Brighten Your Day: Learn Mindfulness From First Graders

Students Elijah and Romir share what they’ve learned about the practice of mindfulness via their school program run by the nonprofit Space Between.

There are myriad benefits of mindfulness being taught in schools. To name just a few, it supports students and teachers in managing stress, trauma, overwhelm, and more. But one of the cutest upsides has to be kids teaching meditation.

The Seattle-based nonprofit Space Between has been teaching trauma-informed mindfulness practices in school communities since 2016, supporting the mental health and well-being of both teachers and students.

Learn the Zig-Zag Breath With Romir

According to Romir, a first grader in the Space Between program, the Zig-Zag Breath involves just two simple steps:

1. Move your head in a zig-zag shape.
2. Breathe out calmly.

Romir says that this practice can not only help you feel warmer, but makes you feel better if you get hurt.

Thanks, Romir! We’ll be keeping this quick and easy practice in our toolkit should we get chilly or need a pick-me-up.

Practice Square Breathing With Elijah

1. Point your finger and close your eyes, if you feel comfortable. Get ready to imagine you’re drawing the shape of a square with the tip of your finger.
2. Breathe in through your nose and move your finger in a line, drawing the first side of the square in the air in front of you.
3. Breathe out through your mouth, drawing the next side of the square.
4. Breathe in through your nose and draw the third side of the square. 
5. Breathe out through your mouth and complete the square.
6. Repeat this three times.

We know that deep, intentional breathing calms our nervous system and focuses our minds. This easy-to-remember practice is a great way to tap into the power of the breath any time, anywhere. Thanks for the lesson, Elijah!

Mindfulness Practices for Kids

If you’d like to explore mindfulness meditation with the school-aged children in your life, there are many ways to go about it. Over the years, we’ve gathered a number of wonderful guided practices for young children and teenagers, created by renowned meditation teachers. Here are just a few of our most popular articles to help you get started: