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WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
Definition:
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WHAT IS MEDITATION?
Definition:
Deeper Dive:
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OVERVIEW
Purpose: To bring students back into the present moment and to move from being caught up in the mind to being back in the physical body. This is also known as "grounding". Why: It helps students (and adults) regulate their nervous system by pulling themselves out of fight or flight mode where we naturally react to a place of centered thought. This allows us to pause and thoughtfully respond to any stimulation in our environment. Oxygen - we don't get enough of it! We tend to shallowly breath throughout the day. Breath work also gives our brain oxygen which can energize us, reduce brain fog, and help with focus. Who: These practices can be used with any age group. You know your students best- feel free to modify as needed! Recorded guided breathing exercises can be found in the file folder embedded at the bottom of this page. |
S.T.O.P.
Formula for Emotional Awareness and Release
S - stop (whatever you're doing)
T - take three deep breaths, smiling to yourself
O - observe what you feel inside- physically and emotionally (ex. tightness or tension)
P - proceed with awareness and compassion for yourself and others
Tips:
Formula for Emotional Awareness and Release
- Source: Deepak Chopra
- Purpose: Use this technique when students (or you) are feeling stress, tension, or any other restrictive feeling. It teaches students and adults to respond rather than react when placed in an unwanted situation. It teaches mindfulness and the fact that you can choose how to respond to any situation.
S - stop (whatever you're doing)
T - take three deep breaths, smiling to yourself
O - observe what you feel inside- physically and emotionally (ex. tightness or tension)
P - proceed with awareness and compassion for yourself and others
Tips:
- Tell participants that if they feel light-headed (from too much oxygen reaching the brain), then return to normal breathing!
- You can adjust the length of the counts - feel free to increase half way through as inspired to, or you can reduce the count to 2 or 3. Do what feels good for your body at that moment! It's all about being aware of your body and your needs.
- Practice this daily or whenever you are feeling anxious, stressed, or discomfort. It is helpful for decision-making moments, too.
Feel Your Feet
1. Sit up straight and gently close your eyes or downward cast gaze on the floor.
2. Bring your attention to your feet
3. This is up to the teacher - a series of guiding statements or questions - pick and choose:
Tips:
It can be a longer experience connecting it to questions about being grounded and present in this moment and how we want to arrive or show up to class today.
You can use this to start class to make sure everyone is fully present.
- Source: various, well-known strategy
- Also found in Caitlyn Krause's book, Mindful by Design. It's featured on her blog found here.
- Purpose: connect with one's feet to feel grounded and to connect the entire body from the feet to the head.
- It can be as short as connect to the feeling of your feet - the fabric touching the skin, wiggle your toes, etc.
- It is a quick tool to pull us out of our thoughts and emotions and back into our bodies.
1. Sit up straight and gently close your eyes or downward cast gaze on the floor.
2. Bring your attention to your feet
3. This is up to the teacher - a series of guiding statements or questions - pick and choose:
- What do you feel?
- Notice the texture of the fabric that touches your feet.
- Observe your socks or fabric that is touching your feet. How does it feel? What is the texture?
- Gently push your big toe into your shoe. Notice how it feels. Wiggle all of your toes now and notice each toe as it moves.
- Press your heel into the ground Notice how it feels. Notice the other parts of your feet- how do they feel? Do they move?
- Notice your shoes - feel how they feel under your feet.
- Feel your feet pressing into the ground, reminding you that you're here in our classroom, in this moment. You are here right now.
- You have now fully arrived here in class. Whenever you get caught up in your thoughts, just bring your attention back to your feet to remind you that you're here and you are safe!
Tips:
It can be a longer experience connecting it to questions about being grounded and present in this moment and how we want to arrive or show up to class today.
You can use this to start class to make sure everyone is fully present.
Here and Now
(Call and Response)
(Call and Response)
- Source: The Chopra Center, meditation master class
- Purpose: classroom tool to bring students back to the present. It can be used mid-lesson or as a transition tool.
- Teaches students to be present in the here and now and to recognize when they've zoned out or gotten caught up in a thought or an emotion.
- Practice:
- Teacher: "where are we?"
