Safe Body

1. What do you think the word “safe” means?

 [Go around the circle and have everyone take a turn answering the question]

To be safe can mean your whole self feels comfortable and okay. That nothing bad is going to happen

To be safe can mean something bad did happen to you, and then you found care and safety with another person or within a place

To be safe can mean that you felt strong and protected when something scary was happening around you

2. For this first session, we are going to be focusing on keeping our bodies safe. What do you think it means to have a safe body?

 [Go around the circle and have everyone take a turn answering the question]

When you are safe, your physical body feels protected from injury and harm. This means your body is out of danger

When you have a safe body, this means even when you have an injury, illness, or allergy, you have or find the necessary tools to protect your body

Having a safe physical body means you do what you can to protect it. You are your physical body’s best protector

3. Why do you think it is important to keep our bodies safe?

[Go around the circle and have everyone take a turn answering the question]

Our physical bodies protect us from many types of harm and help us stay safe from disease and injury by preventing it or helping us heal from it

Our bodies are also the source in which we communicate in many ways- they help us to build relationships

Our bodies help us to express ourselves, whether this is through pursuing the things we love to do like dancing, singing, playing, or finding a cozy place to rest

Our bodies also help us feel our emotions. Our bodies allow us to cry when we are sad, laugh when we feel joy, scream when we need to release anger, and reach out when we need comfort

Our bodies help us to move. Through our bodies, we move from one place to another.

4. What are some things we can do to protect our bodies?

[Go around the circle and have everyone take a turn answering the question]

We can protect our bodies by paying attention to what our limits are. For example, if your body feels tired, it may be time to rest instead of pushing to stay awake and be active. This is how we set healthy boundaries

We can protect our bodies by keeping them healthy. Caring for our bodies when they are sick and making choices where our bodies have the opportunity to heal and thrive

We can make choices that do not put our bodies into harm’s way

We can listen to our bodies when they are hungry, ill, happy, tired, or excited. By listening to our bodies and what they need, we can figure out how best to care for them

Protecting our bodies means figuring out how to love them and that they are lovable

We can protect our bodies by also respecting other people’s bodies. For example, if we feel our anger building, we find a way to release it that isn’t harming someone else

[Invite the group to find a relaxing position, take a mat or towel, if you are working on a hard

floor. They may sit or lie down to be comfortable. Speak slightly slower in a soft, soothing tone

throughout, pausing briefly between sentences. You may play soft, instrumental music in the

background while reading the meditation script]

Welcome to our Meditation Time -- the time where we relax and connect to the spirit in and

around us. I invite you to put a cushion on the floor, and to sit cross-legged, with a nice tall back

and your hands relaxed in your lap. Quietly do that now, as we begin our meditation.  [Wait until

the group is settled, then read the meditation script.]

I am going to guide you through our meditation to help you relax. Let’s close our eyes, and let’s

start by putting our hands on our bellies, and taking a deep, long breath in. Feel your belly rise

as you breathe in – to the count of 1, 2, 3. Then feel your belly fall, as you slowly breathe out –

to the count of 1, 2, 3. Now breathe in – 1, 2, 3. And slowly breathe out like a tire losing air – 1,

2, 3. Continue to breathe in and out slowly and steadily. Relax your body into the floor beneath

you. Keep breathing.

Safety is a feeling of calm and peace, shielded from negative things that might happen.  It's a

harbor in a storm, a hug when something scares us, the seatbelt that protects us when we're in

a car.  [Pause.]  Safety is being mindful of what is happening inside and around us, and doing

the things that will keep us from harm   [Long Pause.]  Think of the strong frame and foundation

of a house.  They create sturdy walls, ceilings, and floors that keep out the rain and snow, and

give us the shelter we need to feel that we are protected.  That protection allows us to share

time together, read, play, and feel secure living our lives.  [Pause.]  Just like your house is a

structure, your body is a structure, too.  It houses something very precious.  It houses you --

your ideas, your talents, your playfulness, your strength!  And as we appreciate and take care of

our home, it's just as important to appreciate and take care of our body.  [Pause.] There are

many ways to take care of our bodies.  We can eat healthy foods and drink lots of water to help

our bodies grow strong and healthy.  We can make good decisions and stay away from

dangerous situations.  We can pay attention to how we're feeling and take a break or ask for

help if we need it.  [Long Pause.]  Keeping our bodies safe, and honoring the safety of others'

bodies, will make it possible for all of us to feel happy, healthy, and confident -- and to

experience all the wonderful things that life has to offer.

Now let’s take one more deep breath, and slowly let it out. Now slowly open your eyes and

slowly roll to the side and sit up to end our time of meditation.

[Optional: Turn off music]  [Optional: Say: Please return your cushion to its starting place]

Your Safe House - Safe Body

Before you begin each creative activity for sessions 1,2, and 3 of Staying Safe, we recommend listening to the correlated meditation for each session first. These meditations really help to support and explain what our Safe House represents.

Directions:

This activity is a little bit different from our previous life skills sessions. For the topic of Staying Safe, you are going to be working on the same activity throughout all three sessions.

Everyone is going to be building a house- maybe everyone has their own house, maybe a class is building a house together, or maybe it is a family house- you are going to be adding important elements to your home throughout each of the sessions.

For our first session, we talked about Safe Bodies and what a safe body is. For this activity, the part of the house that represents your safe body is going to be the frame of the house, which represents the bones in your body- the floors, the walls- the foundation.

Materials Needed:

Note, these materials are for drawing, but you can be creative and build this

• If possible, a large piece of paper could be really fun to work on

• Markers, Crayons, pencils or whatever utensil your child enjoys

How is your home starting to look? As you were creating the frame of your house, what were you thinking about? Were you maybe considering the things you wanted to let in your home and also maybe the things you wanted to keep out?

Did you know you are in control of your house and your body- you get to decide what gets to stay and what needs to leave. When you think of a safe body or a safe home- what does that feel like to you? Maybe it is a space that feels warm, even on the coldest days. Maybe it is a space where the people you love can come together and share time and connect. Maybe it is a space where you find quiet when everything feels overwhelming.

As you are creating this house, keep in mind, your house may look different than other people’s homes- and that is okay. Because your house is yours and it is lovingly and beautifully uniquely you!

Closing - Choose One:

Closing Affirmation - Option 1

Turn to the person to your right, look them in the eye and say, “I am happy I could share this time with you and hear about your beliefs.”

Closing Prayer - Option 2  

The light of god surrounds us
The love of god enfolds us
The power of god protects us
The presence of god watches over us
Wherever we are, god is, and all is well!