Each week we will explore this question and offer a few bite-sized mindful moments for you to bring to your life and the lives of your students.
MINDFUL MOMENT FOR YOU: EAT YOUR LUNCH
Photo by Diego Duarte Cereceda on Unsplash
One day of the week, make yourself a real lunch that delights you. Even if it is a simple sandwich, or carrots and hummus. Then, when the time comes to eat, do so with your full attention. Not with your computer in front of you, not with your phone out... Pause everything and tune your awareness into your lunch. Notice the texture, the shapes, the sound as you chew. Savor it. Even if you can only take one bite this way, give yourself that one bite to cherish.
MINDFUL MOMENT FOR YOUR STUDENTS: Mindful Listening
Photo by Cassandra Hamer on Unsplash
Offer students one-two minute(s) at the start of class to quiet the mind and take in any sound they can hear. Have them notice sounds outside of the room, inside of the room, maybe even from within the body... Notice if there are any sounds that are pleasant or unpleasant.
Let students know that if they ever feel overwhelmed by their thoughts, they can come back to anchoring their attention to sound.