Join Us for a Moment of Mindfulness
Join us for a moment of mindfulness as we explore the live webcam of Channel Island National Park’s ocean floor! Click here for the link, https://www.nps.gov/!
Once you’ve loaded the webcam, take a few moments to observe this beautiful underwater scene. What do you notice? How many different kinds of plants can you count? Are there any animals in this habitat? How does this habitat differ from your habitat or home? What are some similarities?
Breathe. Listen to the ocean waves, flowing back and forth. Breathe again.
Now, silently imagine that you are a kelp leaf swaying in the ocean current. Feel the force of the water as it pushes you forwards and pulls you back. How do you feel as you float across the ocean floor? Do you feel weightless and light as you are tossed to and fro? Or do you feel heavy as the water above pressed down on you? Look up and notice the sun’s rays drifting down from the water’s surface. Feel the sun’s energy in your cells as you photosynthesis. Take a deep breath, in and out.
What do you smell? Does it smell sweet? Does it smell salty? Maybe even a little fishy? Tilt your head to the left….then to the right. What do you hear? Do you hear the ocean waves crashing above? Do you hear a fish as it quickly swims past you? Perhaps you can hear the music of the ocean floor as a rock tumbles across the sand keeping perfect time with your heartbeat. Place your hand over your heart. Can you feel it?
Breathe. Listen to the ocean waves, flowing back and forth. Breathe again and let yourself slowly float back to the surface.
Take a few moments to write down how this exercise made you feel. If you could describe how it made you feel using just three words, what three words would you choose?
From memory, draw your favorite moment that you experienced as a kelp leaf. Was it when you saw a bright orange fish swim by? Or when the sunshine became extra vibrant all of the sudden? As an extra challenge, find a partner (maybe your brother, sister, mom, or dad… or you could video chat a friend!) and describe your favorite scene to them (without showing them your picture). Use as many describing words (adjectives) as you can. As you describe the scene to them, they will draw it according to your description. Afterward, compare your picture with their picture. Are they similar? How so? How are they different? Why do you think they’re different? How could you have described your scene differently in order to be more successful?
