Mylander - Issue 88

23 From inside the community • Collect items from outdoors to create a nature mandala. • Hunt out your nearest labyrinth (Sinfield Nature Reserve, Suffolk). These are great for walking meditations and to focus the mind. • Use your senses as you go for a walk, finding a few things for each sense. • Sit down outside, close your eyes and see how many noises you can hear – What noises can you hear far away? What is the nearest sound you can hear? 2. Be grateful Create a gratitude jar at home for the whole family. Whenever someone is feeling grateful you write it on a note and add to the jar. At a point in the year, or end of the week / month, you can empty the jar and look at all the reasons you’ve been grateful. Studies have proven that grateful children are more satisfied with their lives, more engaged in school work and less materialistic. Practicing gratitude strengthens relationships and increases happiness. 3. Start talking … about emotions. It is so important to teach our children about emotions from an early age, so that they can start to recognise them and know what to do when they feel a certain way. It is also just as important, as adults, that we find a way to release our worries, concerns and heavy emotions. There are lots of story books available now, to help children understand their feelings, as well as journals for all ages. 4. Use technology After a long day at school or work, in front of a laptop, it almost seems counterintuitive to use technology to meditate, but there are some great apps such as Calm, Headspace, Moshi and Insight Timer, that have sleep stories, guided meditations and music to help you feel more mindful. 5. Know when to ask for help We are all known for just hanging on to ‘see if we feel better’ or labelling it as ‘just a phase’, but at what point do we accept that perhaps we need a little help with our mental health, or to ask for help for a loved one or child? If you are concerned about yourself or someone else, it is time to find appropriate advice from an expert.