21_Growing Your Roots

A tree with strong roots laughs at storms. —Malay ProverbBig Ideas For This Lesson Growing Your Roots: Lizard-Wizard Review At Home Resources Level: Lower Elementary (K-2) Concepts: • Coping Skills • Brain Science • Thoughts, Behaviors, & EmotionsThis week, students were introduced to a simple metaphor used to integrate the concepts of liz-ard-wizard brain, emotions, and mindfulness. The basis of the growing your roots metaphor is this:Your bodies can be thought of as the whole tree blowing in the wind. The wind represents youremotions and experiences – sometimes calm, sometimes wavy, and sometimes flat-out stormy.The tree trunk itself represents your wizard-brain – the part of your brain that is solid and still. Thebranches of the tree, also known as your lizard- brain, is the part of your brain that is reactive andeasily tossed around on the currents and waves of your emotions. The roots represent mindfulness– the simple act of grounding oneself in the present moment even in the face of stormy weather.Each of the three prongs of the root system represents the three anchors of mindfulness - breath,body, and sound. The metaphor of growing your roots can be extended to include any coping skillthat helps to anchor you in the present moment. Through direct experience and observationwecan discover ways to self-regulate, discover what makes us happy, discover how to handle emo-tions, and discover what choices we can make to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Essential VocabularyCoping Skills: Any skill, strategy, or behavior used to deal with difficult emotions (also known as cool down strategies).Emotions: Something you feel in response to an event, thought, or behavior. Emotions are complex reactions to eventsand thoughts that help us to understand and respond to situations in our life. They can be pleasant, unpleasant, or neu-tral and are usually accompanied by physical sensations.Metaphor: A figure of speech used to compare two dissimilar things by highlighting their similarities and common char-acteristics. A direct comparison of two things without the use of like or as.Mindfulness: Paying attention to what is happening in the present moment.Moment-to-moment, non-judgmentalawareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and environmental cues.Mindfulness is considered a “practice” ofdeveloping the abilities of awareness, focus, concentration, attention and acceptance.© 2018 Empowering Education, Inc. PAGE 1 of 2 All rights reserved.

GROWING YOUR ROOTS: LIZARD-WIZARD REVIEW | GRADES K-2 PracticeIn class, students used imagination, breath, and movement to practice ‘growing their roots.’ However, any cop-ing skill that grounds one in the present moment is a form of growing your roots. Practice your favorite copingskills or use the breath 4-7-8 breath described below.To try it while watching the video or follow these instructions: 1. Sit upright in a mindful body 2. Take a deep breath in through your nose to the count of 4. 3. Hold your breath to the count of 7. 4. Exhale through your mouth to the count of 8. 5. Repeat 3 more times Student Resources• Charlotte and the Quiet Place (Picture Book) by Deborah Sosin• M aster of Mindfulness: How to Be Your Own Superhero in Times of Stress (Picture Book) by Laurie Gross man & Mr. Musumeci’s 5th Grade Class• Meditation Is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids (Picture Book) by Whitney Stewart• The Three Questions (Picture Book) by Jon J. Muth• What Does It Mean to Be Present? (Picture Book) by Rana DiOrio• 10 Mindful Minutes: Giving Our Children--and Ourselves--the Social and Emotional Skills to Reduce Stress and Anxiety for Healthier, Happy Lives (Informational Text) by Goldie Hawn and Wendy Holden• Breathe, Chill: A Handy Book of Games and Techniques Introducing Breathing, Meditation and Relaxation to Kids and Teens (Informational Text) by Lisa Roberts• 4 Breathing Exercises for Kids to Empower, Calm, and Self Regulate (Blog Post)• A Mindful Minute: 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise for Kids (Video 3:39) Adult Resources• Bangor University (UK) Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice - Free Guided Meditations• UCSD Center on Mindfulness: Guided Audio Files to Practice Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction• The Art of Mindfulness for Children: Mindfulness exercises that will raise happier, con dent, compassionate, and calmer children (Book) by Alisa Reddy• The Feeling Brain: The Biology and Psychology of Emotions (Book) by Elizabeth Johnston, D.Phil. & Leah Olson, Ph.D. © 2017 Empowering Education, Inc. PAGE 2 of 2 All rights reserved.