Lesson 2: No One Breathes Alone No One Eats Alone™ Presented by Beyond Differences Lesson 2: No One Breathes Alone

Objectives Students will define and evaluate the difference between a response and a reaction.  Students will imagine themselves in various scenarios with their own typical reaction and notice their thoughts related to the scenario.  Students will create and observe a scenario from an outside perspective.  Students will bring their own breath and awareness to a scenario to create an alternative outcome.

Free-Write What is the difference between a response and a reaction?

Response Versus Reaction Class Definition Prediction: Response: A response is thoughtful and contains reasoning. It is guided by logic and slowing down.  Reaction: A reaction is sporadic and emotional. The negative side of a reaction is that it emerges without any thought and is driven by a quick emotional outburst that we do not control. 

Journal Write about a time you would have benefited from responding instead of reacting. A scenario in which I reacted was… If I would have responded it might have looked like… I could have benefited from responding instead of reacting because…

Mindful Reflection about Anger “As you close your eyes, start to think about your breath. Don’t attempt to change your breath, just be aware of it. Is it in your upper chest, is it in your stomach? Try to think where in your body you feel your breath the strongest.”  Once students find their breath ask them to, “Think about a time in which you felt angry. Image the situation in your mind and why you felt angry. Think about your reaction. What did you say? What did you do? How did you respond?”  Give students a few moments to imagine.  Tell students, “Focus on your breath and body again. Where in your body do you feel the anger?”  Now have students take the same situation and pretend it is one they are watching.  Tell students, “Now I want you to think about the exact same situation, but you are not you. You are watching yourself as a character in a movie. You are watching this scenario happen like a movie. Slowly replay the entire scenario.”  Give students time to reflect.  Tell students, “Now that this person is no longer you, it is a character, what would you tell the character? Can you give the character advice that might help them? How might they be able to respond differently? What would this character be able to say differently? How might they be able to act differently?  Tell students, “Focus back on your breath now. Where in your body is your breath? Do you feel calmer?  Teachers please see mindful reflection script in the notes.

Watch: Discover How to Breathe We are going to watch a video that will explain to us the importance of learning how to breathe and be aware of our breath. Goal: to learn how to breathe similarly to the students in the video. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=GVWRvVH5gBQ 

MINDFULNESS Does anyone know what mindfulness means? Mindfulness: maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.  Mindfulness also involves acceptance meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them or without believing, for instance, that there is a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in any given moment. When we practice mindfulness our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

Mindful Breathing and Conscious Choice Today we are going to practice breathing in a mindful way so we can pay attention to our breath and start to make conscious choices on how we want to respond to difficult situations. Instructions: Sit up straight in your seat with your feet on the floor. (If you are in a circle, your students can sit with their legs crossed and their backs straight.)  Close your eyes or focus on an object that isn’t moving.  Listen closely to the sound (a bell, a Tibetan singing bowl, etc.) 

Share Out and Discussion How do you feel? (There is no right or wrong answer.)  What was this practice like for you? 

Wrap Up When we share our experiences of emotions it helps us think about how we can respond to difficult situations instead of react to them.  In the future, think about trying to slow down, remember your breath, and take the time to practice mindfulness. Remember mindfulness allows us to focus on one thing instead of the many things that are happening all around us.

No One Eats Alone™!