10A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL MARCH 8, 2017
'Mindfulness' a new option for kids in Cottage Grove
Antra Renault practices 'mindfulness' in a new class for children
By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
Once a week for 90 minutes,
the studio at Crescent Moon
Yoga in Cottage Grove is not
full of downward dog or war-
rior poses, but of two children
learning to sit and breathe.
“Right now I have two stu-
dents but I’d like to get up to
six or eight,” says Antra Re-
nault, the instructor for the stu-
dio’s new mindfulness class.
Renault, a licensed therapist,
said she was looking for a way
to head off the issues she saw
in her offi ce every day when
she decided to teach a mind-
fulness class. According to Re-
nault, teaching children how to
breathe consciously and assess
their emotions in a healthy way
could be seen as a preventa-
tive measure for future mental
health and behavioral issues.
“When you tell someone to
calm down when they’re al-
ready in the reptile brain, the
fi ght or fl ight kicks in and you
might get punched in the face,”
she jokes.
The “reptile brain,” she says,
is a person’s natural fi ght or
fl ight response. By teaching
children how to recognize their
emotions and be mindful of
their reactions, Renault says
harmful or violent outbursts
can be controlled or avoided.
“The goal,” she says, “is to
be mindful before the explo-
sion.”
Each class varies but they
always begin with the chil-
dren pulling their yoga mat to
the studio fl oor and mindfully
breathing. Renault uses teach-
ing aides to explain complex
ideas to little minds including
two blue bottles; one with clear
liquid, the other with blue glit-
ter.
“Sometimes you’re the bot-
tle with the clear liquid and
you can see right through. But
when you have passion and
anger and creativity fl oating
around and out of control,” she
says, shaking the glitter-fi lled
bottle, “it’s hard to see through.
But if you just sit and breathe
for a few minutes, eventually,
it will calm and you can see,”
she says as the glitter slows and
settles.
Her methods, she says, al-
low students to think beyond
their emotional moment. Being
mindful had children asking
whether a bully had a bad day
before reacting to provocation
and acting out violently.
Other activities include act-
ing out tantrums which, Re-
nault says, usually ends with
students laughing and rolling
on the fl oor. They also prac-
tice breathing with handmade
pinwheels and play “Curious
Alien,” which allows children
to explore their fi ve senses.
“They pick something out of
the bag and put it behind their
back and we go through the
senses. Even if they know it’s
a rock, they have to go through
Opal Center to put on student show
the senses and it just has them
slow down and be mindful,”
Renault says.
The favorite activity, howev-
er, is simply running around the
studio.
“They’ll run and tumble
around,” Renault says,” But
then I’ll shut the lights off and
they have to freeze and assess.
‘Ok, my breathing is fast and
my heart is pounding,’ and real-
ly, that’s no different than fear.
So they learn to go through that
emotion.”
The class runs every Wednes-
day and is priced on a sliding
scale from $8 to $15.
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Leah Murray had an idea. What if she
could get local teens involved in theatre
and help them pay for extracurricular
activities at the same time? The answer
came to her after recalling her own high school experience.
While top priority is for students involved in a group, Murray
“We always did lip sync every year,” she said. “We’d sing a song says she would consider individual students who want to take part
and do a skit and the audience would vote.”
in a theatre experience who would be willing to donate their win-
The idea for the performance at Opal Theatre in Cottage Grove nings to a school organization. However, individuals would not be
doesn’t differ much from Murray's own experience. Students will permitted to keep their winnings should they take home fi rst, sec-
choose a song, dress up and put on a show. The winner will earn ond or third place in the competition.
$250 to use for the school group of their choice whether it be cheer-
"It really is to help pay those
leading, football, the arts department or somewhere in between.
fees so students can do the ac-
“It’s about helping kids do the activities they wants to do. I grew tivities," Murray said.
up without a lot of money and I hated the fundraising part of doing
Applications for Lip Sync
those extracurricular activities,” Murray said.
Battle are available through
On March 31, students will put on the “Lip Sync” show and com- the Opal Center and are due by
pete for the grand prize. Second place can earn $175 and third place March 10.
will take home $100.
The skits do not have to be
elaborate but Murray, who
will be directing the action on
March 31, said the more imag-
ination, the better.
“For instance,” she said,
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acted like we were at Kmart for
the Blue Light Special.”
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Students can mirror Murray's
approach or they can close-
ly follow the example set by
the television show “Lip Sync
Battle” in which celebrities lip
sync popular songs in costume.
“It’s about using your imagi-
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By Caitlyn May
cmay@cgsentinel.com
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