No.159
A Quiet Moment with the Lights
Japanese name: 灯りを眺める静かな時間
Materials
- A few LED candles for the centre and a stable stand
- A clock or timer
How to play
- Choose comfortable seats. An adult places and switches on LEDs on a central stand. Keep pathways lit. Explain that participants may look at the lights or, if they prefer, at their own hands.
- The facilitator introduces a short quiet moment to close the day. Do not require closed eyes or a special posture. This is not a competition to guess how much time has passed.
- Begin with about 30 seconds to one minute of quietly looking at the lights or surroundings. An adult watches the clock. Anyone feeling unsettled may quietly adjust their sitting position.
- At the end, the facilitator gives a brief spoken cue. Do not require reflections; simply ask whether people want to continue. Repeat only once, and only if everyone can do so comfortably.
- Announce the end and restore room lighting. Look around before standing. An adult switches off and collects the LEDs. Do not rank people by how long they stayed silent or how they sat.
Ways to adapt
Preschool children: begin with 10–20 seconds. Younger primary school children: about 30 seconds. Older primary school children and adults: about one minute.