Please find instructions on how to make a glitter jar in the written description of this practice.
A mindful moment with your glitter jar.
Please start this practice by gently holding on to your glitter jar and have a look at it while it's all calm and clear.
We can think of our glitter jar to be like our mind with the glitter representing our thoughts,
Emotions and urges to do things.
When we first wake up each morning things are usually pretty settled with most of the glitter resting at the bottom of the jar.
But pretty soon things can start to swirl around.
Perhaps when you go to eat your breakfast your brother or sister has already eaten the last piece of toast or drunk the last of the milk.
So give your glitter jar a little shake to represent that.
And then when you go to find your shoes you can't find one of them.
So give your jar another shake.
And then maybe you hear your favorite song on the radio and so you turn it up really loud and sing along loudly and get really excited.
So add another shake to your jar and then after the song finishes you hear some sad news on the radio.
So give your glitter jar another good shake.
And we're watching all the glitter swirling around.
It's only early in the morning and already we can't see clearly because of all our thoughts,
Emotions and urges getting in the way.
What could we do to help settle the glitter jar down and allow us to see more clearly again?
Let's take a mindful moment with our glitter jar.
So let's get our mindful bodies on,
Sitting open and upright,
Still and strong like a mountain.
And place your glitter jar on a stable table or the ground in front of you and allow it to sit still and strong like a mountain too.
And let's take some deep belly breaths together while we watch and observe the glitter.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
One more.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Watching all that glitter slowly settle to the bottom of your jar.
Some people like to call their glitter jar a calm down jar.
Next time you notice that you're feeling some strong emotions like anger,
Mad,
Sad,
Scared or anxious.
Or perhaps next time you have some unhelpful urges like wanting to shout at someone or wanting to hit someone or throw a shoe.
Or next time when you're unable to calm down to be able to concentrate on something or perhaps to be able to get to sleep.
Then you could try giving your glitter jar or your calm down jar a good shake and then place it on a stable table or the ground in front of you.
Get your mindful body on and gently watch the glitter settle whilst you take some delicious deep belly breaths.
I wish you all the best with your glitter jar practice.
Thank you.
