Mindful Breathing and Sensory Awareness Activity

Part 1: Mindful Breathing - Your Breath Anchor (15 minutes)

Objective: To practice focusing on the breath as an anchor to the present moment.

Instructions:

1. Find Your Comfortable Spot: Sit up straight but relaxed in your chair, with your feet flat on the floor. You can gently close your eyes if you feel comfortable, or simply lower your gaze softly towards the floor.
2. Hands at Rest: Place your hands comfortably in your lap or on your desk.
3. Notice Your Body: Take a moment to notice how your body feels right now. Are you feeling warm? Cool? Restless? Calm? Just notice, no need to change anything.
4. Feel Your Breath: Now, bring your attention to your breath. Don't try to breathe in any special way, just breathe normally. Notice the air as it comes in and goes out.
   • Where do you feel your breath the most? Is it in your nose? Your throat? Your chest? Your belly?
   • Try placing a hand gently on your belly. Feel it rise as you breathe in and fall as you breathe out.
5. Gentle Focus: Imagine your breath is like a gentle wave. As you breathe in, the wave rises; as you breathe out, the wave falls.
6. Mind Wandering: It's completely normal for your mind to wander and think about other things. When you notice your mind has wandered, gently, kindly, bring your attention back to the feeling of your breath. There's no need to be annoyed or frustrated, just a gentle return.
7. Continue for a Few Minutes: Keep breathing and noticing for about 5-7 minutes.

Reflection Questions (Teacher-led discussion after the activity):

• What did you notice during the mindful breathing? Did anything feel different?
• Was it easy or challenging to keep your focus on your breath? What happened when your mind wandered?
• How did your body feel after the breathing exercise?

Part 2: Sensory Awareness - Object Exploration (10 minutes)

Objective: To practice focusing attention on sensory details of an everyday object.

Instructions:

1. Receive Your Object: The teacher will give each of you a small object. Hold it gently in your hand.
2. Look Closely: For a moment, just look at your object. What colors do you see? Are there any patterns or designs? What shape is it? Notice any tiny details you might not usually see.
3. Feel It: Now, close your eyes (or keep your gaze soft) and feel the object with your fingers. What is its texture? Is it smooth, rough, bumpy, soft? Is it warm or cool? How heavy does it feel?
4. Listen and Smell (if applicable): Does your object make any sound if you gently tap it or rub it? Does it have a scent? Take a gentle sniff and notice if there's any smell.
5. Full Attention: Spend a few minutes giving your full, undivided attention to this one object, exploring it with each of your senses.

Reflection Questions (Teacher-led discussion after the activity):

• What new things did you notice about your object that you hadn't before?
• How did it feel to give your full attention to just one thing?
• How might paying more attention to your senses help you in other situations?

Mindful Moments Reflection Journal

Name: ________________________ Date: ______________

Reflecting on Our Mindful Moments

Think about the activities we did today. Use these prompts to help you remember and reflect.

1. My Mindful Breathing Experience

During the mindful breathing exercise, what did you notice about your breath or your body?

Was it easy or difficult to focus on your breath? Why do you think that was?

2. My Sensory Object Exploration

What was the object you explored?

Describe three new things you noticed about your object when you gave it your full attention (things you might not usually notice!).

3. Mindfulness in My Life

How do you think practicing mindfulness (like mindful breathing or paying close attention to your senses) could help you in your daily life? (Think about school, home, or when you feel different emotions).

When might be a good time for you to take a