Where to Place Your Station

The Mental Power (MP) Station is a multi-use commodity. The “home” location should be on a wall, visible and inspiring, and easy to access as a formal part of daily practice. Each mat in your station is also a “grab and go” item to place wherever you need it. Here are the options…

1. Central ( recommended): Place your MP Station and banner on a wall in a central area to access quickly in between turns/drills/events. With Velcro backing, mats are a “grab and go” to place on the floor or ground wherever you are training.
2. Nearby (recommended): Place your MP Station and banner in a side space in a less busy area, which can feel a little calmer. Make sure it’s still visible and easy to access, and “grab and go” to a certain spot during practice. Always return MP mats to their “home” location when finished.
3. Stacked or rolled up in a bin (not recommended): Place the mats in a storage space to pull out and use on the floor. Place the MP banner above or near the mats.

How to Use the Mats

Each day, set the tone before an event or task, start with 1-2 minutes to practice Zen and Aura exercises to feel calm, focused, and feel positive. In between turns, add the other mats as a mental prep before their next turn.

Each mat has 2 items: 1) Instructions to follow, and 2) Words to repeat.

1. When you see “3x” with an instruction, simply follow it and do the action 3x. 
2. For Zen mat, step #2: Inhale through your nose 1,2,3,4.
   Hold it… Breathe out…1,2,3,4.
   Close your eyes and feel loose. (3x)
   Tell kids to DO the action 3x.
   It’s not necessary to repeat the words out loud.
3. Where you see quotation marks with “3x” that’s for repeating the words aloud.
   For Zen #1: “I want to feel peaceful inside.” (3x)
   Tell kids to say or whisper those words 3x.
   They are programming their minds for success!

Introduce the Mental Power Station

Start in a quiet space with a group of kids or teens. Sit down for 30-45 minutes and introduce the Station Mats: Zen, Aura, Athena, and Oz. Read the mats together, ask kids what they think, and make it fun!

Explain to individuals: “These Mental exercises are very easy to do. The exercises will help you to feel less stressed, focus and perform better, reduce nerves and fear, and feel more confident. With regular practice, you’ll see improvements. The most important part is to feel calm and peaceful while training mentally.”

Practice Together & Keep It Age Appropriate

Important: Breathe and do the exercises with the kids. It’s a partnership. Do not expect young kids to grasp these skills easily.  Remember, kids’ brains are not fully developed, keep it fun, and simple, and create habits over time.

1. For ages 12-up, use 1-week timeframes to learn the exercises and practice. Start with Zen and practice the calming exercises for 1 week. Then add Aura for 1 week, learn and practice both Zen and Aura; let individuals write down the phrases they like in their MP Journals (order at ZenTigerMind.com). Next week, add Athena, learn and practice the “Break Down a Skill” exercise in the MP Journal for 1-2 weeks. When ready, add Oz the Orca.
2. For ages 9-11, practice Zen for 2 weeks and add another mat every 2 weeks. Write down phrases and scripts in their MP Journal. Ask which exercises or phrases are helping them. Show that you care and keep it simple.
3. For ages 8 and under, take 3-4 weeks to learn and practice each mat. Slow is best! Start with Zen Tiger to get calm. Keep it positive, fun, and simple. Add Aura for the next 4 weeks. And consider staying with these mats for several months.
4. Allow kids and teens 2-3 minutes per mat at first.  Model the exercises, and be positive and patient. It will be new for them.
5. After 2-3 weeks, they will feel more comfortable and memorize most of the exercises. Then 1-2 minutes per mat will be fine.  For older kids and teens, they may only need 30 seconds, let them decide.
6. Practice a total of 10 minutes a day. Ask them how they feel. Remind them to make notes in their MP Journal.

Group Dynamics, Injuries & Difficulties

1. Always make mental practice positive for growth and feeling good. Never use the MP Station as a punishment or consequence.
2. Train as a group every other week for 20-30 minutes. Discuss openly how the exercises are helping. Lie down and focus on deep breathing and relaxing; visualize a safe, peaceful place (like Zen) for 5 minutes. This helps for visualizing skills and routines.
3. For injured or fearful individuals, the MP Station is excellent to give them structured work with thoughts and emotions. They can practice breathing, positive self-talk, visualizing, and prepare their minds for physical training. Log mental exercises in the MP Journal each day. Talk about mental goals and trust the process.
4. Difficult days will still occur. But with mental practice, individuals will feel less stressed knowing they have tools and support to handle struggles. Say to kids and teens, “We’ll go slowly. You have all the power inside you, and I’m here to help you.” Always create a caring partnership and believe in them no matter what.

Games, Conditioning, and Bonding Exercises

Play tag and shout “I am strong!” Play Duck Duck Goose but call it Zen Zen Tiger. Add Aura to a conditioning session to say positive words in between strength exercises. There are hundreds of wonderful ideas for using your Mental Power Station.

Check back with us! More to come…!