Wáa sá i yatee? (How are you?)
Ax toowú sigóo (I am happy, my spirit is happy)
Ax toowú ya néekw Ya (I am sad, my spirit is sick)
How are you just now? Sometimes, it can be hard to talk about how we feel. Our emotions are powerful, and they can affect our days and the people around us.
Sometimes, emotions can be confusing or scary. A particular feeling is not good or bad – everyone gets angry or sad sometimes – they are just trying to tell us that something is wrong and our body wants something to change. Being able to use your emotions to figure out what you need, and then express that to someone is what matters most!
The way that we express our emotions affects how people view us and our relationships with them. Human beings must work hard to understand their own emotions so that we can express ourselves in a healthy way.
Emotions are a powerful guide for our lives. At I Toowú Klatseen, we use 4 steps to feel and express uncomfortable emotions: BOFT, for Breathe, Observe, Feel, Talk. Practice using BOFT so that the next time you have an uncomfortable emotion, you can use it without it using you!
1. Breathe: Take a moment to breathe in and out deeply and let yourself calm down.
2. Observe: How does your body feel? Where in your body do you feel your emotions (heart pounding, stomach sick)? Observe your emotions: What are you feeling right now? How do you know?
3. Feel: Take a moment to let yourself fully feel and express that emotion — how might you do that? Cry, run really fast, write in your journal, hit a pillow, ride your bike, throw rocks into water? Remind yourself “it’s okay to feel this way.”
4.Talk: Talk to someone who can help you, like an uncle or aunt, coach, older sibling, or friend about how you feel and what’s going on. How might you resolve the issue? Get advice from an adult if you need to!
Watch and hear from kids learning to use mindfulness to navigate their feelings:
Check out the clip below from our Zoom call about Emotion Volcanoes!
I Toowú Klatseen 