- Class: "HERE!"
- Teacher: "when is it?"
- Class: "Now!"
- Alternative practice: "students, your bodies have arrived to class, but have your minds?"
Box Breathing
Tips:
- Source: various, well-known strategy
- Purpose: Bring awareness to the body and present moment through the breath. It lowers blood pressure, cortisol (stress) levels, provides oxygen to the brain, and is a mindfulness practice!
- Practice this daily or whenever you are feeling anxious, stressed, or any type of discomfort.
- Slowly and thoughtfully breath in for a count of 4
- Pause for 4 while observing the mind, body, and emotions without judgment.
- Exhale slowly and thoughtfully for a count of 4
- Pause for 4 while observing the mind, body, and emotions without judgment.
- Repeat steps 1-4 5+ times or for 1-5 minutes as needed
Tips:
- Tell participants that if they feel light-headed (from too much oxygen reaching the brain), then return to normal breathing!
- You can adjust the length of the counts - feel free to increase half way through as inspired to, or you can reduce the count to 2 or 3. Do what feels good for your body at that moment! It's all about being aware of your body and your needs.
Three Part Breath
Older students:
- Source: various, well-known strategy
- Purpose: Focusing on the breath going in and out takes the student out of the mind and into the body. It helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and tension. It's a great tool to calm energy or emotions.
- Practice:
- Inhale like you're smelling a flower
- Exhale like you're blowing out a candle
- Inhale flowers
- Exhale a candle
- Now, put your hand on your tummy. Take a big breath in so your tummy expands/gets bigger. Gently Pause then slowly blow out a candle.
- Smile and repeat!
Older students:
- Sit up straight with your feet flat on the ground
- Place your hand on your lower belly
- As you inhale through your nose, visualize a balloon filling up in your abdomen - expand your lower belly, then your stomach, then your lungs.
- Gently pause and observe your body (1-3 seconds)
- Slow exhale through your nose or mouth as you visualize the balloon emptying out in the opposite order- lungs, stomach, then lower belly.
- Smile and repeat!
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OVERVIEW
Purpose: To help students (and teachers) to quiet their mind. It helps students to "switch gears" between topics or class changes. It is also a tool to help settle emotions by finding inner stillness. Why: Our brains go non-stop from wake until sleep and most of the time, our thoughts happen to us/we aren't fully in control or thinking "on purpose". When we meditate, we take control over our mind. We tell our brain that we are taking this time to be calm and peaceful. It literally rewires our brains over time with consistent practice. It leads to a ton of health benefits- lower cortisol levels, less stress, more awareness. We bring these calm qualities into how we interact with the people, places, and things in our life. We rewire our brain to learn to respond to life vs. reacting in the moment. Who: These practices can be used with any age group. You know your students best- feel free to modify as needed! Recorded guided breathing exercises can be found in the file folder embedded at the bottom of this page. |
Body Scan Meditation
- Source: Meditate with Jenny
- Purpose: use this guided meditation to cultivate self-awareness. It takes you through the process of observing your entire body while releasing areas holding tension or uncomfortable emotions.
- Practice: find a comfortable seat with feet flat on the floor and hands resting in the lap. Invite participants to either gently close their eyes OR find a place on the floor to gently gaze (do not force eyes closed as this is can activate past trauma within people).
- Tips: make sure to rest peacefully when the meditation is over. Do not dive back into activity at 100% - this defeats the purpose. Explain that this is teaching students (and adults) to be self-aware of emotions manifesting in the body through physical sensations- and it is an easy way to release these things.
- Feel free to use the recorded guided meditations in class if you don't feel comfortable leading it!
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Visualization Meditation
- Source: Meditate with Jenny
- Purpose: use this guided meditation to cultivate confidence.
- Practice:
- Find a comfortable seat with feet flat on the floor and hands resting in the lap. Invite participants to either gently close their eyes OR find a place on the floor to gently gaze (do not force eyes closed as this is can activate past trauma within people).
- Play the guided meditation
- Afterwards- offer students the opportunity to discuss (do not force this) or journal about what they experienced.
