Here I am teaching about the mind using the glitter jar which represents the mind settling. A glitter jar is one of the most powerful visual metaphors for that connection; it illustrates how mindfulness—the cultivation of stillness in the face of swirling chaos of life—affects us. At first I used to do this practice only with young kids, but I’ve since found that even special needs and also teens enjoy it.
This is a fun activity for teaching mindfulness to everyone including special needs.
How to Create a Glitter Jar for Kids
Mind in a Jar Activity
This jar represents your mind. The liquid is clear and all the glitter is sitting at the bottom. The jar is calm. This would be your mind when you are feeling calm, alert, balanced, and rested. Your mind is clear and you are thinking clearly.
Take a deep breath and think about where you are in this present moment, right here, right now. Notice what you see, hear, smell, taste and feel. This is called present moment awareness or mindfulness. You are paying attention to the present moment in a particular way; that is, on purpose and without judging or reacting.
Shake the jar and watch the glitter swirl around in the jar. Each piece of glitter in this jar represents a thought, feeling, memory, story, a to-do list, an event last night, an appointment next week, a due date tomorrow. Think of the jar as your mind when you have strong feelings or many, many thoughts swirling around in your head. This can create stress in your body and shallow quick breathing. It’s hard to focus. You may react quickly or say something without thinking. Its easy to start blaming and judging yourself or others. You might be feeling tension in your body.
Now lets see what happens to your mind when you just sit quietly for a minute and breathe slowly, inhaling and exhaling through your nose. If a new thought comes to your mind and you notice it simply go back to focusing on your breath. Watch the glitter in the jar slowly falling. The water in the jar becomes clearer as the glitter rests at the bottom of the jar. Notice if there is a change in your body and in your mind, also. Does the mind in the jar match the mind in your head? It might not, it takes practice. It is simple but not always easy to do. With daily practice you will quickly get better at it.
You can do this experiment anytime you find yourself feeling tense, angry, frustrated, nervous, overwhelmed or confused. Just take a few long, slow, deep breaths for a minute, focusing on the inhales and exhales. Brings yourself back to the present moment, to right here and right now. Remember the Mind-in-the-Jar Experiment to bring yourself back to thinking calmly and clearly again.
“Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally.”
-Jon Kabat-Zinn, Author of Mindfuln
ॐDebie Lee's🪷Healthy Living Mindfulness ॐ 