Infuse the Room

When kids’ energy is really high, I often try to mash it down. I force them to sit still, tell them over and over to keep their hands in their own space, talk in a loud voice, exert my FORCE in an attempt to calm them down. It doesn’t work so well…

This week, I’ve been trying something new. Instead of forcing their energy down with my energy, I simply enter the room calm, and infuse the room with calm, and deal with challenges calmly. I’m talking super-duper-zen-mind-trick-calm. Freaky calm. I talk quietly. I sing quietly. I slow my breath. I model the energy that I want them to have. I vibrate the entire room with my calming force.

And it works. Mindblowingly so. Their high energy has no foundation in which to root, and it dissipates. The children feed off of my calm, loving energy and are calm and loving themselves. I still do energetic activities, but I do so from a place of peacefulness. I’m able to be in the moment, and they make more positive choices that allow us to work, learn, and play together. And ohmygod is it less stressful.

Give it a try in a class (or other situation) that you dread, and let me know how it goes :)