Still Statues

What You Need:

• Constellation of Sensations worksheet
• Song of your choice for your child to dance along to during the freeze dance activity

What You Do:

1. Ask your child to come into a mindful body and take a few deep breaths into their belly. They may close their eyes or soften their gaze.
2. Tell them to feel into their feet, and ask if they can feel their heart beat there.
3. Guide them to move up their body and to feel their hands. Can they notice any sensations (e.g. tingling, vibrating) in their hands?
4. Tell your child that understanding what we feel, and where we feel it, can help us manage strong emotions when they arise. For example:
   1. "I feel a pit in my stomach because I'm upset."
   2. "I feel a heaviness in my throat because I'm about to cry."
   3. "I feel warmth in my heart because I'm happy."
5. Tell your child that if they don't feel anything right now, that is okay. With practice, they may be able to feel more sensations in their feet, hands, and different parts of their body.
6. Ask your child to notice the feeling in their whole body. Tell them to think about the stars and how constellations are groups of stars that make a pattern.
7. As your child feels into their body, have them think about constellations and try to visualize a constellation of sensations in their body.
8. Ask your child to hold their attention in their body, and to gently open their eyes when they are ready.
9. Ask them how they feel and what they noticed when imagining a constellation of sensations in their body. Was this exercise easy or hard?
10. Ask your child, "What is a constellation of sensations?" (A constellation of sensations is feeling sensations at different points of the body, like a constellation of stars.)
11. Ask your child when they may practice feeling into their hands or feet. Before bed? While walking?
12. Tell your child that we can practice feeling into our bodies and becoming still at any time.
13. Tell your child that they will now be doing a freeze dance activity to practice coming into stillness a few more times.
14. Explain that you will play a song for your child to dance along to. When you freeze the song, they should become as still as a statue and feel into their hands and feet.
15. Remind them that the more we practice feeling into our bodies, the easier it will be.
16. Play a song, and ask your child to dance to the music.
17. After some time, pause the music and say, "Still as a statue! Feel your feet...feel your hands..."
18. Continue playing the music, stopping periodically for your child to become as "still as a statue."
19. After the song is complete, ask your child what they noticed. How do they feel?
20. Show the Constellation of Sensations worksheet to your child, and read through its instructions. Explain to your child that you would like them to draw and write where they felt sensations in their body, and what they noticed during the freeze dance activity.