Michelle Brown, a kindergarten teacher at New Fairfield’s Consolidated School, is beloved in the school community for many reasons, including her calming presence. She, along with colleagues, channeled those vibes into a Mindfulness Room at Consolidated in 2018 that had been in steady use for two years, until the pandemic. Now she has taken many of the teachings and materials that would have been found in that room and turned them into a digital haven with her new website, Mrs. Brown’s Calming Corner.

Visit https://sites.google.com/view/mrsbrownscalmingcorner and you’ll find an excellent collection of resources to help people, especially children, find calm. Michelle’s inspiration for creating the website “came from wanting to be able to offer a space that was nurturing for young students,” she said, “I wanted to offer strategies, skills, and space for little people to learn how to find their inner light and peace. The trauma from the pandemic made teaching [these techniques] in-person very difficult but creating a website was a way to reach people virtually.” There are enriching finds on the site, including family-friendly mindfulness videos and guided meditations. Visitors will discover digital books, animal webcams, coloring pages, and more. She hopes, “that the website finds every child, teacher, and family that is looking for a place to build a loving community. It is a safe space for people to try without judgment.”

Yoga can “help people find calm and feel grounded in such a busy world. It can help people take positive action and improve everything in their surroundings,” Michelle said. Her love for yoga began with Simon, one of her kindergarten students. He encouraged Michelle to attend one of his mother, Beverly Steiger’s, yoga classes and, in Michell e’s words, “it was life-changing.” Beverly “has become my Shepard and biggest champion,” she said. When she  began using the skills in her classroom, Michelle saw the benefits immediately—her class became “a community of joyful little learners who were practicing yoga, encouraging each other, and offering comfort when needed,” she said.

Michelle plans to add videos of herself teaching yoga and mindfulness practices very soon. At least initially, “I wanted the site to offer other calming activities without it being about me,” she explained. She will also be adding material that correlates with the seasons and holidays, plus coping skills for strong feelings. Michelle teaches yoga for community events, has taught for Athleta, taught internationally over the summer, and after-school activities (shuttered by the pandemic, she’s hoping these can be offered again in the spring).

Everyone can experience peace and calm, Michelle says, pointing out that the simplest techniques are ones people can employ anywhere, depending on their needs. “For some it is breathing,” she said, others “positive affirmations such as ‘I am so calm,’ some it is the grounding feeling of their feet on the ground or hands on a table. The ability for a person or child to build their awareness of what they need to do to self-regulate is life-changing.” Michelle’s personal calming technique is breathing and prayer. Her go-to routine includes “stopping at the chapel on my way to school and getting in a good head space so I can create an environment that is loving, supportive, and fun.”

Though the Mindfulness Room is being used as another classroom this year, Michelle’s class faithfully practices yoga every day after the Pledge. They practice positive affirmations and set an intention for the day. “In the middle of the day, we have quiet time and the students use zen gardens, candle gazing, glitter jars, and whatever they need to find some centering,” she said.

Anyone else who’d like to find some centering? Visit Michelle’s website at https://sites.google.com/view/mrsbrownscalmingcorner.

By Sarah Opdahl