Feel Here, Sense Now

This week we share with you a story of how two teachers' exploration of helping students improve their body postures led to an innovative and evolving framework called Awareness Through the Body (ATB) which enables children to become more self-aware and empowers them to better manage their emotions, exercise self-control, and develop the faculties of self-direction and responsibility.

When they were asked about how they collaborated to develop this work over three decades, one of them replied: "I always think that ATB in reality is not ours. We are like the people who, looking for gold, suddenly hit upon a vein. We are just following the vein. We keep going and it keeps unraveling. On and on."

In this kind of subtle work, it is often difficult to measure the impact of what children have practiced and experienced, at the same time, children notice changes in themselves. One boy, who had difficulty managing his emotions, reported that now he was almost always able to refrain from getting into fights with other children. This meant that he was beginning to be able to observe and manage a part of his being that was earlier out of his conscious control. Others have said that they are more aware of their actions and the consequences of their actions. Some children use this work to protect themselves in challenging situations with friends, in school or at home, to focus their attention when they feel scattered or stressed, or to relax and fall asleep. 

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Title: Inner Balance for Kids
By: Dietlind Zimmermann, Norbert Heinrich, Hans Dieter Wöhrle
For: Everyone who already teaches tai chi chuan, qigong, yoga, other Asian martial arts like karate, kung fu, aikido or similar arts to adults – and would like to offer these arts to children.

“Inner Balance for Kids” has been written by a team of authors who draw on expert knowledge and many years of practical experience. Are you looking for a resource that:

• helps children gain self-confidence?
• helps children cope with stress?
• promotes physical and mental fitness?
• teaches social skills?
• supports frustration tolerance and the ability to deal with conflicts?
• helps children become calmer and overcome lack of concentration (ADHD etc.)?
• encourages children to develop their own potential?
• and is also lots of fun?!

This book gives you answers to your questions, provides background knowledge and describes over 120 practice-tested, child-friendly exercises.

Carve out some time to consciously observe and become aware of the reality around you "as it is" and not "as I would like it to be." Reflect on what changes when we become aware of reality as a "witness" without judgement or analysis of the mind.