Latvian educator creates stress relief method with warm grains

Latvian educator Inese Grīnvalde has developed a warm grain device for developmental activities and stress relief, which she calls the Happiness Bowl, LSM reported. The method grew from her memories of swimming in sun-warmed grain as a child.

At the beginning of a demonstration, Grīnvalde immersed her hands in the grains, held her breath and watched them fall before releasing them as she exhaled. She said the exercise combines the sound and smell of the grains.

Grīnvalde, a special and careers educator with a master’s degree in supervision and art therapy, said she had worked for more than 35 years with children of different ages, social backgrounds and health conditions. She had also supported teenagers from families described as being at social risk.

She later established a family social enterprise aimed at reducing stress among children, young people and, increasingly, senior citizens. The warm grain device was created in cooperation with the Latvian family business ZIPA.LV and uses natural, environmentally friendly materials.

The developers tested buckwheat, lentils and flaxseed before asking children which materials they preferred. Most chose grains. Grīnvalde said her own warm and emotional memories of visiting a farmer named Mārtiņš in Vecumnieki with her children led to the final decision to use wheat grains.

She recalled swimming in warm, sun-heated grain in a tractor trailer. The grains were also a practical choice because they were neither too large nor too small.

Peas provided a massage effect but were too large, while flaxseed was smooth and popular with some people but too small and prone to sticking to the skin. Working with the grains can also help people begin talking indirectly through exercises, which is useful for seniors and teenagers who may find it difficult to speak immediately about their feelings.