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Mindful Monkey Education

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25.01.2022 Breathing Bobby always has great tips for approaching difficult emotions To help little Kinder brains remember these tips, we incorporate song and movement into all our workshops! Head to our website to find out more about our Early Learning workshops!

25.01.2022 Why the banana phone? Swipe to learn a little about the tools we use to make mindfulness accessible to little brains.

24.01.2022 Here are some thoughtful and insightful tips for helping children deal with the trauma of our bushfires

23.01.2022 The Mindful Monkey has been a little quiet lately but for very good reason! A new little mindful Monkey has been born! He is now one month old and I have been naming my emotions and using all of my breathing techniques to help me in this amazing and overwhelming time! Little Odin is a master at being mindful - you can tell when hes staring at fairy lights or trying to get out a poop that hes not thinking about anything else in the world! As schools are opening up again Mindful Monkey shows are back too! The perfect way to provide tools to calm and unite your students after this unsettled time!

23.01.2022 Awesome step-by-step guide to mindfulness of emotions!

23.01.2022 Feeling proud and excited after an awesome school holiday session at Parkdale Library! Favourite responses to library feedback form - What would you like to see more of at Kingston libraries? - More Mindful Monkey - More like this :) ... - More Mindfulness for kids - event was fantastic! - Great idea to assist with managing emotions - Love that you have these kids activities. Todays was quite different to usual. Think it would be good to have this a few times a year so more kids can experience it. Yay! Feel free to share with anyone who works in libraries! Monkeys love schools, libraries AND jungles!

22.01.2022 Did you know that sometimes our Brain likes to run away like a crazy Monkey? In our Mindful Monkey Workshops we demonstrate and play with all the different ways we can bring our Brain back into our bodies.

21.01.2022 Check out Mindful Monkey Educations new blog post: https://mindfulmonkeyeducationblog.com/why-i-love-siggy-th/ Why I love Siggy the weighted Snake!... I have to get one of those snakes! That was incredible - did you see how relaxed he was? Have you asked Peter yet? We have to get one! Did you see Finn? He LOVED it! Ive never see River sit still for so long - he was so relaxed! This was the overwhelming response I got to the new addition to the Mindful Monkey gang! Its safe to say - hes earnt his keep! Siggy is a yellow and green weighted snake who is always on the lookout for new friends to wrap his tail around! Seeing the amazing response by teachers and students I decided to find out more about Siggy the Snake! According to occupational therapist Teresa May-Benson, weighted blankets and toys provide deep-touch pressure which stimulates the release of seratonin and dopamine and helps users feel more relaxed. This deep-touch pressure or DTP can be found in a variety of ways - through hugs, using weighted vests, blankets, stuffed animals or lap pads. The focus on sensory experiences achieved through using these tools can help kids and adults to regulate their emotions and behaviour. They can be especially calming for people with sensory-processing disorders - those with ADHD or ADD, Autism or Aspergers, Sensory Processing Disorder or Sensory Issues and even people suffering from Anxiety/ Depression or Insomnia. WOW! No wonder Siggy the Snake was such a hit! Continue reading at https://mindfulmonkeyeducationblog.com/why-i-love-siggy-th/

21.01.2022 The Mindful Monkey had an awesome day with the Preps, grade 1s and grade 2s at Brighton grammar on Monday! Here is a photo of them making calm down glitter jars - a new addition to the program!

20.01.2022 Not wanting to be outdone by Breathing Bobby, Sensory Sallys first brain break is out: "Fabulous Feelers: Body Scan" I hope you and your students enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-lRurmKy7Q&feature=youtu.be

20.01.2022 Mindful Monkeys next video is out! Learn about Wave Breathing, admire the DIY palm tree and watch the Mindful Monkey learn to surf :) Feel free to share with any puppet lovers or anyone who might like to discover Wave Breathing! https://youtu.be/v8geiB9R_h8

20.01.2022 Emotional Eric cant stop smiling and is feeling really warm in his chest after our visit to Murrumbeena Primary! Everyone was sooooo lovely and the Preps were so encouraging when he showed them his new song - hes feeling really proud of himself!

