Welcome to the Island of Zoi!
Baku is leaving for his second day of school and the butterflies in his stomach are fluttering away. With the help of his Mum and his teacher, Miss Gelio, Baku discovers how to conquer his fear of school and join in the games that make school not-so scary after all!
Over the years, I have worked with many clients who are concerned about their children adapting to school and changes that may happen in the family. I found that by teaching a few simple mindfulness techniques to my clients they have been able to go home and teach their children. This provided a fun exercise for them to do together to find a way to calm themselves and their children. Often we will hold our breath or breathe very shallow when we are scared or stressed or anxious. When our bodies are not getting enough oxygen, the mind and body feel that we need to go into survival mode. This is often referred to as the flight, fight or freeze mode, which may create irritability, difficulty sleeping, upset stomach and loss of appetite to name just a few symptoms. In my story, Baku’s mother teaches him how to regulate his breath so that his mind and body can understand that he is not under attack and he does not need his survival mode right now. Miss Gelio teaches him how to ground himself in the present moment by using his five senses. When we ground ourselves, we are living in the moment rather than in the past or the future. School may be an unknown place at the beginning and the unknown may create excitement or anxiety. These techniques are meant to be fun, interactive and hopefully helpful.