So for the last couple of weeks Hazel and I have a new morning routine thanks to Bambino Yoga. Carolyn Clarke sent us a copy of her newest book, Imaginations 2: Relaxation Stories & Guided Imagery for Kids.
Hazel often gets up very early. She has always been an early riser (Steve and I both were too). She gets up usually between 5:30 and 6 now. Her favorite television show is on at 6. She gets up and watches it and then comes to get me up at 6:30. She climbs into bed with me (and often Fluffy). I pull over the book and we always start with the Tight and Soft which is what is recommended. Then I chose a story to read to her at somewhat random. (I have refused to read the one about the start of winter and have avoided some of the bedtime ones.) She closes her eyes and tries to imagine the pictures of what I am reading. She really has been enjoying this activity.
What a difference it has made!! We have been on time to school for just about the first time all year almost every day we have done this (the one time we were not was when Hazel was starting to get sick and I didn't realize it). She started talking about how much she really likes school and has had a positive attitude about it. A far cry from the days of "Why do I have to go to school?" and "I don't want to go to school," which were only a few weeks ago.
What is Guided Imagery?
I do not know if you know what guided imagery is, so I will give you a brief explanation. I knew from my own experiences as a child and an adult. A guided imagery is when someone reads or tells you something to imagine. Sometimes it can be a fantasy sort and others it might describe something you could see or do like a walk on the beach. The words used are provided to give you an image that usually is relaxing or will help you deal with something. It is commonly used in therapy and I have actually used it in teaching mathematics. One of the teacher classes I took recommended it as a way to get students more involved and I had them imagine walking along a curved path that was the graph of a hypberbola. It is really a way of meditating with a guide.
As with all meditation, it helps your health and relaxes your body. It is a wonderful way to introduce mindfulness to children. Mindfulness is a very hot term these days and there are many books out there that use the term and from the ones I have read or skimmed, it is very similar to guided imagery.
With all of that knowledge I can highly recommend this book. I know it has definitely made a difference in our lives and making our mornings easier. It is funny how spending five to ten minutes doing this activity makes us run more efficiently and more on time.
