Activity: Students are introduced to a guided meditation practice as they listen to a video and follow the prompts of the narrator. In pairs they discuss their experiences creating a secret magic treehouse using some guiding questions provided by the teacher. They draw a picture of their treehouse, inside and outside.
Materials needed: the video; large sheets of drawing paper and materials for creating an image of their treehouse
Directions: Explain: “Today you will learn how to breathe in a special, relaxed way, and you will practice something called mindfulness meditation that will help you let go of your worries and use your imagination to create the treehouse of your dreams and shine your light on the inside of you, your thoughts, your feelings, your hopes, your dreams.” Ask students to sit comfortably in their seats and follow the video instructions on how to relax the body and breathe with the prompts. Create pairs and ask students to discuss the following: (1) how did you feel after you did the exercise? (2) could you see your treehouse in your imagination, the colors, the inside and outside appearance, what you placed inside of it? (3) share about what your treehouse looks like (4) can you think of times when you usually get frustrated or upset - do you think you can visit your magic treehouse in your mind when that happens? Let students know that you will give them time now to design their treehouse on paper. They will display their designs and do a show and tell for their classmates, either during this activity session or another time. Some students will need more than 5 - 10 minutes to draw their picture, so allow them to finish it later.
Wrap it up: Explain: “We are all gifted with vivid imaginations that we can use to our advantage. In this exercise you used visualization and slow breathing to encourage your heart and brain to have hopeful thoughts and feelings. This practice of guided meditation helps us use a very powerful tool we have - our brain - in ways that help us feel more confident. Use the drawing you made to remind you to take time to breathe and imagine good, happy outcomes. Maybe sometime you will be able to use your design to build a real happy place, but for now use that exciting imagination of yours to create it!
Related resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWOHcGF1Tmc&t=540s
Activity: Students are introduced to a guided meditation practice as they listen to a video and follow the prompts of the narrator. In pairs they discuss their experiences creating a secret magic treehouse using some guiding questions provided by the teacher. They draw a picture of their treehouse, inside and outside.
Materials needed: the video; large sheets of drawing paper and materials for creating an image of their treehouse
Directions: Explain: “Today you will learn how to breathe in a special, relaxed way, and you will practice something called mindfulness meditation that will help you let go of your worries and use your imagination to create the treehouse of your dreams and shine your light on the inside of you, your thoughts, your feelings, your hopes, your dreams.” Ask students to sit comfortably in their seats and follow the video instructions on how to relax the body and breathe with the prompts. Create pairs and ask students to discuss the following: (1) how did you feel after you did the exercise? (2) could you see your treehouse in your imagination, the colors, the inside and outside appearance, what you placed inside of it? (3) share about what your treehouse looks like (4) can you think of times when you usually get frustrated or upset - do you think you can visit your magic treehouse in your mind when that happens? Let students know that you will give them time now to design their treehouse on paper. They will display their designs and do a show and tell for their classmates, either during this activity session or another time. Some students will need more than 5 - 10 minutes to draw their picture, so allow them to finish it later.
Wrap it up: Explain: “We are all gifted with vivid imaginations that we can use to our advantage. In this exercise you used visualization and slow breathing to encourage your heart and brain to have hopeful thoughts and feelings. This practice of guided meditation helps us use a very powerful tool we have - our brain - in ways that help us feel more confident. Use the drawing you made to remind you to take time to breathe and imagine good, happy outcomes. Maybe sometime you will be able to use your design to build a real happy place, but for now use that exciting imagination of yours to create it!
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