Emotional Healing & Self-Esteem: Inner-Life Skills of Relaxation, Visualization and Meditation for Children and Adolescents

by Pearson, Mark

• ISBN13: 9780864312648
• ISBN10: 0864312644
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-06-01
• Publisher: Australian Council for Educational

Summary

How can parents and teachers support children in their personal development? How can child care providers help kids find self-esteem, poise and inner peace? How can children learn to let go of stress and agitation?

This book presents a range of personal development exercises for children and adolescents that introduce the skills of relaxation, visualization, and meditation. The exercises are clear and accessible and help elementary and junioror high-school students understand their inner world.

Teachers, counselors, child care workers and parents will all discover new methods for teaching relaxation and quiet inner focus, movement meditations, and exercises that develop self-esteem. Students will gain newfound creativity, a language to articulate their feelings, and skills for attaining a calm and balanced outlook.

Step-by-step guidelines are provided on planning, presenting and integrating inner-life skills programs into group work. Family and group communication games are also included.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii	(1)
Introduction	viii
1 A New view of the landscape	1	(8)
Introducing inner-life skills	2	(6)
Code of respect	8	(1)
2 Acknowledging the silent ground	9	(10)
Using inner-life skills for personal development	10	(1)
Types of inner-life exercises	11	(2)
Basic principles	13	(2)
The place of emotional release work	15	(1)
Inner-life skills in school programs	16	(2)
Difficulties with quiet inner focus	18	(1)
3 A practical guide for presenters	19	(17)
Begin with your personal practice	20	(5)
Planning inner-life skills work	25	(2)
Recommended age ranges for exercises	27	(1)
Adapting exercises for different age groups	27	(1)
Practicalities for presenters	28	(1)
The value of integration	29	(3)
Group work	32	(4)
4 Feeling the warmth of the sun	36	(25)
Overview of methods	37	(11)
Self-awareness	48	(5)
Relaxation	53	(8)
5 Practising freedom, grace and beauty	61	(19)
Emotional and physical release as preparation	62	(8)
Slow-motion movement	70	(5)
Walking meditations	75	(5)
6 Journey to the centre of the Earth	80	(18)
Quiet meditations	81	(3)
Some basic stages	84	(2)
Evoking the witness state	86	(4)
Earthing exercises	90	(8)
7 Cultivating creative seeds	98	(18)
A language for the inner world	99	(1)
Visualisation	100	(16)
8 Reclaiming a lost world	116	(14)
Focus on self-esteem: developing hope and inner strength	117	(13)
9 Attending to each moment of life	130	(8)
Caring for your inner life	131	(2)
The link between mediatation and daily life	133	(5)
10 Building bridges through play	138	(12)
Improving family and group communication	139	(1)
General activities and exercises	140	(6)
Personal development for parents	146	(4)
Appendix 1: Gestalt role-play question sheet	150	(1)
Appendix 2: Some cross-cultural sources	151	(3)
Appendix 3: Music	154	(2)
Appendix 4: Four Element Sheet	156	(1)
Resources	157	(2)
Follow-up, support and on-going spiritual direction	158	(1)
Glossary	159	(5)
Index of exercises	164	(2)
General index	166