Tuesday, September 19, 2017

How We Start Each Day

I wish every teacher in every classroom would give mindfulness a try. It has made such a difference in how our days begin! Students enter school feeling all sorts of emotions - rushed, anxious, upset, excited - usually, anything but calm and focused. Just a few moments of sitting in mindful attention in a peaceful darkened room, with their thoughts directed to their breathing, lets children begin the day recharged, and in a much more positive frame of mind. It is really pretty magical.


Neuroscientists have found that a long-term mindfulness practice actually alters the function and structure of the brain itself, and can improve the mental, social, emotional, and even physical well-being of our children. The mind-body connection is real.

I use several different CDs in our practice, my favorite being Sitting Still Like a Frog. I encourage every family to check this book/CD out of the library to see if you might like it for your home library. (I also have several copies in the classroom that you could borrow.) There are tracks for anxiety, sleeplessness, focus, and more. Right now we are enjoying a pebble meditation from Planting Seeds. I also lead mindful exercises - many that I learned from a conference I attended last year, and from books written by Susan Kaiser Greenland - The Mindful Child and Mindful Games.

I hope parents continue to make the time to join us for morning mindfulness whenever possible. What a sweet way to start both your child's day and your own day.



And remember, meditation starts when the school day does - promptly at 8:45. If you arrive after that, please honor our time and do not open the door until math time starts at 8:55.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Amazing. I love how you are teaching both the children and the parents to value this time by asking late comers to wait until it is finished to enter the classroom. A brave move in today's parenting climate ��