mood. An enthusiastic leader can inspire of a crowd of people. Kids are very receptive to enthusiasm.I am pondering the concept of CALM to better understand my 5 year old, while he is at school. My child believes kids and teachers should accept him as he is. He does not agree that remaining calm is all that great.
At home, he can choose to be calm. He has the freedom to be aggravated, as long as he is not harmful to others or himself. He can cry or scream in his own room without bothering anyone. At school, he must learn to achieve a state of calm to attend and to succeed.
To bridge a gap between parents/teachers and kids' acceptance of calm, here is a list of calming techniques. Kids like to be calm, if it is presented in an fun way. Calm feels good... Calm is worth the effort... Calm can be fun.So far, I have noticed that kids like to breathe into a state of calm, especially if they use their imagination. A calm person helping children with these breathing exercises will achieve great results, as they calm themselves into deeper states of calm. Using imagery is powerful. Confidence and creativity comes with practice.
1. "Pretend that your finger is a candle." After pretending that I am striking a stubborn match. I pretend to light my finger. I hold it as a burning candle. Sometimes, I ask, "How many candles do you need to blow out?" When kids are very upset, pausing with their inhaled breath before blowing the candle out seems to be calming.
2. "Imagine that you are swimming underwater using only your arms to swim." An underwater adventure is enticing and easy to imagine. After setting the scene with the thoughts of fish swimming by or a small kiddie pool, I ask the child to swim to me. "How many strokes can you take to reach me, calmly?" Standing with arms extended, I pretend to swim. I come up for a breath, then use my arms to make big circles forward or backward. Count the number of arm circles for the child, as they breathe and calm their body.
3. "Close your eyes to travel, inside your body, with your breath." As we take big breaths, we become the fresh energy that travels into our nose with our air. With the tip of our tongue pressed to the roof of our mouth, we send calm energy and air down the front side of our body. As we exhale, our air energizes us with calm and fresh energy. As it travels up our back, over the crown of our head, and completes the circle, we are ready for anything. We have more self-control, when we take charge of our energy. "We are restoring our body to be in charge with our breath."
Grounding and bonding with kids using FIVE senses, parents and teachers guide kids to enjoy being calm. This linked article, Applying Alternative Education Systems to your Kids Yoga pt-2 gives helpful insight and a variety of techniques. Alternative education can inspire kids to like being calm.
Stretching and simple yoga is another way that kids' imagination makes getting calm enjoyable! Yoga Calm Blog is a great website that promotes yoga calm in classrooms. Inspired by the video clip, I love Yoga Calm's Kids Teach Yoga:Flying Eagle.
Please comment with calm ideas and calming techniques for kids.
Christy C. Camp, RYT