- Tips: make sure to rest peacefully when the meditation is over. Do not dive back into activity at 100% - this defeats the purpose. Explain that this is teaching students (and adults) to be self-aware of emotions manifesting in the body through physical sensations- and it is an easy way to release these things.
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Elementary
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Middle/High School
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OVERVIEW
Purpose: To bring the calm and mindfulness from the breath work and meditation into their work as students. Why: These activities help to encourage mindfulness and being purposeful with our words and actions. These activities rewire our brains to be deliberate with our choices and goals in life. Who: These practices can be used with any age group. You know your students best- feel free to modify as needed! There are modifications listed for younger students for each activity. Please note the linked resources throughout the sections. |
Vision Boards
Gratitude Journaling:
Modifications for younger students:
Word that Inspires Activity:
Symbolism with a Mindful Goal:
Modifications for younger students:
- Purpose: review literary skills while practicing mindful goal-setting. Adjust according to your content!
- Practice: this is usually developed after a growth-mindset study/lessons.
- Students can create a vision board for their semester ahead - plan from the end. What do they want to experience this semester? This should be an emotion - a repeated feeling (motif). Examples: calm, confidence, peace, happiness, excitement, productivity, joy.
- Students create on Canva or on paper. It should include a piece of advice (theme) that they want to live by this semester. It also includes their (motif) word, and 3 symbols that represents this as well as inspiring quotes or song lyrics.
- Option: include a written portion. Students explain the connection between their symbols and their theme. Here's the template!
- This should be personal. Students can hang this in their bedroom, put it in their binder cover, or set it as their desktop wallpaper. The point is to revisit it
- Click here to view lesson slides as well as a student sample. Here is the writing template as well.
- Tips: be mindful as the teacher - make sure to refer to the vision board periodically (every month, perhaps). Have students revisit their board. What do they want to adjust? How is the progress going? Have students journal and reflect to teach self-awareness and mindfulness in their daily choices.
- Have students brainstorm things they want to learn about this year. Examples: frogs, how to tie my shoes, memorize the alphabet.
- Have them draw pictures that relate to these items.
- **This may require multiple steps and adult assistance. It would be great for a small center!
Gratitude Journaling:
- Gratitude journaling can be meditative! Start with a breathing exercise and then lead into the journaling afterwards.
- It helps to play relaxing music during this time. Check out "Solfeggio frequency music" on Youtube!
- Example Prompts: What is one little awesome in your day? What is something that you take for granted every day that you are thankful for? Think food, water, etc. Connect to your content. Have students compare/contrast to the topic at hand and express gratitudes through connections.
Modifications for younger students:
- Have students stop, think, then turn and talk to their shoulder partner. They can share what they are grateful for verbally. You can also turn it into a mini art project where they draw their gratitude topic on paper!
Word that Inspires Activity:
Symbolism with a Mindful Goal:
- Have students pick a word that matches a goal that they have for this semester. It should be related to their student role/life.
- Students create a poster that has a symbol that represents their goal, words or phrases that motivate them, and any other items that inspire them.
- I have also had students then take a picture of their poster and write a blog post about their inspiration.
- Resources: poster, setting goals lesson slides, and the individual directions slide.
Modifications for younger students:
- Have students express the feeling they want to feel during school. You can have them match a color to the feeling. Example: yellow for happy or joy, purple for creative, or whatever they come up with!
- Students will then draw pictures of things in their life that already make them feel this way such as a puppy or their favorite playground!
Tech Tools
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Adobe Creative Cloud
(formerly Adobe Spark) Tool to allow students to create slides and record a narration over each slide. |
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Synth
Tool to create mini podcast recordings. It also creates an online community (between your classes) that allows for an authentic audience for their podcasts. |
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Canva: similar features of Creative Cloud and there is a free version that works great!
Parlay Ideas: a tool for online Socratic Seminar discussions as well as in-person discussion management.
Tide: Google Chrome extension: allows students to focus while working with focus music and white noise options as well as a timer for focused work time.
Parlay Ideas: a tool for online Socratic Seminar discussions as well as in-person discussion management.
Tide: Google Chrome extension: allows students to focus while working with focus music and white noise options as well as a timer for focused work time.