Children settle through the body long before they settle through words. Today is two calming rituals, and they are the ones to save for hard moments.
Breath and Movement Pairing RitualPair gentle movements with breath to ground the body, calm the mind, and reset the system.Self-Hug + Rocking SequenceWrap up in a self-hug and rock gently to calm the body and regulate the nervous system.
5 minutes
Now play it together.
Sit down together somewhere quiet, on the floor or the sofa.
Breath and movement, 2 minutes. Follow the demo: breathe in slowly as the arms rise, out as they fall.
Self-hug and rock, 2 minutes. Wrap your arms around yourselves and rock gently side to side. Say it together: "You're okay."
Stillness, 1 minute. Sit without moving and just listen to your breathing.
Clear a safe space first, and stop any move that hurts.
What to notice
Watch for these today.
Does their breathing slow down? Do their shoulders drop?
How long can they stay still at the end?
Try it again the next time something is hard. This is the one to save.
The why, in about a minute
Movement Calms the Nervous System
A short lesson from Mandie on what today's moves do for a growing brain. It's from our free course, The Science of Imagery.
Tomorrow, Day 3
Focus: games that teach the brain when to go and when to stop.
It will be in your inbox tomorrow. Keep today's moves going until then.
