Week Five - The Elephant

Grades 4 - 6

Subject: Powerful Emotions - The Elephant

This week’s lesson is 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 - 10 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 Lesson to listen to. Ask them if they plan to take their Mindfulness lesson this week!

Step Three: Meditation Reflection

Consider the following questions on your own or discuss with a Parent or Guardian. There are no wrong answers!

  1. What kinds of elephant emotions, powerful emotions, have you experienced?

  2. Is there an emotion that you find the most difficult to feel?

  3. Have you ever felt an emotion take you over? What happened?

  4. Do you remember how it felt in your body? Do you remember any thinking in your mind?

  5. When you are having a powerful emotion, such as anger or fear, is the thinking in your mind helpful or unhelpful?

  6. If it is unhelpful thinking, why do you think this occurs? Hint, a powerful emotion may trigger our brain’s Guard Dog and this may close the door to our brain’s wise leader, the PFC.

  7. Do you think that counting your breath could help you to calm your mind and body when you are having a powerful emotion?

  8. If the emotion is super strong, try mindful movement, this means doing something active like walking or running and paying attention to how  it feels to move your body.  Mindful movement can help to calm you brain when focusing on breathing is too difficult.

Step Four: Do you remember your Mindful Challenge 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 - 6 minutes

Every night, at bedtime, practice this Counting Meditation before you go to sleep.

Step Six: Journal Exercise

Write about the following:

When you feel worried or anxious about something, what type of thinking do you notice in your mind?

What sensations do you notice in your body when you feel worried, anxious or afraid?

When you are worried about something, is your thinking focused on the past, present or future?  

What can we do in the present moment to help ourselves with worrisome thoughts?

Congratulations! You have completed Week Five!

Did your Parent/Guardian complete their Week Five?