Pebble Meditation

Resources for Pebble Meditation
Click on the items below for the booklet of Thich Nhat Hanh teaching the complete practice of pebble meditation, the pebble meditation practice sheet, and colorful Pebble Meditation Cards that guide children through pebble meditation step by step ( you can cut them out and laminate them and then punch a hold in them [...]

Pebble Bag Treasure Hunt

You can make or buy pebble meditation bags for this activity. They can be small, perhaps 3 by 3 inches. You can buy special pebbles or collect them in nature. Put four in each bag. (You can also have the children make their own pebble bags and collect their own pebbles. You need to have [...]

Touching the Earth by Thich Nhat Hanh

In Plum Village we do a practice called “Touching the Earth” every day. It helps us in many ways. You too could be helped by doing this practice. When you feel restless or lack confidence in yourself, or when you feel angry or unhappy, you can kneel down and touch the Earth deeply with your [...]

Bell of Mindfulness

From Mindfulness Bell issue #48

Note:  What you might say is in boldface.  The answers to questions in parenthesis are the answers our children gave us.
Materials Needed:
Bowl bell and its cushion
Inviter
Did you know the Buddha calls us?  Today we will listen to see if we can hear the Buddha calling us.
Listen, I think he is calling [...]

Peanut butter Balls: Interbeing

Time
This activity can take 1 or 2 days, depending on the ages and interests of the children and how much time you have. Note:  What you might say is in boldface.  The answers to questions in parenthesis are the answers our children gave us.
Materials
Peanut butter
Dried Oatmeal
Honey
Sunflower seeds
…And any or all of these:

Cinnamon
Raisins
Dried cherries
Pumpkin seeds
Chocolate chips
Coconut [...]

The Two Promises

I vow to develop understanding in order to live peacefully with people, animals, plants, and minerals.
I vow to develop my compassion, in order to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals.

During every family retreat, children learn about the Two Promises, mindfulness trainings for children. We learn a song about them and [...]

The Mindful School Bell, by Ed Glauser

I am an elementary school counselor in a conservative town in Georgia that is part of the “Bible belt.” This year, I have been bringing my bell of mindfulness into classrooms and inviting the bell to sound as we mindfully breathed in and out. I saw signs throughout the year that the students and teachers [...]

Introducing snack meditation

In retreats, we usually offer a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon, as children tend to get hungry often. It is important to serve healthy snacks, like fresh or dried fruit, nuts, pretzels, natural crackers or cookies. We can serve water or juice in re-usable cups to avoid creating a lot of trash. We can prepare basins [...]

Food contemplations for Young People

This food is the gift of the whole universe: The earth, the sky, the rain, and the sun.

We thank the people who have made this food, especially the farmers, the people at the market and the cooks.

We only put on our plate as much food as we can eat.

We want to chew the food [...]

Touching the Earth for Young People

Touching the earth is a practice developed by Thich Nhat Hanh to help us connect with the many different aspects of who we are: our blood and spiritual families; the country we live in; and all beings– animals, plants and minerals. When we are connected to our roots, to all that sustains us, we are [...]