12th September Mindfulness Day

Mindfulness Day is celebrated annually on September 12th and has been since its inauguration in 2011.

Mindfulness is the practice of intentionally focusing on the present moment and accepting it without any judgment.

Mindfulness helps build self-awareness, awareness of others, and awareness of the world.

A major benefit of mindfulness is that it encourages you to pay attention to your thoughts, your actions and your body. 

To practise mindfulness

 • pay attention - slow down and notice things in the busy world.

• live in the moment - bring a concentration to the task in hand

• accept yourself - treat yourself the way you would treat a good friend

• focus on your breathing

Of course, none of this is particularly easy to practise with young children, but at school we do try and the library has a big focus on it, labelling books that may help teachers with these concepts. We affix a sticker to the front cover that simply says 'mindfulness'. 

We do this because mindfulness practice helps alleviate stress, worry, and anger, and improves focus and sleep. It can also give children strategies to alleviate their own stress and anxiety.

The easiest books to locate and label are the ones about focussing on breathing, but books about living in the moment or being present are probably the books you will need to revisit and refocus on often.

Look for:

Here and Now 

Explore identity and connection, inspire curiosity, and prompt engaging discussions about the here and now.

I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness

Breathe, taste, smell, touch, and be present.

What Does it Mean to be Present? 

Being present means...
Noticing when someone needs help
Waiting patiently for your turn
Focusing on what's happening now.

NB The new cover is different from this one.

Charlotte and the Quiet Place

Sometimes children need a break from our noisy, over-stimulating world.This book shows how a child learns and practices mindful breathing on her own and experiences the beauty of silence.

Silence

Silence encourages children to stop, listen, and reflect on their experiences and the world around them. Using qualities of mindfulness, readers are asked to pay attention to what otherwise gets drowned-out in our noisy environment and use those sounds as a means to develop imagination and curiosity, and learn a little more about themselves.

Now

This is my favourite cloud...because it's the one I am watching.

This is my favourite tree...because it is the one where I'm swinging.

This is my favourite tooth...because it's the one that is missing.

 

Someday

Someday I am going to be a great artist. Today I am off to help my dad paint the shed.

Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems

I breathe slowly in, 
I breathe slowly out. My breath 
is a river of peace. 
I am here in the world. 
Each moment I can breathe and be.

Puppy Mind

A young boy discovers his mind is like a puppy, always wandering away, into the past or the future. He sets about learning to train his puppy mind to heel to the present moment. Through remembering to breathe, the boy becomes a stronger and more caring master of his puppy mind, keeping it in the present, if only for a moment.

Today

The moments that make up the day are filled with surprises, joy, fun, and memories. This book guides young readers to keep their eyes and ears open so the day doesn’t slip by.

If you are looking for more titles see my Pinterest page.