Mindful Meditation Creating Space for Ourselves and for Our Students Gina Pin Dan Rivers Jack Powers Joel Barlow High School E2Lead Symposium 2016 Ask them to sit quietly for two minutes: an example of what meditation is not. Ask them where they’re from and why they’re here. What do you hope to learn? (We need to bring a clicker, speakers and an extra converter plug)

Mindfulness Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be present with experience It is noticing without judging. You notice your breath. You notice when you are distracted. You bring yourself back to the present. How can this help learning?

Meditation Meditation is a practice of paying attention Observing without judgment. Like lifting up the hood of the car and seeing how the engine operates. Getting to knowhow your own mind operates. How can that help learning?

Meditation: A Beginner’s Guide Follow with Belly Breathing. Climb on the river bank and notice your thoughts come and go. Thoughts come and thoughts go; you are not your thoughts

Stress and the Brain “Excessive stress damages the developing brain architecture, leading to vulnerability to lifelong problems in learning, behavior and overall health”. - National Scientific Council of the Developing Child, 2007 & Yoga4classrooms Show fist analogy

Stress and the Brain stress Flynn, Y4C Survival mode: fight, flight or freeze Overloaded stress response systems: amygdala and hypothalamus Blockage of executive function center Impaired cognitive regulation Impaired behavioral regulation Difficulties in learning and memory function The constant “flight or fight” state makes it impossible to process information in a thoughtful manner – impairing cognitive and behavioral regulation. Acute stress leads to difficulties in learning and memory function. Chronic stress is associated with difficulties in effective executive functioning. So, when a child is in survival mode b/c of stressors at home or at school -He cannot effectively processes information -And will have difficulty consolidation of information from short-term memory to long-term memory -Proper functioning of executive capacities are undermined Flynn, Y4C

Research Findings: Yoga and Mindfulness for Schoolchildren Research on yoga interventions in schools is in its early stages, however initial results are promising. School-based yoga and mindfulness interventions have been found to exert positive effects on several factors such as: Emotional Balance Attentional Control Cognitive Efficiency Negative Thought Patterns Emotional & Physical Arousal Reactivity Negative Behavior Concentration Mood Anxiety Self-Esteem Coping Resilience Classroom Behavior Serwacki & Cook-Cottone, 2012, Case-Smith et al., 2010, Ehud et al., 2010, Khalsa et al., 2012; Mendelson et al., 2010, Noggle et al., 2012; Santangelo White, 2012; Telles et al., 2013. Thanks to Lisa Flynn of Yoga4Classrooms

Behaviors, Mental State, Health & Performance Yoga Practices From Lisa Flynn (postures, breathing, relaxation, meditation) Mind-Body Awareness ↑Mindfulness ↑Attention ↑Concentration/Cognition ↑Self/Social Awareness Self-Regulation ↑Emotion Regulation ↑Stress Regulation ↑Resilience ↑Equanimity ↑Psychological Self-Efficacy Physical Fitness ↑Flexibility ↑Strength ↑Balance ↑Respiratory Function ↑Physical Self-Efficacy Behaviors, Mental State, Health & Performance ↑Mood, ↑Well-Being, ↓Psychological Disorders, ↑Positive Behaviors, ↓Negative Behaviors, ↑Physical Health, ↑Cognitive/Academic Performance, ↑Relationships, ↑Quality of Life

My Goals for Meditation in Math The Problems Most students in the class have difficulty with attention Most students in the class suffer from math anxiety The Goals for the Two-Minute Meditation Increase students’ ability to focus on math assignments Reduce students’ math anxiety Zoey Story? Can’t easily replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts. Easier to learn to notice thoughts without getting hijacked by them.

The Results So Far Student Quotes “It relaxes me and gets me focused for class.” “It slows down your hyper-ness before class.” “It focuses me before we start.” “The meditation can calm you down “

Sources For Getting Started Flynn, Lisa. Yoga4classrooms. www.yoga4classrooms.com Halliwell, Ed. "6 Reasons Why Mindfulness Begins with the Breath." Mindful.org. http://www.mindful.org/6-reasons-why-mindfulness-begins-with-the-breath/ Halliwell, Ed. How (and Why) You Should Take a Few Mindful Breaths Each Day" Mindful.org. http://www.mindful.org/how-and-why-you-should-take-a-few-mindful-breaths-each-day/) Harris, Dan. "Adorable Animated Mice Explain Meditation in 2 Minutes" Mindful.org. http://www.mindful.org/adorable-animated-mice-explain-meditation-in-2-minutes/ "Learning Emotional Intelligence, Meditation, and Yoga in Schools." Mindful.org. http://www.mindful.org/learning-emotional-intelligence-meditation-and-yoga-in-schools/ Marshall, Jason. "A Primer on Meditation." The Art of Manliness. http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/09/07/a-primer-on-meditation/ Siegal, Daniel J. Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain. New York: TarcherPerigee, 2014

Benefits of Laughter Reduced Stress Improved sense of well-being Increased energy Improved mood Lowered blood pressure Laughing yoga: fake laughter has all the physiological benefits of real laughter