Hi everyone and welcome back to the summer term.
Our school community has changed beyond our understanding.
But you answered that change with resilience and bravery.
Over the past few weeks,
New phrases became the norm.
Pandemic,
Social distancing and COVID-19.
School for now has a new way of learning and communicating.
Balancing and maintaining our mental health has never been more important.
Routines that we took for granted have been disrupted.
Going to school and seeing friends face to face.
Increasing pressures have been put on family life.
Like everyone,
I'm trying to juggle work and family life.
And just like you,
They are learning remotely and finding it difficult.
Deciding how to balance learning and living is proving to be a challenge.
But knowing you,
You will rise above it and in the process become a better,
Stronger person.
Meditation and mindfulness can help you to stay calm,
Focused and in control of your thoughts and actions.
It's easy and can be practiced anywhere.
In your garden,
In your bedroom,
Sitting room.
In fact,
Anywhere you feel comfortable.
If you're new to the practice,
There are a few guidelines you will need to know.
The key areas I will be focusing on are mindfulness,
Breath work,
Body scanning and the use of visualization as a stimulus to access our senses,
Touch,
Taste,
Sounds and smells.
Mindfulness is about being able to connect to your inner self.
To connect to you.
To be present in the here and now.
Breath work,
Breathing is an underestimated powerful tool and used correctly brings benefits both physically and emotionally.
We need to understand,
Manage and control it as it can reduce stress levels,
Lowers heart rate and reduces depression.
As Covid-19 tries to attack our respiratory system,
Strengthening our lungs has never been more important.
Body scanning draws awareness to our bodies changes,
Tensions,
Sensations,
Aches and pains.
And finally,
Visualization is a healthy way of bringing positive energy into our mind,
Body and spirit.
It fosters purpose and combats negativity and builds courage.
At the beginning of every session,
I will ask you to find a comfortable posture that can be anywhere.
It can be sitting in a chair,
Lying down on a mat.
Simply anywhere you feel relaxed yet alert.
I do hope you enjoy the summer term and life returns to normal as soon as possible.
But in the meantime,
Best of luck going forward.
Please remember to stay safe and stay healthy.
