Welcome to Kids in Focus

A 5-minute routine to bring calm and focus to kids and their teachers

1.  WAKE UP POINTS

Activity:   To locate the wake-up points, slide your fingers along your collarbones toward the center and find the bumps where they stop.  Drop down about an inch and slightly outward.  Most people have an indent here.  Using your thumb and first three fingers, tap the points firmly while breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth.  Continue for about 20 seconds.

Benefits:   Increased blood supply and oxygen to the brain which brings alertness.  Correction of letter and number reversals.  Consonant blending.  Keeping one’s place while reading.

2.  CROSS CRAWL

Activity:  March in place, bringing each elbow to the opposite knee, or touching each hand to the opposite knee.    30 to 60 seconds.

Benefits:   Left brain – right brain integration.  Increased ease of left-to-right eye movement.  Increased skills in spelling, writing, listening, reading and comprehension.  Improved coordination and spatial awareness.

3.  CALMING HANDS

Activity, Part 1   Sitting or standing, cross the the ankles.  Extend your arms in front of you, crossing the wrists and interlacing the fingers. Draw your hands under and toward the chest.   Relax, breath in through the nose, out through the mouth, for 6 breaths.

Activity, Part 2   Uncross the legs.  Touch the fingertips of both hands together, continuing to breathe deeply for 6 breaths.

Benefits:   Emotional centering and grounding.  Improved test taking and similar challenges.  Increased comfort in the environment (less hypersensitivity.)  Improved self control and sense of boundaries.

4.  LISTENING EARS

Activity:  Using thumbs and fingers, “unroll” the ears, starting at the top and working down.  Then tug on the earlobes.  Do three times.

Benefits:    Improved listening comprehension and improved short term working memory.  Switches on reticular formation which screens out distracting sounds from relevant ones.

5.  LAZY 8s

Activity:  Extend both arms to the front with thumbs up.  Make sideways figure 8s in the air by moving both arms up and to the left, then down around and back to the midpoint, then up and to the right, down and around back to the midpoint.  The eyes follow the thumbs.  You may make the movements bigger, twisting at the waist.  Do 6 to 8 times.

Benefits:  Integrates the right and left visual fields, which improves the mechanics of reading, and reading comprehension.

                        

6.  FREEING THE DIAPHRAGM

Activity:   Firmly place your flat hands, one on top of the other, underneath the rib cage.  Pull your elbows close to the body so you are hugging your midsection.  Inhale deeply and push your body toward your hands while your hands push back against the body.  Hold your breath and push hard.  Hold as long as you wish.  Release your breath and relax.  Do three times.

Benefits:    Instantly moves oxygen throughout the body, which enhances the functioning of every cell, gland, and organ.  Also deeply relaxes and calms the body and mind.

7.   BLOW OUT

Activity:   Make fists and with a deep breath, swing your arms behind you and over your head.  Turn your fists toward you, pause for moment, then rush your arms down the front of your body as you emphatically open your hands and release your breath with a WHOOSH sound.  Do 5 times.  The 6th time, lower your arms in a slow and controlled manner, slowing blowing out your breath.

Benefits: Gets rid of excess energy, and clears the head for learning.

8.   GOLDEN SUNSHINE RUSHING IN

Activity  Throughout the exercise, breathe slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth.  Begin by standing tall with hands on thighs.  Circle your arms out and up reaching for the sky.  Breathing deeply, imagine warm golden sunshine pouring down over you.  Continue breathing and feeling the golden sunshine for 20 or 30 seconds, and when you are ready, scoop up the golden sunshine and bring it to your chest crossing your hands over the chest.  Finally, let your hands drop and relax.   

Benefits   Deeply calming

                  Ready to learn

9. THE ZIP UP

Activity Place the flat hands at the bottom of the stomach. Take a deep breath in as you move your hands, slowly and deliberately, straight up the center of your body, to your lower lip, and then “lock” it by pretending to turn a key in each hand. Exhale. Do three times.

Benefits Clears the head

Boosts confidence