20.01.2022 This week hasn’t been easy for Melbourne. Lockdown once again, kids back at home online learning, teachers jumping back into online teaching...no where to go....... It’s a lot on our stress levels. One thing we DO have control over is our ability to breathe. So remember to make that choice (even just 5 minutes) to sit, be still and just be with your breath Share this with someone who needs it

18.01.2022 I love this idea!

18.01.2022 I love this - especially the part about not shaming those who are panicking - it might not be productive but they need understanding more than anyone

18.01.2022 Check out Mindful Monkey Educations new blog post: https://mindfulmonkeyeducationblog.com/tips-for-using-smil/ Tips for using Smiling Mind (meditation ) powerfully in the classroom Where do you normally do Smiling Mind? I ask as I open the door for my lively 5/6 class another day in the life of a CRT In the middle, a quiet boy with sandy hair motions to the shared space between the two 5/6 classrooms. OK everyone, take your shoes off and find your own spot... in the shared space. As I direct students inside the other 5/6 teacher a young, friendly and matter-of-fact teacher is plugging speakers into her laptop and logging onto the Smiling Mind app. As she sets up I do my best to separate students who are bundled together in small groups and encourage everyone to find their own space. Half the students remain sitting. Without warning she presses play and with the words Quiet everyone, no talking, the meditation has started. I look around the room and am a little dismayed at the students reaction. The recording is difficult to hear in all corners of the large room and many students are making faces at each other, looking around the room, lying next to each other whispering and a few students are even playing with a ball in the corner! I take the ball off them and ask them to move away from each other trying my best not to disturb the other students. About half of the students are lying with their eyes closed, unmoving. The other half are very distracted and it is clear they are not paying attention. I cant help but feel disappointed at this wasted opportunity as it is often the most easily distracted students who need Mindfulness the most! I totally understand how this happens as many teachers view meditation as relaxation, whereas practised properly it is so much more powerful than this! Meditation is one way to practice mindfulness and builds certain skills in students self-awareness, the ability to tune into their bodies, to notice their own thoughts and recognise that they are separate from them, to build their powers of focus and concentration by noticing when their attention has wandered and bring it back to an anchor (the feeling of their bodies on the floor or the rhythm of their breath). All of these skills transfer back into the classroom and naturally help students to develop more empathy, perspective, emotional intelligence, emotional regulation and sustained focus and concentration. Knowing so much about the benefits of Mindfulness and meditation have caused me to put as much care into running mindfulness and meditation sessions as I put into Maths, Inquiry, Reading or Writing. Just like anything else it is a skill and we have to give students the tools to develop it! So back to the main question how can we help students to get the most out of meditation time? Continue reading at https://mindfulmonkeyeducationblog.com/tips-for-using-smil/

18.01.2022 Some fantastic tips from a psychologist to maintain sanity and emotional wellbeing in these crazy times!

17.01.2022 Just had an awesome couple of days at Westgarth Primary with rave reviews! They made the booking through word-of-mouth from Viewbank Primary which was so lovely to hear! I love my job! Xxx

12.01.2022 Check out the start of our Mindful Brain Break series - just in time to head back to school! Mountain Breathing is perfect for calming and refocusing your class, yourself, and as a special trick students can use own their own whenever they are feeling upset, overwhelmed, or need a little more peace in their day xxx

12.01.2022 Breathing Bobby and I are pretty happy with our rave reviews from Pakenham Hills Primary!

11.01.2022 Check out this video that beautifully describes the Mindfulness of Photography. It is a reminder that so many of our passions, sporting and creative pursuits bring us mindfulness through their ability to hold us in the present moment - often for long periods of time. They can bring us greater clarity, ground us and increase our perspective and self-awareness. Writing and dancing both do this for me - they bring me back to myself, hold me in the moment and bring forth a spon...taneity of expression that often surprises me. What activity do you do that effortlessly helps you to be mindful? **This video is also made by my incredibly talented husband** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISE2yxMo2Fc&t=197s

11.01.2022 Haha - this memory came up from two years ago! Hard to believe that this was me putting the word out for my first EVER show! Sally has been upgraded a bit since then - and so have my camera skills!

10.01.2022 Merry Christmas everyone!

10.01.2022 Oh Emotional Eric, thank-you for teaching us that naming our emotion helps to process that emotion Emotional Eric sings this with our little mindful monkeys, which absolutely helps those little brains remember!

10.01.2022 Check out Mindful Monkey Educations new blog post: Theres some definite heart and soul in this one! https://mindfulmonkeyeducationblog.com/the-hidden-impact-o/ The HIDDEN IMPACT of Mindfulness!... Recently one of my friends asked me why I believe so strongly in teaching mindfulness to students. You would think this would be pretty easy to answer for someone whose BUSINESS is running school workshops on mindfulness. I found though, that when the question came I didnt immediately have an answer for it. Its more what you cant see I started. Its the things that dont happen in the classroom that were happening before. Its the student in your class who manages not to interrupt for all of mat time and the child who rarely comes back from recess crying anymore over small things. Its the student you see practising breathing in a corner of the playground when it all gets too much. Its the way other teachers walk into your classroom and comment on how calm it is when you know it hasnt always been this way. Its a student with ADHD who goes from having to use a fidget tool during meditation to being able to lie still for the whole time. Its the parents who tell you that their daughter is sleeping better after you introduced her to meditation, and the way a student who usually complains of stomachaches can tell you that shes feeling anxious. Its the way students stop to smell their food when they think no-ones watching, or the way they can think of reasons they are grateful without skipping a beat. Its the way I can come into a classroom and instantly assess the feeling in the room. Its the way I have found the importance of silence of pausing for that extra second to allow students to catch their breath. Its the way I can observe my frustration, breathe, and slip back into my prefrontal cortex and rational mind creating the space for clear, fair decisions and compassion within the classroom. Even beyond this its the many things well never know about. Its the way a student reminds herself that emotions come and go like the seasons when she is sad and the way another student feels the wind on their face when theyre riding to school, or enjoys their glass of milk that little bit more at dinnertime. Its the way a student talks to himself kindly when he misses a goal and the way they notice their mind running away and can bring their attention back to a conversation or their maths homework. The impact of mindfulness can seem slow and subtle. It creeps into your classroom pretending not to be powerful until the day when you turn around and realise that your whole classroom culture has been transformed. You will often never know the impact that that five minutes a day (or more!) has on your students. But that doesnt matter its still there Until next time! The Mindful Monkey (Donna) xxx

