This week we learned about the Key to Happiness number four from Action for Happiness — the concept of ‘awareness’. We explored how living life mindfully, paying attention to the world around us, and fully appreciating our senses can help us feel happier.
We began by reading Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda by Lauren Alderfer. In the story, Monkey notices that his friend Panda seems calm, peaceful and happy, and he wants to know why. Panda helps Monkey see that the important thing is to be fully present in whatever it is you are doing. With Panda’s help, Monkey learns to stop racing from one idea or activity to the next, and instead to pay attention to the moment. As Panda explains, “When I walk, I am just walking. When I read, I am just reading. When I eat, I am just eating.”
We then challenged the children to try eating just one chocolate chip, mindfully. First, they looked carefully at it — noticing its shape and colour. Next, they smelled it and paid attention to its fragrance. Finally, they placed the chocolate chip in their mouth and very slowly chewed it, focusing on the taste and sensation. We further set the challenge for the children to practise this kind of mindful eating during snack time later in the morning.
As a follow up, we took the children in small groups to a peaceful setting on the farm. There, we sat under a tree and asked them to pay attention, one by one, to their senses, and to draw something they could see, then something they could hear, feel and smell. The photographs below capture some of the children thoughtfully engaged in this mindful practice.
