Using Movement & Mindfulness to Cultivate Self-Regulation

By Paige Lichens

Here at TSS, we do physical fitness differently. Our students take a Movement and Mindfulness (“M&M”) class designed to help students find ways to move their body that they enjoy. They also learn about the foundations of mindfulness and how to develop their own mindfulness practice. 

Mindfulness helps individuals with emotional regulation. It is paying attention in the moment without judgment. It helps individuals pause between a thought or stimulus and a reaction. Developing this ability to pause is the foundation of self-regulation. 

In M&M class, students engage in various physical activities such as specific sports (e.g., basketball, volleyball, soccer, ultimate frisbee), strength training, dance, and hatha yoga. Activities also include stillness or release practices like Myofascial ball, resistance training, yin yoga, meditation, mindful activities, and observing the breath. All the approaches are focused on identifying the reaction of the body in response to surroundings or feelings. The secondary task is to allow multiple conflicting emotions and perspectives to be present.

More than a physical education course, M&M uses an approach known as ‘bottom up’ where awareness begins with information acquired from the body’s sensation.  This approach accepts the feelings and sensations as they happen in real time and builds further awareness of the nervous system’s response. Students may come to recognize dysregulated responses, such as flight, fight, or freeze. Once students become aware of how they react to stressful situations, they can explore the reasons why they feel unsafe without feeling overwhelmed or judged. 

Our hope is that students will grow and develop additional observations of their body and awareness of their body’s signals. They can learn new coping skills to help shift their response to activate what is called the parasympathetic nervous system, or resting response of the body. Through these insights, students can develop more adaptive coping strategies. 

Families may observe their child using new coping skills outside school and wonder where they learned these strategies. Some students may not be aware that they are using new skills. Parents can help by verbalizing their observations to help raise students’ awareness of their new skills, build their vocabulary around feeling states, and/or help students describe their current environment. When students put their thoughts into words and connect how they are feeling in their bodies with their emotions, it helps them with increased self-awareness and self-regulation.

Parents can also model connecting thoughts and feelings with coping strategies by thinking out loud. For example, you could say that you’re feeling stressed or anxious, so you’re going to take a walk. Or, you feel tired and grumpy, so you’re going to take a nap. These are examples of listening to your body and giving your body what it needs. 

One important element of M&M is that observations are done without judgment, blame, or shame. All humans have times when they feel angry, sad, frustrated, or hurt. The learning comes in figuring out how to navigate these feelings in a healthy way. At TSS, we teach students how to take action around their feelings by asking for help, incorporating movement in their day, pausing to reflect, and/or offering kindness. These responses help them focus, navigate their feelings, and improve their ability to be present and learn throughout the day.