4 Easy Steps to Calm a Stressed Child
Use this activity, called The Steps, from our new My Calm Place card deck.
- Ask the child to put their head on stacked fists.
- Visualize walking down 20 steps.
- With each step, inhale and exhale.
- Rest at the last step and breathe for 10 counts.
Download a FREE copy of The Steps
My Calm Place has over 50 strategies to work through stressful moments and prevent them in the future. These easy practices can be an effective, creative and fun way to find emotional balance whenever kids are extra squirmy, have trouble keeping focus, or need a few minutes to settle their mind.
Barbara Neiman, OTR, is an Integrative Occupational Therapist, Yoga Teacher 200RYT in Embodyoga®, a coach for professionals seeking a holistic practice and a National Seminar Presenter. She founded her company, Health Discovery, to provide services for infants through school age children. As a Certified Practitioner of Body Mind Centering® since 1989, Barbara has taught experiential hands on, movement, and meditation classes. She offers training to schools and businesses on applying yogic interventions to classrooms and corporate settings to reduce stress, improve focus and self-acceptance.
Sheila Lewis writes curriculum for national organizations, has designed over 60 badge programs for Girl Scouts USA, tutors, and runs book clubs for middle grade students, using whole brain strategies. On the faculty of JCC Manhattan since 2005, she teaches meditation classes, creativity and writing workshops. She is the co-author of Stress-proofing Your Child. As the mother of two grown sons, one on the autism spectrum, she has been a parent advocate on various committees.
Barbara Neiman, OTR, is an Integrative Occupational Therapist, Yoga Teacher 200RYT in Embodyyoga®, a coach for professionals seeking a holistic practice and a National Seminar Presenter. She teaches courses on Yoga and Mindfulness around the country. She created her company, Health Discovery, in 1988, to provide services for infants through school age children. As a Certified Practitioner of Body Mind Centering since 1989, Barbara has taught experiential hands on, movement, and meditation classes to hundreds of students.
Resources include coaching, trainings for yoga in the schools, private yoga sessions, a downloadable webinar, “Integrating Mind, Body, Spirit Medicine into your Practice,” and professional manuals and journal articles. Blogs on her website include posts about digital detox, executive function skills for teens, sensory integration, wellness, etc. Barbara has several DVDs available on Yoga and mindfulness at www.PESI.com. She is also the author of the practical book Mindfulness & Yoga Skills for Children and Adolescents: 115 Activities for Trauma, Self-Regulation, Special Needs & Anxiety (PESI, 2015) and the co-author of the My Calm Place Card Deck: Yoga, Mindfulness & Meditation Strategies for Children (PESI, 2016).
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Barbara Neiman maintains a private practice and receives royalties as a published author. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Barbara Neiman is a member of the Body Mind Centering Association and of the Yoga Alliance.
