Margret Stöckler
As I write this post, I'm sitting in my son's hospital room. Yesterday, he bravely underwent an operation. As a mother, my biggest issue, of course, was fear. Fear about whether everything would go well, fear of his pain, fear that he wouldn't wake up from the anesthesia, fear of all possible complications… So, yesterday, I sat on the train, quite tense, and in my luggage, I had not only everything I would need for the next two days but also my laptop and the "Heart Exercises," as I had planned a new blog post for you. Well, then, on the train during my journey, in my own distress, I remembered Oups's Anxiety Vacuum Cleaner. It would be so nice if someone could just vacuum up my anxiety for a moment… and with that thought, I was already in the middle of the Heart Exercise. And it helped!!!! 
In my teaching practice, I always pull out this card when children are emotionally distressed. Together, we read the story on the back of the card. Now the children know how the vacuum cleaner works and that it even makes sounds! The card can, of course, be adapted to any feeling. Oups simply replaces the tube! I've often used it for anger as well. The wonderful thing about these Heart Exercises is that these rituals quickly become part of everyday life because children readily accept them as "tools," and without even realizing it, they learn diverse ways to deal with unpleasant emotions. For me, supporting the learning of these strategies together with Oups is one of the most valuable aspects of my work in heart-centered education.
In my last Oups class, the children often requested this card for one of their classmates – specifically, when this classmate – let's call him Tim – once again had an uncontrollable tantrum. We had agreed with Tim that his best friend had permission to perform this exercise with (and on) him in an emergency. Any other child would have made him even angrier with such "interference." We had already experienced this together.
As soon as someone noticed that Tim was about to lose it, the children would get his best friend, who would grab our Oups and ask Tim for "permission": "May I vacuum up your anger?" Of course, I'm always present at the beginning of such interventions, but in a group of children who spend a few years with Oups, these rituals become increasingly self-sustaining. It could happen that I would return to the classroom after the break and casually hear from the children: "Hey, Max just did the anger vacuum cleaner with Tim." And with a quick glance at Tim, I would see in his eyes a "Yes, I'm okay now," and a tiny, tiny smile would flit across his face just for me. Isn't that incredible? Sometimes I observe with amazement that children are emotionally more competent than many adults. Together with Oups, they develop an incredible capacity for empathy. And as challenging as it may be for classmates to endure the aggressive outbursts of some children, they learn so incredibly much for their lives….
If you're interested in working with the Heart Exercises, you can find the card set here in the online shop.
By the way, I can highly recommend these rituals for home use as well. And as I write this down for you, I firmly resolve to keep the anxiety vacuum cleaner within reach for a while longer – just for myself!
I look forward to your comments and experiences!
