Adapted from Teach Your Child Meditation by Lisa Roberts (Sterling 2018)
What is Magic Feather?
Magic Feather is a sensory technique utilizing feathers to calm or to gently awaken and energize the body and mind.
How does it help?
Magic Feather is sensory technique that supports body awareness and proprioception (sense of where the physical body is positioned or located in space).
Just like a magic trick, simply altering the pressure, speed, and direction of the feather strokes either calm or stimulate the nervous system to self-soothe and relax or to energize and awaken body and mind.
Simple steps:
Magic Feather can be practiced as a partner activity or as a self-massage technique. Use quick, short upward strokes to feel energized, and long, gentle downward strokes to feel calm and relaxed.
Partner activity:
One partner lies comfortably on a yoga mat with the eyes gently closed and completely relaxed.
The second partner uses a feather to gently apply soft strokes along partner one’s arms, legs, torso and face. For the face it is recommended to gently trace the jawline, temples, forehead, bridge of nose and neck and, for safety avoid the inside of the ears, nose and the eyes area.
Encourage partner one to also use this exercise as a meditation, staying focused and present as they apply the feathering strokes and observe subtle responses from partner two.
Switch roles.
Individual meditation/self-massage:
Begin in a comfortable seated position. Close your eyes and take a few slow breaths to feel centered and present. Using a feather, gently apply soft feathery strokes to your body. Experiment with different pressure, speed and direction with your feathery strokes.
Notice how it makes you feel. Are there areas of the body you are drawn to? Are you holding tension in that area of your body?
Follow this simple self-massage routine:
Apply light, feathery strokes to the back of one hand and fingers. Move to the palm, then along the arm, all the way to the shoulder (cover your entire arm: back, front and along the sides with light, feathery strokes). Repeat on the other arm.
Gently sweep your feather along the jawline, temples, across your forehead and down the bridge of your nose; over and under your chin, and along the neck, include the sides and back of your neck too, if your feather can reach those areas.
Gently sweep your feather across your chest and down to your belly. Sweep the along either side of your torso to the hips.
Sweep the feather down one leg, all of the way to your foot; cover the entire leg, back and front.
Sweep across the top of the foot and the ankle, as well as the sole of the foot. Repeat on the other leg.
No feather? No problem!
Use your fingertips! Apply very soft, gentle strokes by lightly dragging your fingertips in an upward or downward motion, barely touching the body.
Ready to learn more? Check out the following webinars:
Reflective Meditation for Children