Chapter 6: Mindfulness and Relaxation Strategies
Discussion Points
Mindfulness and relaxation strategies provide ideas for students exposed to trauma that will allow them to deal with explosive emotions, dark moods, and feelings of insecurity. This is an excellent intervention to utilize with the entire class and will help many students cope with various pressures of childhood and adolescence. As pointed out in the chapter, this intervention will reduce behavioral problems for many students, including some students exposed to trauma, and is relatively easy to implement. For interventions such as this (and those in the remaining chapters of the book) we do urge teachers to review at least one of the videos on this topic. Seeing other teachers implement this, and hearing their experiences will motivate virtually all teachers to try this intervention. The facilitator should also inquire if any teachers in the workshop are already doing mindfulness in their classes, or if any practice mindfulness, meditation, relaxation, or yoga personally. This can sometimes enrich the discussion.
Recommended Videos
Mindful Schools: “What is Mindfulness?”—Awakening Kindness and Curiosity at School:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uezOV_D8bSk
In this video, both teachers and kids explain their mindfulness practice. This is a good video to show to students when teaching them mindfulness, because they see other kids talking about it.
Peace in School: Powerful Video about Mindfulness in Schools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v-cOGM_-zKPTE
In this video, students in high school talk about the importance of mindfulness. It is compelling to hear their stories on how this practice helped them.
The Hawk Foundation: The MindUp Program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAo_ZSmjLJ4
Actress Goldie Hawn is an advocate for meditation in several forms. In this video she promotes mindfulness in schools. Her stature as an actress may make this more meaning for middle and high school students.
Mindfulness in Schools: Mindfulness and the Brain for Children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_hPelcPRTg
In this video, mindfulness and the brain are explained to elementary children.
CBS This Morning: Baltimore students get meditation, not detention https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpjWb9teKSY
In this video, young children are taught to do a mindful moment, which decreased class disruptions for an entire school. As teachers view this video, they learn that mindfulness helps many kids, and not just students exposed to trauma.
In this video, both teachers and kids explain their mindfulness practice. This is a good video to show to students when teaching them mindfulness, because they see other kids talking about it.
Peace in School: Powerful Video about Mindfulness in Schools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v-cOGM_-zKPTE
In this video, students in high school talk about the importance of mindfulness. It is compelling to hear their stories on how this practice helped them.
The Hawk Foundation: The MindUp Program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAo_ZSmjLJ4
Actress Goldie Hawn is an advocate for meditation in several forms. In this video she promotes mindfulness in schools. Her stature as an actress may make this more meaning for middle and high school students.
Mindfulness in Schools: Mindfulness and the Brain for Children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_hPelcPRTg
In this video, mindfulness and the brain are explained to elementary children.
CBS This Morning: Baltimore students get meditation, not detention https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpjWb9teKSY
In this video, young children are taught to do a mindful moment, which decreased class disruptions for an entire school. As teachers view this video, they learn that mindfulness helps many kids, and not just students exposed to trauma.
Additional Resources
MindUP
https://mindup.org
The MindUP curriculum is promoted by Goldie Hawn and the Hawn Foundation. It is one of the most frequently used mindfulness curricula in schools and is founded on four pillars, neuroscience, mindful awareness, positive psychology, and social-emotional learning. Students learn to quiet their minds in three-minute brain breaks three times daily: first thing in the morning, after lunch, and before leaving school. Teachers can download a guide at the website.
Mindful Schools www.mindfulschools.org The Mindful Schools program is another program frequently used by teachers. This program can be purchased online, along with mindfulness training for teachers. The six-week online course costs $125 and provides the basics of mindfulness meditation, techniques for navigating intense emotions, and a series of role-plays on mindfulness and communication.
Mindful Schools www.mindfulschools.org The Mindful Schools program is another program frequently used by teachers. This program can be purchased online, along with mindfulness training for teachers. The six-week online course costs $125 and provides the basics of mindfulness meditation, techniques for navigating intense emotions, and a series of role-plays on mindfulness and communication.