Rhyming Body Scan for Young Children

Instructions

Getting Started

• Begin by asking students to sit quietly in their chairs, or invite them to lie down on their backs on a mat or rug.
• Tell the students that they are going to spend a few minutes relaxing and noticing different body parts like toes, legs, arms, shoulders, and eyes. They will also be breathing deeply and sensing how each body part feels (warm or cold, relaxed or tense).
• Then, share this body scan script with them, and invite them to listen carefully to your rhyming directions.

The Practice

Relax your body, close your eyes if you please;
allow your arms and hands to be at ease.

Sit up tall, and breathe in through your nose;
just quietly watch where your mind goes.

Now I invite you to wiggle your toes,
so slowly that nobody knows.

Next, go to your ankles and then to your knees;
do your legs feel strong, like two trees?

Are they warm or cold, relaxed or tense;
breathe in deeply, what do you sense?

Now let’s go to your thighs and each hip;
can you look inward, for just a bit?

Do you feel warm or cold, relaxed or tense;
breathe in deeply, what do you sense?

Breathe into your lower back and belly;
do you feel your stomach move like jelly?

Do you feel warm or cold, relaxed or tense;
breathe in deeply, what do you sense?

Try breathing into your upper back and chest;
feel your lungs expanding, then coming to rest.

Do you feel warm or cold, relaxed or tense;
breathe in deeply, what do you sense?

Now to your shoulders, arms, and each hand,
notice your blood flowing like moving sand.

Do you feel warm or cold, relaxed or tense;
breathe in deeply, what do you sense?

Let’s travel up to your neck and head;
do you feel your jaw relax and spread?

Is your face warm or cold, relaxed or tense;
breathe in deeply, what do you sense?

Take in one big breath, like a gentle breeze;
let your body and mind feel more at ease.

When you are ready, open your eyes, and smile;
Do you feel more focused—even just for a while?

Closure

• Ask students, “What is it like to notice your body and how it feels? What did you notice while you were relaxing your body?”

Source

Copyright ©2019 Andrew Jordan Nance, Mindful Arts in the Classroom (Parallax Press)

Evidence That It Works

While research on the effects of mindfulness on children is still in the early stages, a 2016 review of 12 studies suggests some promising outcomes for young children relative to attention, self-regulation, and motor skills. A 2014 meta-analysis that focuses on 24 studies of K-12 students demonstrated changes in students’ attention and resilience to stress, including positive emotions, self-esteem and self-concept, and well-being.

Why Does It Matter?

Children face numerous daily stressors that can negatively affect their learning and development. Teaching students a practice that directly addresses these stressors in their bodies may ultimately bolster their personal well-being—and improve their executive function (e.g., self-control, planning, decision-making, etc.) and academic achievement.