Teaching Kids Mindfulness and Stress Release
This August, just a few weeks before meet-the-teacher night and the first PTA meetings of the year got underway, a group of eight to 13-year-olds took over the classroom at be. Women’s Health & Wellness for CAMP be. 2016. Under the direction of Megan Winkler, CNSF and Fellow of the Neurosculpting® Institute, and Aimee Petry, co-owner of Imagination Yoga DFW North, day campers learned how to become mindful warriors, harnessing the powers of yoga, science-based meditation and brain training exercises to help them ease into a successful school year.
Yoga instructor Aimee Petry taught yoga each day of camp.
With a different theme each day, CAMP be. attendees also made crafts centered on overcoming fears, reducing stress, and acknowledging each of their emotions. At the end of the week, each camper took home a folder full of these art projects as a way to help remind them of the things they learned.
Campers made dream catchers and trapped anything negative or stressful inside.
“We came home and hung up her dream catcher, vision board, and feelings wheel around her desk,” said Amy M., a mother of one of the campers. “She picked out what and where to hang them so she could see them while she works. I really feel she gained some great ground this week in many areas!”
A Focus on Fun Education
Although yoga freeze tag and party tunes during snack breaks provided some lighthearted diversions—not to mention the animal sounds that could be heard through the wall as campers moved through cat-cow combinations and wagged their “tails” in one-legged downward dog—education took center stage all week.
Yoga freeze tag gave EVERYONE a workout!
Taking yoga to a deeper level, Petry pulled out anatomy charts to show the kids exactly how the breath moves through the body on day one. A nutrition module, led by Winkler, who also holds a certification in nutritional therapy, was on the menu for day three. Guest dance instructor, Eylin Aguilar with the Denton Dance Conservatory, helped the campers step out of their comfort zone in style through interpretive dance that epitomized the “be. Brave” theme for the fourth day.
Megan Winkler, CNSF leading a daily meditation session.
“Research has shown stress release techniques like yoga and meditation are extremely valuable for people of any age,” says Winkler. “The fact that we’re able to give these kids, at such an early age, practices that they can take home and use whenever they need them is incredible. We’re so grateful to Dr. Heather Bartos and be. Women’s Health & Wellness for the opportunity to support these preteens.”
be. Women’s Health & Wellness looks forward to hosting CAMP be. 2017 next summer and other mindfulness workshops for kids throughout the year.