MINDFUL not MIND FULL A Lesson in Understanding How to be in the Here and Now (So you can learn more and get along better with others)

True or False? 1. I know a lot about how the brain works. 2. I am interested in how the brain works. 3. Your brain actually grows the more you practice different skills. 4. When kids know about how their brain works, they actually do better in school. 5. When you take a deep breath, your belly goes in.

1,2,3 Ask group to stand and clap as hard as they can when you count to 3. Then ask students to think about what they are feeling in their hands. What do they feel in their thumb?

Sensing Point out to students that their thinking part of their brain is called the cerebrum and is where reasoning and facts and your to do lists are. The sensing part includes your senses which helps you be present (like you just were when you were sensing the feelings in your hands).

Discuss how the amygdala is part of your brain that can take over Discuss how the amygdala is part of your brain that can take over. If it is activated, you might go into a fight, flight or freeze mode. Mindfulness can help you get back to reality. = amygdala

So HOW do you practice mindfulness?

Let’s Watch a Video to Explore Further https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNmMH6tqiMc&list=PLOlpInh1K-VTiED38ijHm-sF6eRJwP7b1&index=5

What the Research from Scientists Shows: Office workers who practiced mindfulness for twenty minutes a day reported an average 11% reduction in perceived stress. Fifth-grade girls who did a ten-week program of yoga and other mindfulness practices had higher self-esteem and were more accepting of themselves. After fifteen weeks of practicing mindfulness, college students reported improved physical and emotional well-being.  http://www.mindful.org/the-science-of-mindfulness/