Golden Time for Kids

A pioneering approach to stress an anxiety for children and their teachers is being piloted at a primary school in Edinburgh with great success.

The initiative is part of Forthview Primary School’s ‘GoldenTime’ sessions which give children aged 8 – 12 the option to choose an hour of relaxation and meditation from a selection of weekly activities.

During this, children are taught how to use relaxation and visualisation techniques in the school’s ‘quiet room’. The room is designed with soft lights, cushions and music and in this environment children are shown how to visualise and relax to help them let go of anxiety and find a sense of peace. The results took Headmistress, Sheila Laing, by surprise.

“We are keen to explore ways that will help children find a method to access their thoughts and emotions to find their voice and let go of worries. In addition to our Quiet Assemblies and a Feeling Book, we decided to explore relaxation and visualisation techniques too. After a few sessions, the response was very positive, particularly with children who have special needs or were experiencing high levels of stress. It is an initiative that we are definitely keen to pursue in the long term.”

The tutor, Lorraine Urquhart, runs a complimentary health company offering a number of classes and workshops throughout Edinburgh to help people deal with stress and anxiety using visualisation and meditation, and was delighted to become involved with Forthview Primary School.

“After a visit to Canada I learned that they were teaching children how to use visualisation and meditation with great success. With the amount of stress children experience these days because of poverty, exams and bullying, I felt strongly that these techniques should be used here and not be left for people to accidentally discover during adulthood. The children have responded very positively to the sessions which is really rewarding. In this multicultural society, this non-denominational approach seems to be a way to help children find some peace in their lives.

Teachers at the school have also participated in a visualisation class designed for them. Ideally it would be great to train teachers in schools how to use visualisation techniques to for themselves and their pupils when trying to deal with stress and anxiety. I hope other schools will have the foresight to embrace these techniques too”.

For further information, please contact Lorraine Urquhart on 0131 337 1890 or email at goldentime@ilovefgt.com