Mindfulness training improves so much – four ways to strengthen relationships
In the fast-paced society, it is important to pause and create some breathing space to train the mind and promote greater balance. Bryndís Jóna Jónsdóttir from the Mindfulness Centre has led mindfulness training with staff in several nurseries and primary schools in Hafnarfjörður, which has been directly integrated into the school's work with good results. She shares exercises here that the whole family can easily adopt during Advent.
In the fast-paced society, it is important to pause and create some breathing space to train the mind and promote greater balance. Bryndís Jóna Jónsdóttir from the Mindfulness Centre has led mindfulness training with staff in several nurseries and primary schools in Hafnarfjörður, which has been directly integrated into the school's work with good results. She shares exercises here that the whole family can easily adopt during Advent.
- Breathe and count: Set aside 1 to 3 minutes, count up to 5 as you breathe in and repeat this several times. There is no need to change your breathing, just notice it. You can keep track of the time on your phone or with a clock.
- Bands with mindfulness: It's a good idea to choose, for example, a mandarin, a raisin or a sweet. Try to engage all your senses: be curious about the experience, look at the colours and shapes, feel the texture, smell it and check for any sound. Notice what happens in your body before the piece of food goes into your mouth and you taste it. Did you notice anything new?
- The weather within you: Pause and bring your attention to your breathing. Then notice how you feel right now; what is the weather like inside you? Is it calm and sunny, foggy, windy or something else? Allow yourself to feel as you do and to be as you are. It is then good to rest your attention on your breathing again.
- Ten-fingered gratitude: Think of at least 10 things you are grateful for. Notice how you feel at the same time, what emotions you experience and how they manifest in your body. It can also be fun to make a gratitude jar that the family puts notes in, drawn or written on with things each person is grateful for, and look at them together on a cosy evening.
- Changing gear, walking mindfully: Stand completely still, focus your attention on your feet. Walk very slowly, step by step, and notice what it feels like to walk in n.k. first gear. Then you can change gear, at different speeds and even go into reverse gear. Also walking on tiptoes, on heels, hopping, pretending to be an animal or anything else that keeps your attention on the walking.
Hafnarfjörður's Christmas Magazine 2021
This coverage is part of the content in Hafnarfjörður's Christmas Magazine 2021. The Christmas issue has the sole and true purpose of introducing the Christmas town of Hafnarfjörður to all interested parties, to visitors and passers-by, and to shine a light on the warmth and diversity that lies with the people and businesses of the Christmas town of Hafnarfjörður. The 2021 Christmas magazine features, among other things, coverage of alternative entertainment, fitness traditions, the unique community spirit of the residents, the House of Opportunities in Hellisgerði, family-run businesses, the Northern Lights, magically-themed cafés, tempting recipes, the importance of enjoying oneself and relaxing, The Christmas Heart and the Heartwarming, which opens in December, community projects for the good of the community, and last but not least, the Christmas Village, which opened on the first weekend of Advent.