BEDTIME Grades 1 - 3 | Week Five | The Elephant
Or, Jump To:
Week One - The Owl Week Two - The Dog Week Three - The Hippo Week Four - The Monkey Week Six - The Dolphin Week Seven - The Panda Week Eight - The Pig
Week Five - The Elephant
Grades 1 - 3
Subject: Powerful Emotions - The Elephant
This week’s lesson is all about powerful emotions - Elephant Emotions.
Step One: The DIY Belly Buddy Crafting Project
Make your own Belly Buddy!
In order to get the most out of the Belly Buddy program, you will first need to make this week’s Belly Buddy. A Belly Buddy is an animal craft that relates to this week’s brain science lesson. You will need it for the lesson and the meditation practice. We recommend you make The Elephant Belly Buddy from a toilet paper roll. Make it as early in the week as you can, so you have time to use it during the week. Click here for toilet paper animal template.
When you are done, roll up an old sock and push it inside the toilet paper roll to give your Belly Buddy some weight and stability.
A Streamlined Option
Simply use a plush toy or place a hand on the belly while practicing the bedtime lesson and meditation.
Step Two: Play The Elephant Lesson & Meditation - 6 minutes
When your Elephant Belly Buddy is complete, (or you may choose to use an existing plush toy or to simply place a hand on the belly in place of the Belly Buddy), listen to the Lesson and Meditation below, at bedtime. You can listen with your Parent/Guardian, or on your own. You can come back and listen to the lesson as often as you like. Your Parents/Guardians also have their own Elephant Lesson to listen to. Ask them if they plan to take their Mindfulness lesson this week!
Step Three: Meditation Reflection
Consider these questions on your own or discuss with a Parent/Guardian. There are no wrong answers!
During the meditation we practiced counting when we breathed in and out. Counting when we breathe in and out can help us to stay focused on our breath. Did you find it easy or hard to count when you were breathing?
What if we are experiencing an emotion that is a stampede of elephants and we feel like we are being taken over completely, and so it is too difficult to focus on our breath, what can we do in this situation to help calm our body and mind? ( If the emotion is super strong, like a stampede of elephants, and you feel out of control, and you are having trouble finding your breath you can try mindful movement. Mindful movement means to do something physically active, like walking or running, and to bring all of the attention to the experience of moving. This can help calm the body and brain when you are having a powerful elephant emotion, and when mindful breathing on its own proves to be too difficult.)
What kinds of elephant emotions or powerful emotions have you experienced?
Is there an elephant emotion/powerful emotion that you find the most difficult to feel, experience or manage?
Have you ever felt an emotion take you over?
What happened?
Do you remember how it felt in your body?
Do you remember any thinking in your mind?
When we are having or experiencing a powerful emotion, such as anger or fear, is the thinking in your mind helpful thinking or unhelpful thinking?
If it is unhelpful thinking, why do you think this occurs? Hint, a powerful emotion may trigger our brain’s barking Guard Dog and this may cause us to lose some of our connection to the PFC, our brain’s wise leader.
Step Four: Do you remember your Mindful Job for this week?
The next time you notice a powerful elephant emotion in your mind and body, try counting when you breathe in and out to help you slow things down. If this doesn’t work, try mindful movement.
Step Five: Listen to this Meditation at Bedtime - 5 minutes
Every night, at bedtime, practice this Counting Meditation before you go to sleep.
Step Six: Journal Exercise
Draw a picture of how worry or fear feels in your body.