PROJECT MINDFUL LESSONS SUMMARY
1. Mindful Bodies/Breathing and the Anchor: Mindful Bodies are quiet and still. When we listen to our breathing we try to focus on our breath while keeping our bodies quiet and still. Breathing keeps us in the moment.
Notice if your body is quiet and still? Notice if your feet are moving?
2. Our Anchor is where we feel our breath the most, nose, chest or stomach. The anchor keeps us from drifting away into distraction/ thought./emotion.
Notice if you are distracted ? By your thoughts? Some else? Something else? Emotion ?
3. BRAIN – helps us do many things. Brain is very important to mindfulness. We have two important parts for mindfulness. Reptile (amygdala) which helps us if we are in real danger by sending chemicals throughout our body that keep us safe. However, it also sends these same chemicals when we are angry, afraid , worried, sad and frustrated. We want to start using the human (prefrontal cortex ) instead, this is the part that helps us be peaceful, focused and calm. Notice when you go into your reptile brain
4. Heartfulness when we practice kindness for others and ourselves. Sometimes it may be hard to practice kindness because our reptile brain wants to take over we want to instead practice heartfulness Picture in your mind someone you see almost everyday who make your feel happy. Picture yourself.
May I be happy, May I be healthy, May I be Peaceful , May I be strong
Notice if you are being kind to yourself, Notice if you are choosing to be kind to others
May you be happy, healthy, peaceful and strong
5. Body Scan
WE practice the tightening and relaxing of different parts of the body. With the younger classes cooked spaghetti and hard spaghetti, Noticing what signals the body gives us. The body is very important and often tells us how we are feeling before we even think it. Give eg of anger, sad, worried, fear. Notice sensations in the body. Warm/cool, tight/loose, heavy/ light, open /closed
6. Anchor words Breathing in/ Breathing out
I am capable/I am confident/ I am positive/ I am kind
We believe what we think not because its true but because we have thought it so many times
Notice if your thoughts are helping or hurting you?
7. Generosity Being kind with our words, our time and choosing to give of ourselves with things that don’t cost money. For example, smile, helping others, asking someone to play, listening may be the most generous gift you can give
Notice how it feels to be listened to
8. Puppy Brain
How is the mind like a puppy? What happens if you let a puppy out without being on a leash? What do you need to do? What distracts a puppy? What distracts a kid? In school? Outside of school? We are going to practice noticing when our puppy runs away. Right now I will ring the bell and every time you notice yourself thinking or getting distracted you can raise your hand and then bring your hand back to your anchor (pulling that leash back, You can notice where your thoughts take you. Where does your attention go past or future.
9. Mindful seeing
What animals have the best eyes? We are going to practice using our Eagle eyes to notice things in the classroom that we have not seen before even thought we have been in here for ___ months. (put red heart stickers around the room too.) Sometimes we take things for granted because we see them so often we don’t; really see the full picture. We want to start paying attention in detail to the people and things around us. What do you think you could notice if you were really tuned in
10. Emotion
We are going to talk about different emotions today and act them out. Ask for volunteers
Playing charades …Anger, sadness, happy, worried.
With each one ask the kids how they knew from the body and face what emotion it was.
Emotions are very important. Ask kids raise your hand if you every get angry? Sad, frustrated? Worried? Scared? Jealous? Notice everyone feel these things. All of these feelings are appropriate but sometimes the way we choose to act when we have them might not be appropriate. Ask kids for eg? Also an emotion only lasts for 90 seconds in the body just think how long you can be angry, sad or worried?
Notice emotion is the body and choose to just practice being with it. Use your anchor words I am angry right now, I am sad right now.
11. Slow motion
When you were a baby could you run? No you had to learn how to walk first.
Raising your arm really slow taking time to feel the sensations as you do it. What sensations do you feel when you go up? When you go down? How often do you raise your hand everyday ? but when do you really pay attention to it. Lets try standing up in slow motion. Notice all the muscles in your body working together. Notice warmth or cold.
How could slow motion help you in everyday life
12. Gratitude looking for the good
What does it mean to be grateful? Let your eyes close and think of 3 things to be grateful for.. Family, friends, teacher
Now close your eyes and imagine yourself surrounded by them… Notice how it make you feel. It only takes a minute to feel good.
For the next few days I want you to notice the things you have instead of the things you do not have
13. Mindful Walking Practice slow motion. Walking very slow, noticing balancing on one foot, picking up the other. When you walk put all attention on your feet. Then your legs then your side. Notice all the sensations you can feel as you walk. Walk slow/ walk normal What do you notice when you walk slow
14. Mindful Test taking Do mindfulness script before each test How do you feel before a test, during test , after a test. Comparing not helpful. Test script
15. Mindful EATING
16. REVIEW and poster