SAFETY FIRST We're taking extra measures to ensure your children are safe during our classes. Learn More
Services
Our solutions for every need - creating more resilience, mindfulness and happiness one child at a time
Our Services for Schools
Social-emotional learning and mindfulness
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all”
-Aristotle
Social-Emotional Learning and Mindfulness are two different skill sets that work wonderfully when learned together.
SEL - Mindful Monkeys uses an outside-in approach by teaching kids relational awareness and how to practice being self-aware to better manage their behavior. We use techniques to help them set goals, make decisions, and get along with others.
Mindfulness - Mindful Monkeys uses an inside-out approach by teaching kids to be in the present moment through understanding their thoughts, emotions, and feelings. We believe that every child has the inner potential to develop healthy relationships while showing kindness and empathy to others.
We use storytelling, games, coloring, breathing, sounds, movement, reflection, and meditation to help kids become aware of their bodies, mind, and the connection that they have with their emotions and thoughts. Once they understand this, they can practice self-control and learn to resolve conflicts with others.
By teaching kids how to be emotionally smart, we help them understand how to make the right choices and ultimately reach healthy adulthood.
Yoga and Mindfulness
“Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think”
-Buddha
Mindful Monkeys has created a safe, fun, and flexible environment to offset the pressures and stressful routines that our children and teens face in their daily lives.
This is a moment to calm their minds and discover their bodies through breathing techniques, sound therapy, visual art, music, movement, reflection, coloring, storytelling, and games.
We teach students to become cognizant by paying attention to a variety of tasks during class through a combination of activities.
Through curiosity, laughter, relaxation, kindness, respect, and love, children gain better concentration, practice self-control, self-regulation and ultimately leave class feeling calm and happy.
The combination of yoga poses and affirmations helps children stay focused and present in the here and now.
Mindful Monkeys can work and adapt in a multitude of settings including schools, homes, clubs, parks, parties, studios, and hospitals! Anywhere where there are kids and teens!
Chair Yoga in the Classroom
There is no need for students to leave the classroom to practice yoga and mindfulness. Mindful Monkeys has adapted a sequence of breathing techniques and movement with the flexibility of remaining seated.
Practicing in the classroom allows students and educators to integrate a brain break during a busy school day. There is plenty of data showing the benefits of taking a “brain break” in reducing stress and improving concentration.
Reflection vs. Detention
For years schools have used detention for managing bad behavior, nevertheless often it does not work. Professionals in charge of detention rooms, report that kids that end up in detention are the same offenders every time. This outcome demonstrates that detention is not effective and it’s not teaching kids coping skills for anger, frustration, defiance, or any unkind behavior presented during class.
We must first teach kids that strong emotions can trigger reactions from our brains where our bodies and mind may not control the outcome. Mindful Monkeys developed a strategy to replace “detention with reflection”.
By allowing time and coaching kids to reflect, it allows them to process their behavior and to become aware of their actions.
Reflection must be taught to all kids, all ages, and regardless of their behavior. During reflection, kids will learn about their brains, their chemical changes in their bodies, and how these changes are related to their emotions. We teach them that every emotion can be regulated by daily mindfulness practices, such as mindful walks, mindful listening, mindful smells, mindful tasting, and mindful contemplation to the present moment.
We include breathing, sound therapy, journaling, movement, games, and engaging activities. Kids can own the destiny of their behavior, but we have the responsibility to guide them through a safe place where they can learn to understand themselves.
Situational Awareness
By the time kids are 4 or 5 years old they are running around trying to discover and become independent. They are naturally drawn to the unknown territory because they are curious and at times they don’t realize that they can quickly step away from their loved ones and get lost. This is a common thing to happen, and it's important to sit with our kids and explain the importance of environment and situational awareness.
First things first! We need to teach kids to become aware of their thoughts, feelings, bodies, and surroundings. Mindfulness for the little ones can come naturally because most of the time they are observing and recognizing new things around them, but we must help them differentiate what is normal or not.
Mindful Monkeys Situational Awareness programs include natural and public settings. We prepare kids to learn the difference between awareness and suspicion.
We do want our kids to trust and not to always be suspicious, but there is nothing wrong with giving them some simple and clear guidelines. Through storytelling, we create real-life situations where children learn to recognize a threat in front of them and get help if need to. This program utilizes puppets, games, music, books, and many fun activities and resources.
Support with Test Anxiety
Most students from Kinder through college experience some type of anxiety during testing time. The level of severity varies but is estimated that anxiety disorders affect an estimated 25 percent of 13-18-year-olds. Nevertheless, that percentage seems to increase during standardizing testing times.
It is important to identify if a child is suffering from "test anxiety", to avoid future mental/social health issues, and to teach kids how to succeed in school and during tests.
What is Test Anxiety?
Test anxiety is more than feeling a little stress before an exam, is a mix of physical intense symptoms and emotional reactions, which blocks the ability to perform well on exams.
Most kids have a strong desire to perform well and this is one of the reasons that they fear failure. That fear can quickly send them to a "fight & flight" response, creating intense body sensations and spinning out of control.
Those Physical symptoms are real, they can include headaches, bellyaches, lack of sleep, dry mouth, a sudden urge of wanting to go to the bathroom, muscles may feel tense and hands may get sweaty. All the while affecting their emotional state, with feelings of helplessness, fear, anger, and disappointment. Ultimately, showing cognitive and behavioral symptoms, such as negative thinking, moodiness, and difficulty thinking directly impacting their ability to perform well during the test.
Mindful Monkeys has developed an age-appropriate program addressing every physical, emotional, and cognitive symptom through a detailed step-by-step process; while preparing for a positive and successful "test day". Including the understanding of their brain states, changes, and chemical reactions, developing habits of self-regulation, mindfulness practices, breathing techniques, and practical tips to prepared weeks in advance of the test day.
