Awareness of the body in the moment…..

A Mindful Walking Activity.

Children love to move. They like to feel their feet on the ground. This mindfulness activity creates an awareness in the body that the children find fun. Balance and sensation are an integral part of this exercise. Mindful walking is an activity that has been used for centuries to calm the mind and develop a sense of spacial awareness.

This is a flexible outline for you to develop as you wish. Have fun!

Kirsty

Lesson Plan

Time – Duration 3-15 minutes (Mindful walking can be used as a mindful moment or a longer mindfulness activity)

Helps – with concentration and focuses the mind. Mindful walking helps with spacial awareness.

Aims – To create an awareness of movement, feeling and balance in the body.

Resources – Mats (gym mats?) or rubber spots to walk on. Visual aids – images on A3/ posters of feet, heels, balls of feet and knees.

           

The Session

• Prepare the room with quiet, relaxing ambient background music. Place the mats or rubber spots in a line or lines, ready for mindful walking. If this activity is going to be used as a mindful moment within a class, place the mats or spots in suitable areas around the edges of the room. Shoes can be left on or taken off.
• Ask one child or a few children (depending on the size of the room or set up) to stand quietly in line at the end of a mat/ line of spots. Stand with feet flat on the floor, arms loosely hanging to the sides and head facing forwards. Be aware of feeling well-balanced.
• Walk really slowly from one end of the mat/ spots to the other.
• Whilst walking feel each foot connect to the floor. Be aware of the weight of the body on the foot and then feel the foot lift from the floor.
• Encourage each child to take a mindful breath or two at the end of each walk.
• After the first walk request that the children sit quietly on the floor and then ask them these questions to reflect on.

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• Whilst walking how does the foot connect with the floor?
• Are you aware of your toes?
• Are you aware of the bend in your knees?
• Does one foot lift from the floor before the other foot connects with the floor?
• Does the walk feel different with no shoes on?

• Now try the walk again.
• Reflect on the questions above.

Variations to mindful walking:

Try walking with hands on the head.

Walk in time to the beat of a drum.

Walking with arms out-stretched.

Walking backwards – be careful!

*Mindful walking can also be used as part or during other mindful activities.