Mindfulness for PK3
@austinisdSEL #mindfulAISD
Have you ever...
- Felt overwhelmed?
- Felt underpaid?
- Wished everyone in your life was potty trained?
- Had a case of the Mondays?
Mindfulness
Mindfulness can make those Mondays much more tolerable.
What's it mean & how to practice?
Right here, Right now.
Paying attention,
Responding &
Being Kind
Mindfulness and the Brain
Hand Model of the Brain
"Upstairs brain" is for thinking
When we get upset, our downstairs brain doesn't communicate as well with our upstairs brain causing it to be difficult to make good choices. If we don't do anything to calm down, we "flip our lid" and if that happens, it can take 20-30 minutes to calm down.
Research
The amygdala, which is used to react to emotions, is less active following mindfulness meditation practice (Lutz, Slagter, Dunne, & Davidson, 2008).
Mindfulness meditation has been proven to activate the prefrontal cortex, which is most commonly associated with regulating emotions/behaviors and making wise decisions (Chiesa & Serretti, 2010).
The Hippocampus, which is critical to memory and emotional regulation, is more active following breath-focused mindfulness training. (Goldin & Gross, 2010).
Pay Attention
5 things you see
4 things you hear
3 things you feel
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste
**Modifications
Focus on 1 sense at a time.
Focus on 1 object with 1 sense at a time.
Mindful Stretching
Awaken the Body: Mountain
Reduce Heart Rate: Mountain Top
Heart Opener: Dolphin
Crossing the mid-line: Pretzel
Google Drive w/ Stretching & Breathing Photos w/ Scripts
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByhWkZmEVQ_sQzQtWUZUeDZyd2M
**Modifications
All poses can be done from chair.
Hand over hand.
Mindful Breathing
Finger Tracing
Square (shape) Tracing
YouTube Playlist with some of these exercises demonstrated: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk8vStkqPsIPKQv5a7w_dkyy86e4PfF7K
Modifications:
Hand over hand.
Check-in w/ Teachers Using Mindfulness in Class
What's working?
What questions are there?
Request Mindfulness Support
Contact & Links
Your campus SEL Specialist can help with mindfulness as well.
Link for FREE lifetime subscription to Calm.com website & app. Great for adults to continue or start a mindfulness practice. Also has peaceful sounds and some guided meditations for kids. calm.com/schools
Great website with kid-friendly videos and tracks that support Second Step curriculum. mindyeti.com
GoNoodle has awesome mindfulness videos. In the categories tab at the top, look for "Calming" and "Stretching."