Children's Wellness Programmes
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emotions are intrinsically linked to the body's organs, and imbalances in either can affect the other. When emotions become excessive or prolonged, they can disrupt the flow of Qi, or energy, leading to physical and emotional disharmony. The 'Zones of Emotion Programme' (ZEP) helps children to identify their emotion/s, feel where that energy is in the body and learn to release or change that emotion through the awareness exercises and mindful movements of tai chi and qigong.
ZONES OF EMOTION PROGRAMME ™
The E- motion
The Programme
(𝐸-motion), stemming from the Latin root emovere, which means to move out or to move forth. This concept suggests that emotions are a form of energy that moves through the body, and if not expressed or
move out, can become trapped.
By the time children reach primary school age, they have developed enough emotional intelligence to understand a specific emotion. Once a child has understood their emotion they often fail to understand what to do with it. The body is a complex system that has incredible self healing and regulating abilities, that, with a little knowledge on how it works and how to clear our emotions can go some way to instilling good practices for when they grow up and into our crazy adult world.
There are many ways to describe emotional states, too many for primary school children to really understand. The programme simplifies the zone of emotions into 5 categories.
Each of these high level emotions are linked to an organ. You can click on the above emotion to understand more according to traditional Chinese medicine
Every emotion equals organ imbalance. Specific movements are designed to activate the energy within the organ to release the negative energy and create balance.
What is the purpose of the programme?
To support our children in managing their emotions in the hope they take those skills through to adulthood.
Why do children need help and support with their emotions?
Schools in the UK are crippled with severe underfunding, adding to the pressures of teaching and resources. Coupled with the increasing metal health and behavioural challenges among students since the pandemic, and the ever-increasing technology world, which makes us lazy in learning, and the inability to truly understand the effects it has on our mind and bodies, its no wonder why we are all finding life just a little bit difficult. We seem to have lost the ability understand ourselves, how to be responsible for our own wellbeing. We lack the knowledge and wisdom of our inner healing and more often than not seek to find a solution to our ailing mind and bodies through are crippling NHS system. As a mum of two boys in secondary school (2025) I have seen the dramatic change in the schools since I was a child. Everyone is pushed to the limit, teachers, carers, students’ parents. We are all hanging on…just. Something has to give… someone needs to change our system, but that’s not likely anytime soon. So why not try something from within, something we can do ourselves, finding that discipline we seem to be lacking in the western modern world. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the importance of discipline (often related to self-care, consistency, and willpower) is crucial for maintaining health and achieving goals. Discipline is viewed not as a rigid restriction, but as a practice that builds harmony, focus, and long-term well-being by aligning actions with the body's natural flow. In modern China, qigong is widely practiced for health and recreation by people of all ages, including school-age children. Qigong is even part of the curriculum in schools; people live and breathe the simple but effective movements to generate calm and focus in their everyday. Radio Taiso is a 3-minute exercise routine practiced for nearly 100 years, used for group warm-ups, and as a starter activity. It is broadcast every morning at 6.30am. What we teach our children today flows over to what type of adults they become. If our children can understand how to regulate their emotions through simple movements they will grow up to be healthy adults in a world held prisoner to mental health and employee retention will be higher, leading to a more productive workforce, creating healthy adults, who create healthier children…. The circle of life and the flow of qigong is all around us, if we just be silent and listen…. Two words with the same letters…. A coincidence … I think not.
What are the benefits of the programme?
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Easy to apply movements in any environment, home, work and classrooms.
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Creates a productive, calm and focused environment
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Provides skills they can use anywhere at anytime
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Transferable skills into adulthood
What they'll learn
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How to feel their energy and understand it
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How to identify the location of their emotion within the body through felt sense
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Learn techniques on clearing out imbalances associated with their thoughts and feelings
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Teaching anatomy - the bodies organ system and functions
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Identifying the connection between emotions and organs
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Applying specific movements and noises to create an energy flow, releasing and restoring balance to organs creating a positive impact to the emotion
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Teaching the importance of Gratitude, Love and Compassion for themselves and others around them
What they'll achieve
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Enhanced Focus and Attention.
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Improve Balance and Co-ordination.
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Increased Self-Confidence
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Develop an Understanding of Body Awareness.
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Improved Social Skills.
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More effective management of emotions
Why is this programme different?
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Supports all ages, abilities, neurodivergent and neurotypical learners.
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Support the science national curriculum of primary schools in the UK.