Calming Glitter Jar

Calming Glitter Jar

The intention of this lesson is…

The intention of this lesson is…

to create a tool that can support calming and refocusing your mind when you might be overwhelmed, triggered or otherwise in need of some external support to re-center. These jars are designed to soothe and relax by encouraging awareness and intentional breath.

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How to prepare

How to prepare

Before you begin…

Gather your materials:

– An empty mason jar or plastic bottle (you can choose whatever size jar you’d like, though the amount of glue/water/glitter you will need will vary)

– A jug of warm water

– Glitter glue (about 1/2 cup)

– Gel food coloring (if desired)

– Glitter (about 1/4 cup)

– A spoon or straw to stir your mixture

– Hot glue gun (if needed to glue the top of the jar)

Choose a physical location where you feel comfortable and free to express your thoughts. Consider where you’ll have room to spread out your materials out and clean up any mess you (or the glitter) might make.

Manage your distractions as you are able:

– Consider what tends to distract you and minimize those distractions during this time. Consider turning off reminders and notifications on your devices; inform people of the time you need for this practice, close your door. etc.

Activity

Activity

When you feel ready to begin…

Get present: 

– Take a few deep breaths in and out your nose. 

– Remind yourself that whatever unfolds during this time is honorable.

Let’s create this jar! 

There are 7 steps to creating your calming glitter jar:

Step 1: Add warm water to your jar or bottle until it reaches about a third of the way up.

Step 2: Add the glitter glue and stir until it combines with the water.

Step 3: Add 2-4 drops of food color and stir. (You can add more or less depending on your preferred shade; but,  remember not to add too much or the mixture will become very dark and it will become hard to see the glitter.)

Step 4: Pour in the glitter! (Again, you can use more or less than suggested, or go for a mix of chunky and fine glitter to give more texture to your jar.)

Step 5: Stir the glitter well until combined with the existing mixture.

Step 6: Fill up your jar with the rest of the warm water, until it is almost full. You should leave a little gap at the top of the jar to allow the mixture to move.

Step 7: Squeeze a ring of glue around the lid of the jar. Press the lid onto the jar and secure it. You can also use hot glue on the outside to secure the lid.

When your jar is complete…

When your jar is complete, shake it and watch until the glitter settles at the bottom. As the glitter settles, take intentional breaths, keeping your awareness of the subtle movement of the glitter. 

You might notice that the glue is a little chunky, even after stirring and shaking a couple of times. It may take several shakes over the next day or so to disperse the glue in your jar evenly. The amount of time the glitter takes to settle depends on how much glue and glitter you added during the creation process.

Regrounding Moment

Regrounding Moment

Take a moment and journal your reflections on this process. How did it feel to create this calming glitter jar? How might you see yourself using it in the future? Where can you store your jar to keep it handy in moments of increased stress?

An Invitation to Integrate

We invite you to consider how you might include this practice in your daily life, in big or small ways. Consider placing your jar somewhere in your physical space where you could use a visual reminder for calming and refocusing your mind. It might feel useful to be able to reach for it in moments when you need some external support to re-center. During a stressful moments, take a few deep, intentional breaths, shake the jar, and spend time noticing the movement of the glitter.

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