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Five Parts of Practice At Challenge to Change, we follow the Five Parts of Practice when we are teaching children our Yoga and Mindfulness program. These Five Parts of Practice are: + Seated Practice + Movement + Heart of the Lesson + Guided Mindfulness Practice + Close of Practice Molly, our Founder and the CEO of Challenge to Change, created these Five Parts of Practice when she was receiving her certification to teach children’s yoga. As a former classroom teacher, Molly was aware that children learn best when there is structure and routine in their lessons. While Molly learned many wonderful strategies and ideas for teaching yoga to children in her training, she felt that the missing piece to making her lessons most effective was a consistent structure to her practice. Hence, the Five Parts of Practice were born. This series of articles is designed to inform our readers what each part looks like and why we include it in our teaching. Close of Practice At the end of a lesson comes the close of practice. These activities are designed to gently wake the children up from their guided mindfulness practice, or Yoga Nap, and bring the lesson to a final conclusion. The close of practice activities are songs or chants cited in unison in order to build classroom community. Many often also include hand movements that require fine motor skills and possibly even jump the midline of the brain in order to promote cognitive development. Let Peace Begin With Me, in which the children manipulate opposite fingers, is one such practice. One of the most popular close of practices is Sa-Ta-Na-Ma, which translates to I Am Awesome. We tell the children we chant this mantra over and over again to remind ourselves that each one of us is incredibly wonderful and unique, and each one of us has gifts that help make the world a more awesome place. As participants recite each syllable, they touch a finger to each thumb, starting with their pointer fingers and ending with their pinkies. The students follow along to sing the word three times, whisper it three times, and then just think the syllables in their minds three times each. The word is then whispered three times again, and finally sung three times again to bring the activity to a close. And now, as we end this five-part series on our Five Parts of Practice, we will bow to you and say the word, “Peace!”

The word “gratitude” comes up frequently in classroom conversations about Mindfulness. This is because thinking about all that we have in our lives helps us to feel happier, safer, and kinder. When we feel happy, safe, and kind, we are more likely to be calm and behave in a thoughtful manner. Gratitude is like a muscle that must be exercised regularly. The more often you practice gratitude, the stronger its presence becomes in your life. Gratitude is a wonderful activity to engage in with your family in order to increase feelings of happiness, positivity and overall well-being. Here is a list of a few activities focused on gratitude that we think you might enjoy. Gratitude Stones Gratitude stones are a unique way for your children to record the many people, places, and things in their lives they are grateful for. Give your children smooth decorative stones (available in the floral department of any craft store) and paint pens in several different colors. On each stone, have your children write words or draw images of the people or things in their lives that make them feel happy, loved, or safe. Your children can place these stones in their bedrooms, around the house, or as decorations in the garden as reminders of the many things in their lives they have tor which they are grateful. Materials needed: smooth stones (large enough to draw or write on) and paint markers. Gratitude Rampage or Walk Sit with your child and take turns sharing people and things you are grateful for. Make it a challenge by timing yourselves to see how many objects of gratitude you can share in one minute, then do it again and see if you can name even more in the second round. The only rule of the game is that you cannot immediately repeat something the other said….even if you are grateful for the same thing, you must wait a turn before saying it as well. Another option is to take a Gratitude Walk. Designate a short walking route and take turns sharing your gratitude with each step you take. This will require you to walk deliberately and slowly as you move down your path. This could also be done from a parked car on the way into a store. Before beginning your Gratitude Rampage or Gratitude Walk, you might find it helpful to each write out a list of what you are grateful for. While you do not have to stick exclusively to this list during the activity, it is a helpful tool for helping you get started or to draw on for inspiration. CLICK HERE for a link to the Challenge to Change Gratitude Rampage worksheet. Mail a Hug Have your child think of special people in his life to whom he’d like to send some love. Ask your child to share why he feels lucky to have these people in his life. For each person that is being sent love, your child needs to trace both hands on construction paper. Have your child hold his arms out wide and cut a length of ribbon or string that measures from wrist to wrist. Cut out the traced hands and glue them on each end of the ribbon or string. Your child can write a message of love and gratitude on the hands, or can include a kind note along with his “hug”. Mail your hug as soon as possible Materials needed: construction paper, yarn or ribbon, scissors, hot glue. Gratitude Scavenger Hunt Give your children something they can take pictures with and send them on a Gratitude Scavenger Hunt around your home to find things they are grateful for. They must take a picture of at least one person or object for everything on the scavenger hunt list. Once they are done, you can turn their images into a digital presentation to share with family and friends. CLICK HERE for the scavenger hunt list. We hope you have fun engaging in some or all of these activities centered on the practice of gratitude. As always, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your families’ lives! Namaste, The Team at Challenge to Change

How Mindfulness Supports the Brain, Emotional Regulation, and Learning Children today are growing up in a fast-moving world filled with stimulation, stress, emotions, schedules, screens, social pressures When children experience stress, frustration, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm, the brain activates the Meditation and Emotional Regulation Children are still developing the parts of the brain responsible for impulse control, emotional processing, and decision-making.

Emotion Naming Builds Emotional Intelligence A child cannot manage a feeling they cannot recognize. This helps children understand that emotions are not “bad.” Emotions are information. Storytelling Makes Social Emotional Learning Meaningful Stories help preschoolers understand social emotional That is emotional intelligence in action. These programs help students build emotional intelligence, self-regulation, mindfulness skills, and social-emotional

Intelligence Young children do not learn emotional regulation from one lesson. Teaching these social emotional learning skills are important. The goal is to make social emotional learning easier to practice in everyday life. These programs help students build emotional awareness, self-regulation, mindfulness skills, and social-emotional Social and emotional learning framework and research. CDC.

gongs to calming music and guided meditations, people are turning to sound as a way to relax, regulate emotions The auditory system is closely connected to: The limbic system (emotion center) Memory systems Attention This system supports: Relaxation Recovery Digestion Emotional regulation Slower breathing Calm states Sound, Emotion, and Memory Sound and music are deeply tied to emotion and memory. Brain Correlates of Music-Evoked Emotions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

Classroom Meditations with Elementary Students Elementary classrooms are full of learning, movement, emotions These practices are simple, classroom-friendly tools that support focus, emotional awareness, kindness It should not be used to shame students, force them to calm down, or make them feel like their emotions Students are arriving with different emotions, energy levels, and experiences from home. During SEL Lessons Meditations fit naturally into social-emotional learning lessons.

Emotional Well-being A student’s emotional well-being is vital for overall development. Yoga fosters resilience and mindfulness, helping students identify and manage emotions effectively. Learning is not solely about academics; it also involves physical, mental, and emotional health. Yoga encourages balanced development by combining movement, mindfulness, and emotional regulation. This approach aligns with social-emotional learning (SEL) frameworks, which emphasize self-awareness

This simple awareness can transform how you experience stress and emotions. This practice builds resilience and emotional balance over time. They help regulate emotions and increase self-awareness. Enhanced emotional regulation : Mindful breathing strengthens connections in the brain areas responsible for managing emotions.

Research  indicates that mindfulness practices can reduce stress, improve focus, and enhance emotional ’s yoga and mindfulness lesson, each designed to nurture different aspects of physical, mental, and emotional Builds Emotional Resilience: The combination of mindfulness exercises, creative visualization, and yoga poses helps children build emotional resilience, manage their emotions, and cope with stress in a healthy The activities can also serve as a tool for emotional regulation during high-stress moments.