Mindful Monkey Education

I've been very quiet on socials but busy behind the scenes lately ❤️🐒❤️

34 workshops • 847 students • 10 schools
So many beautiful moments of calm, connection and 'come back, brain' this term.

Feeling really grateful to do this work ✨

Today I took a day away from the noise and spent time at a Buddhist temple — slowing down, meditating, and reconnecting with the kind of wisdom that’s been practised for thousands of years.

It felt grounding in the best way.
A reminder that mindfulness isn’t something we perform — it’s something we return to.

This is where Mindful Monkey really begins.
Not in lesson plans or resources, but in practising presence ourselves — so we can show up calmer, kinder, and more regulated for the children in our care.

One reflection that stayed with me today was about love and cherishing others:
✨ lasting love comes from what we can give, not what we can get.

I’ll be carrying this steadiness back into classrooms, homes, and little hearts learning how to navigate big feelings. ♥️🐒♥️

End-of-year desk vibes over here 💻✨
Term 1 is already shaping up to be a busy one, and I’m feeling so grateful for the schools booking in early ♥️🐒♥️

If your school is thinking about wellbeing sessions for Term 1 (no need to lock anything in yet!), I’m offering a 5% thank-you discount to any school that gets in touch before the end of December.

Just:
• send me a DM
• comment “interested” below
• or send me an email to [email protected]

Hope you’re all surviving this wild final stretch… and I can’t wait to visit lots of classrooms in Term 1 🌿






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Our go-to morning movement reset… honestly a lifesaver with two little boys.
When the energy is big, loud, fizzy or chaotic — we don’t start with talking.
We start with movement.
It shifts their bodies and their moods so much faster than words ever could.

Here are the simple movement regulators that work every single time for us:
• Trampoline time (our ultimate reset)
• Running to the fence and back
• Big shake-outs (arms, legs, whole body)
• Bouncing or rolling on the yoga ball
• Climbing the play frame
• Animal walks (bear, crab, frog)
• Slow swinging
• Fast → slow cycles (run fast, then walk slow)
• Couch rough-and-tumble (safe + supervised)
• Jumping pathways or stepping stones

Kids regulate in their bodies first.
Movement before talking — always.

Prep transition = ALL the feelings…
Hulk Breath to the rescue! 💚

My little Mindful Monkey was feeling it all this morning — a bit nervous, a bit excited, not quite sure what to do with himself.
I could feel it in him straight away (to be honest, I had my own wobbles too).

Before we left, we did a quick Hulk Breath — our go-to when things feel big.

💚 How to do Hulk Breath:
1️⃣ Stand strong – feet planted on the ground like a superhero.
2️⃣ Make two fists – “Hulk hands” by your sides. ✊✊
3️⃣ Slow breath in – breathe in through your nose as you lift your fists up. ⬆️
4️⃣ Strong breath out – breathe out through your mouth as you pull your arms down with a bit of power. ⬇️
5️⃣ Repeat 3–5 times – until their (or your) body starts to soften and the jitters ease.

It’s simple, but it really helps get some of that buzzy energy out of his body and brings him back into himself.

After a couple of rounds, he was good to go – uniform on, shoulders up, out the door to his Prep transition.
Such a big moment for such a little person. 💚

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Mindful Listening is one of Sensory Sally's favourite ways to be mindful. 👂✨
These days her Super Senses are so strong she can hear things all the way from New Zealand!

Mindful Listening reminds Sensory Sally that she is just one small monkey in a big, bustling world surrounded by soooo many other monkeys.

Have you tried doing Super Listening exercises with your students?
Get them to close their eyes and count how many sounds they can hear on their fingers. You'll be amazed at how quickly they settle into quiet focus.

🧠 Ever had a student who looks completely switched on… but then can’t tell you a single thing you just said?

Yep, that glazed-over 'I’m here but I’m not really here' look.

They’re sitting still, eyes forward, maybe even nodding. You think they’re right there with you…
But check what they’ve taken in, and—nothing. Their mind drifted off five minutes ago.

👀 That’s what we call silent drift.
The body’s in the room, but the mind’s gone exploring.

It’s not fidgeting or fiddling or zoning out in obvious ways. It’s quiet. It’s sneaky. Especially in younger students who are still learning what focus even feels like.

They’re not being lazy — they’re doing their best. But staying present takes practice. And when the mind wanders and we don’t notice, learning pretty much stalls.

That’s why mindful resets matter. They gently pull everyone’s energy back to now.

✨ Try this 90-second classroom reset:
1️⃣ Breathe in for 3, hold for 1, breathe out slow for 3. Do a few rounds together.
2️⃣ Add a soft sound layer — calm music, a hum, or a singing bowl.
3️⃣ Let hands rise with the breath in, lower with the breath out.

That’s it — breath, sound, movement.
A gentle reset to bring wandering minds back home and settle the nervous system so everyone can learn with calm focus again.

⏱ Try it mid-lesson or during transitions. No extra time needed — just 90 mindful seconds.

💬 Drop MINDFUL in the comments if you’d like the link to our in-school Mindfulness 101 incursions — where kids learn to reset with breath, music and movement-based play!

Meditation in a classroom? 😅
Yes, it’s possible—even when it feels like things are being thrown your way. Here are 6 powerful ways to help students take mindfulness seriously 👇

1️⃣ Explain the WHY
Students engage when they understand the purpose. Tell them meditation helps their brains focus, calm big feelings, and reset their bodies.

2️⃣ It’s a SKILL
Just like reading or sport, it takes practice. Remind them that wandering minds are normal and celebrate effort, not silence.

3️⃣ Share YOUR story
Tell them when and why you meditate. It helps them see mindfulness as something real, not just a classroom exercise.

4️⃣ Treat it as SACRED time
Dim the lights, play calm music, and create quiet zones. Consistent rituals teach that meditation matters.

5️⃣ Check-in BEFORE and AFTER
Ask how their body or mood feels before starting and again at the end. This helps them notice how mindfulness shifts their state.

6️⃣ Use MINDFUL TOOLS
Glitter jars, puppets, soft toys, cushions—familiar objects that signal “calm time” and create a safe routine.

Mindfulness isn’t about perfect stillness—it’s about helping kids pause, notice, and reset. Save this for your next classroom calm session. 🧘‍♀️

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When the puppets decide to upskill too ❤️🐒❤️

We’re diving into the Creative Mindfulness Teacher Training with and feeling all kinds of inspired already.

Can’t wait to bring even more creativity, art, and calm to future Mindful Monkey sessions 🎨

Our monkey minds love going on little adventures! 🐒
I love using the 'runaway brain' in my workshops because it’s such a powerful visual for this process - one that students instantly get! ❤️🐒❤️