Level 5 Early Childhood Studies students were recently treated to some additional training on Mindful Yoga.

With plentiful research on mental health issues in children, lack of physical exercises and intense stressors experienced early on in lives being particularly topical at the moment, this has been timely and important training to receive.

During this 2 hour session students explored and tried various activities and physical exercises to support young children’s holistic health, well-being and development delivered by Mini Me Yoga. After the training students received a certificate, and felt particularly zen ?

The training receiving extremely positive feedback, and students are equipped with important additions to their teaching toolkits to support children in placement, and, their future world of work.

Some of the activities included breathing techniques with a teddy on their tummies, mindful colouring in a genuinely comfortable position, and relaxing yet challenging stretches and sequences of movements.

Some of our lecturer’s favourite activities supplementary to these are born from pure imagination, when you’re stressed why not try this one out:

Sit alone in a quiet place, upright or laying down in a comfortable position. Take deep breathes counting at least up to 10 to enter into your own world.

Now, imagine a bubble floating around in front of you.

You try to pop the bubble but you always miss!

Keep imagining the bubble, keep moving your finger towards where you’re imagining it floating until you’re so immersed you can see the bubble, you may be smiling at the many times you miss.

When naturally ready to end (it’s surprising how long you can be engrossed) count backwards with 5 deep breathes and POP, you’re back in the room, but content in the knowledge that if you ever feel stressed, you can return to your bubble.