We continued our module exploring self-management with the powerful, uncomfortable, boring, enlightening work of total silence and stillness for five minutes :) A five minute seated meditation without instruction, other than a reminder at the beginning about how we attempt to guide our awareness back to the present moment over and over. Your reflections afterwards were honest and unsurprising. It’s hard for many of us! A guided meditation offers a lot more entertainment by way of sensory stimulation…a pleasing voice becomes like music when silence is so deafening! I suggested that when we tune into the breath deeply that can become our own internal music, and a rhythm to “count time” in a way. Thanks for powering through that with me. Here’s to many many more practices in silence in our efforts to become more mindful this year.
Today we also practice chair yoga. Chair yoga is great for accessibility, less disruption, a quicker transition into the practice in the middle of the school day, and a creative way to connect with postures you’re familiar with—if you’re a regular yogi. Our sequence today was as follows:
Arm lifts with breath
Chair twist → chair side bend
Eagle arms
Leg lifts with breath
Chair warrior 2 → chair reverse warrior
Chair warrior 1
We also checked in about your feedback from last week’s home practice having to do with intention. How did it go? Most people chose a different intention each time they sat down to meditate. That is interesting to note. It certainly would have a different flavor to set an intention and spend time with it day in and day out. What do you think the difference would feel like? Richer? Less authentic? Something else?
Today participants also turned in their SWOT analysis and consulting requests.
Split into pairs to discuss one of the facets of self-management
how that component of self-management relates to your students
How mindfulness-based practices can help students with these challenges
We reviewed the article that people read before today’s session and I shared with them some further interpretation from the original academic publication it references. Mindfulness affects emotion regulation by increasing our SENSITIVITY to cues about emotion so that we can manage the emotion and its physical expression before it spirals out of control.
Discuss: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/How_does_mindfulness_help_control_behavior
Thanks for a great session!