10.01.2022 We’ve already had some amazing feedback coming through for our Early Learning Mindful Monkey workshop! . 3-5 year olds have engaged and responded extremely well to learning mindfulness with Breathing Bobby, Emotional Eric and Sensory Sally Interested in having a visit at your Kinder? Head to our website to find out more!

10.01.2022 Join Sensory Sally as she teaches us to use our Eagle Eyes to see things weve never seen before! The world looks so much better through Eagle Eyes!

09.01.2022 Ive just finished creating my first Mindful Teaching Tips monthly newsletter! If youd like to subscribe send me a DM! Also feel free to tag anyone you think might be interested! XXX

08.01.2022 Breathing Bobby teaches the Mindful Monkey all about WAVE BREATHING and she has her very first surfing lesson!

06.01.2022 Check out Mindful Monkey Educations new blog post: https://mindfulmonkeyeducationblog.com/why-i-love-mindful-/ Why I love Mindful Listening! A fun way to build the POWER OF CONCENTRATION in your classroom.... Now its time for our Mindful Listening Challenge. Close your eyes and see how many sounds you can hear - you can even count them on your fingers. They might be loud or soft, close or far away. Off you go... I breathe a sigh of relief as the room settles almost immediately into a focused and mindful state. Once again I am surprised by how effective Mindful Listening is. I see students counting on their fingers, some with eyes scrunched shut, others with looks of intense concentration. There are a couple of students looking around the room and I gently scrunch my eyes closed as a reminder for them to join in. Students love this game though so I usually find very little need for reminders. I can hear breathing. The air conditioner. Dolphins. My tummy. Fairies in the forest. Sam moving. People talking outside. A dog barking. The other class. I give students high-fives and comments like Wow! Mindful Listening Level 5 etc. when they tell me what they can hear, making it a fun and positive experience. Young students seem to find Mindful Listening or focusing on sounds easier than focusing on the breath because it is more concrete. Counting how many sounds they can hear also gives them a clear purpose. Continue reading at https://mindfulmonkeyeducationblog.com/why-i-love-mindful-/

05.01.2022 An awesome fun activity to show the power of your breath!

04.01.2022 Emotional Erics first Brain Break is here and hes pretty happy about it! Treat yourself and your students to some Happy Feelings by visualising some of your favourite things and noticing how that feels in your body. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU40lToj50Q&feature=youtu.be

04.01.2022 This slideshow describes the many aspects of Mindfulness so beautifully! Thanks Patty for creating this incredible resource and letting me share it!!! https://read.bookcreator.com/NEtyv3/OUR2K1bbQROvylJXZ0kuIA

03.01.2022 Breathing Bobby has thrown on his best rabbit disguise and is ready to do some Rabbit Breathing! Use this Brain Break anytime you and your students need a little extra energy and focus!

03.01.2022 Super happy after an amazing day at the Education Show! Theres nothing quite like talking to people about something youre passionate about all day and getting so much awesome feedback! And giving out awesome showbags! Come and visit me at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre tomorrow! Xxx

03.01.2022 Just had a lovely time at Fairfield library teaching an awesome group of kids about Mindfulness! And was rated 5/5 in 9 of the 11 reviews! DREAM JOB!

02.01.2022 I love this!

01.01.2022 The Mindful Monkey is enjoying some nature time after an awesome start to the year - running 43 workshops at an amazing group of schools! Heany Park Primary School (first year!) Coburg West Primary (3rd year!) Viewbank Primary (2nd year!) Brighton Grammar (first year!)... Seymour College (3rd year!) Fitzroy North Primary (2nd year!) Carlton Gardens Primary (3rd year!) Gladstone Views Primary (first year!) AND RECEIVING A HOST OF RAVE REVIEWS! Ill also be making a couple of exciting announcements in the next week so keep your eyes peeled! See more