Mindfulness Training:Teachers and Students

EDUT 6209Emily Railey

National Programs• http://www.thehawnfoundation.org/mindup• http://www.mindfulschools.org/• http://www.wellnessworksinschools.com/• http://www.mindfuleducation.org/• http://www.mindfuled.org/• http://www.mindfullearning.org/

WHAT YOUTH HAVE SAID ABOUT LEARNING MINDFULNESS

• http://www.cml.me/?page_id=47• “I love having mindfulness. It has made me feel a lot better, especially

through hard times”• “It feels so good. I need to teach it to my sister in high school because she is

stressed out all the time.”• “It helped keep me from using negative coping skills like cutting and drugs.”• “With mindfulness I have been able to let go of things and move on from

bad experiences.”

Tips

• Concentrating on one thing• Quiet your thoughts• Focus on Breathing• Observe• Describe• Participate• http://greatergood.berkeley.edu

/article/item/tips_for_teaching_mindfulness_to_kids/ Some simple teaching mindfulness tips

Five Senses Awareness1. Touch- Hold an object behind their back

with their eyes closed and describe.2. Taste- Savor. List foods and students

describe how each taste. 3. Smell- List four different smells and students

name things that smell that way.4. Hear- Take students outside and sit in a

circle quietly for 2 minutes then go around and name sounds.

5. See- As lay outside on the ground and look describe what they see in the clouds. Or the mirroring activity seen in the video below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkGRM_fZPYY&feature=related

Raisin look, feel, taste, and hear.

3 Other SensesAccording to Jon Kabat Zinn’s Coming to Our Senses

1. Body Sensation-The Hello Game- Sitting in a circle say hello to the person to the right and say I feel…2. Thoughts- Clear Mind Game- Observe a clear glass of

water in center of circle and then watch how cloudy it becomes when putting baking soda.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD99Vv38gtY&feature=relmfu3. Connections with others- The Wave- Starting with one

student they stand and raise their arms then the next and go around the room then back.

• Observe and Describe- Helps to Control

One Minute Mindfulness

• Look at your watch and for the next 60 seconds focus only on your breathing.

• When your mind wanders return your focus to your breathing.

• You can fail, as long as you try.• Use throughout the day, to focus on the present.• Can increase times.• Mindfulness Bells (5 Minute Mindfulness Bell-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGFog-OuFDM&feature=related)

Conscious Observation

• Pick up any object• Only observe it• Don’t analyze, think about, or study it• Feel awake, forget past and future• Listening Mindfully

Ten Second Count

• Concentration• Close your eyes• Count Slowly• If you lose focus start

back at 1

Mindfulness Cues• Reminders to breath and be in

moment• Anything: Phone Ring, Hands

touching, Washing Hands, Looking in Mirror, Music, Touching a door knob, Bathroom, Bell Rings, Desk move, etc.

• Mindfulness Bell reminders like a string or rubber band(I have an app for my phone)

• Bring you out of mindless to mindful present

Observe Your Thoughts

• Just Observe• Don’t Analyze, Think, Reaact• Sit back• Journaling Negative Emotions: Stress, Anxiety,

Anger

Mindful Child

• Free of Responsibilities• Newness, Fascination,

Excitement• “Mindful Learning” is more

effective, enjoyable, and stimulating.

• Involve Students• Keep Simple, Fun, and

Humorous

Monkey Chains Introspective Game• Using the Barrel of Monkeys toy- Plastic

barrel of toy monkeys that interlock.• Ask students what distracts them when

practicing mindfulness.• Every time they mention a emotion,

thought, or physical sensation take out a representative monkey and hang it on the chain.

• No one monkey or distraction is more meaningful than any other.

• What do we do with these distractions?• Students call out, “Let them go” and

you drop the monkey chain.

Story Telling• Model Positive Social Qualities

Everyone has their own special star like a shadow. This star is with you and only you all the time, comforting you. Your star can change, if you want it to. Imagine your star in the sky shining on to you. Warming you slowly from head to toe like a soft blanket. It relaxes your whole body so that you can rest and be yourself. Wow it feels great to be me!

Accentuate the Positive

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ofC_8v38s• Optimism song game-Play music and ask kids if the

song is happy or sad.• Happy Memories Box- All kids write down their

favorite memories.• Gratitude Stone• Empathy creates Dopamine, a feel good hormone,

in the brain• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhheu2-wXu

M

Note Cards and Exercises by Thich Nhat Hahn

• Flash Cards• http://www.parallax.org/pdf/PebbleMeditatio

nCards.pdf• 10 Mindful Movements• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vw0KS7k

vzY&feature=related

• Author of over 70Mindful Books

Susan Kaiser Greenland’s Inner Kids Program

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aOuxn7zASw

• http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=115241&cmd=tc Susan Greenland’s Techniques audio MPS

Hawn FoundationMind Up Program

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OdBXGHwNCk&feature=related International Mind Up Program

• http://www.thehawnfoundation.org/mindup

Relaxing Rhythms Biofeedback Software Program

• http://store.wilddivine.com/relaxing-rhythms-software-iom.html

Healing Rhythms/Relaxing Rhythms Biofeedback Program by Chopra, Weil, and Cornish

Video:• http://www.youtube.com/wat

ch?v=pTT2ps6XyEQ

ImportanceNew Movie Mindful Kidshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMK481p5wWMHelps:HealthAttention/FocusTest AnxietyAccessCurriculum GoalsCollaboration Needs Literacy Needs

Mindfulness Successes•http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/16/us/16mindful.html?pagewanted=all

•http://www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/01/29/mindfulness-and-meditation-in-schools-for-stress-and-anxiety-management/•http://www.mindfulnessinstitute.ca/MindfulnessApplications/Education.aspx

•Successes in Business and Military, next Schools

Workshops• http://eomega.org/omega/workshops/c0772a9755df9e3f47b

a74cafe7a77f3/• http://www.mindfulness-education.org/• http://ibme.info/school-programs/in-school-programs/• http://www.garrisoninstitute.org/education2011

Other Helpful Tools

• http://www.meditation-techniques-for-happiness.com/body-scan-meditation.html Body Scan

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PMuOBGpMos&feature=related Garden of Now for Beginners

• http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22&oTopID=22 Audio Podcasts Breathing Excercises, Meditations, and Body Scan for Sleep