Grant Rix Operations Manager

Creating a Society where all People Flourish…

What mindfulness is not

Mindfulness is a practice… …the practice of giving our full open-hearted attention to what is immediately occurring; physically and mentally, within and around us

Why all the fuss about mindful breathing? Non-threatening Establishes a link between the body and the mind Brings awareness to the sensations of the body, which are continuously shifting and changing and sometimes manifest as strong feelings, which we call emotions Through this awareness we learn the language of how the body and the mind speak to each other (neglecting that language leads to trouble!) Quite naturally (as a result of attention and patience) the body and mind find their way back into balance (there’s not a lot we have to do save establishing the conditions for that to occur) I put it to you, that we have developed a culture of neglect when it comes to understanding the way our body and mind communicates

…And a way of being The near-effortless balance of body and mind in accord with situation (here) and circumstance (now) Enhances our ability to appreciate life’s beauty, and to respond, not react, to life’s challenges

Red Zone Green Zone Angry Anxious Frustrated Irritable Stressed Overly excited Worried Distracted Etc. Calm Clear Content Balanced Peaceful Relaxed Curious Engaged

Recognising (the dominant state) Accepting (with non-judgement/compassion) Letting be/go (anchoring with mindful breathing & allowing to pass) “When I’m upset, I let myself feel sad, and then I can feel happy again.” - MiS participant, 7 years old.

Research (with UoA and AUT) Three Studies: Qualitative (2013, currently under review for publication) Mixed-methods (2014, manuscript being prepared) Randomised Control Trial (2014, currently under review for publication) Put reference to Lazar study here. So it is both a state (that is experienced through practice) and a trait (a way of being) that develops as a result of practice (presumably due to positive changes occurring in the brain)

General Summary Teacher’s report increased calm, self-awareness, improved focus/attention and self-management in the children, and reduced stress for them Statistically significant increases in self-report mindfulness and wellbeing, with some evidence of sustainability 3-months later

Life without Punctuation Imaginereadingabookwithoutspacesandwithoutanypunctuationmarksitwouldbetrickyrightinfactitwouldbeprettystressfulandmaybeevenfeelalmostimpossibleattheveryleastitwouldbewaymoredifficultthanitneedstobelifeisthesameifwedon’ttaketimetopauseandtobreatheandtosmileandtojustoccasionallybethenlifecanstarttofeelprettyrushedandstressfulthisisnothealthyforourbrainsthisincreasestheriskthatwewillgetcaughtinpatternsofthinkingandactingthatareunhelpfulf

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