MINDFULNESS AND THE CALMCLASSROOM

Merry Kelly-Rehm MS. RNClinical Associate Professor

University of Tulsa College of Health SciencesApril 2015

Objectives Define Mindfulness Describe the physiology of mindfulness

Describe why mindfulness is a critical skill for our students

Participate in selected mindful techniques

Most teachers understand the necessity for a holistic approach to education

Multiple intelligences, 1980 Linguistic, logic - mathematical, musical, spatial, body awareness, interpersonal, naturalistic and existential

So what is changing?

Teachers increasingly accountable for student success

Outward focus driven by testing culture

Seeing a shift in attentional diversity

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) 1960Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center

Self management Self awareness Relationship skills Responsible decision making

Focus on emotional regulation, social competency and personal resiliency Side effect 11% increase in academic achievement.

Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor and Schellinger, 2011

Medical evaluation of the effects of Transcendental Meditation ™

Jon Kabat-Zinn's:Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness (Delta, 1991)

Research demonstrated effect on: Psoriasis, pain, anxiety, immune function

Relaxation Response TM 1998 Herbert Benson Harvard School of Medicine

Mind Body Medicine institute Turning off/down the flight /fight response

Relaxation response when practiced 10 mins a day 3 times a day Reverses the effects of the stress response Decrease in Blood Pressure Decrease in plasma free fatty acids & inflammation

Relaxation Response TM

Close your eyes Deep breath, as you exhale Repeat a single word, practice a simple movement

When your mind wanders return to your chosen word or movement

http://www.bensonhenryinstitute.org/

The Physiology of Meditation Jevning R, Wallace RK, Beidebach M. (1992) The physiology of meditation: a review. A wakeful hypometabolic integrated response Journal of Neurosci Biobehaveor 16(3):415-

24.

Increased Cardiac output, Cerebral blood flow, Plasma Arginine Vasopressin elevation (social behavior)

Decreased CO2 generation by muscles EEG synchronicity Increased immune function (Davidson, R. J.,

Kabat-Zinn, J., Schumacher, J., Rosenkranz, M., Muller, D., Santorelli, S. F., . . . Sheridan, J. F. (2003). Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine, 65(4), 564-570.)

Heart rate

Normal Heart rate has a beat to beat variability

http://www.heartmath.org/

Heart rate increases during time of stress

The sympathetic branch speeds heart-rate while the parasympathetic slows it

Heart Rate Coherence Variable heart rate

Synchronizing the breath with the heart beat is an ancient technique that elicits autonomic balance and a meditative state of mind

Breath, technique creates sine wave pattern

The heart communicates with the brain and body in four ways:

Neurological communication (nervous system) Biophysical communication (pulse wave) Biochemical communication (hormones) Energetic communication (electromagnetic fields)

Electromagnetic fields The heart’s

electromagnetic field the most powerful rhythmic field produced by the human body, extends out in all directions into the space around us.

The cardiac field can be measured several feet away from the body by sensitive devices.

Research conducted at IHM suggests that the heart’s field is an important carrier of information.

Brain response

During states of high heart rhythm coherence, alpha wave synchronization to the heart’s activity significantly increases

Changes in Heart rate, Pulse and Respiration with breath control and positive intention

Thoughts and emotions influence variability

Effect of Anger on Immune System

This graph shows the impact of one 5-minute episode of recalled anger on the immune antibody IgA over a 6-hour period.

The initial slight increase in IgA was followed by a dramatic drop which persisted for six hours.

When the subjects focused on feeling sincere care for five minutes there was a significant increase in IgA, which returned to baseline an hour later and then slowly increased throughout the rest of the day.

Summary Heart rate is a reflection of system coherence

Brain is in feedback loop with Heart

Breath control effects heart rhythm Physiologic HR coherence is associated with Emotional stability Mental stability Physical health

Neuroplasticity

Discovery from work with patients experiencing brain damage.

Post event repair techniques The brain can repair itself

Brain rewiring brain activity associated with a given function can move to a different location

Neurons the fire together wire together

Neuroplasticity and meditation

Changes in the brain occur during meditation practice.

Alterations in patterns of brain function

Changes attention Alterations in amplitude and synchrony that play an important role in the widespread circuitry in the brain.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2944261/

Imaging During Meditation

Imaging After Meditation

Mindful Schools Movement http://www.mindfulschools.org/

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) 1960Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center

Focus on emotional regulation, social competency and personal resiliency Side effect 11% increase in academic achievement.

Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor and Schellinger, 2011

Mindfulness Practice Regular, mindfulness meditation practice improves electrophysiological markers of attentional control, supported by EEG changes

Moore, Gruber, Derose, Malinowski http://

journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2012.00018/abstract

MINDFULNESS ISA PROCESS OF AWARENESS.

IT INVOLVES DEVELOPING THE SKILLS TO PAY ATTENTION TO AN EXPERIENCE IN THE MOMENT

AS OPPOSED TO BEING CAUGHT UP IN THE EMOTION OF YOURTHOUGHTS

Mindful practice Learning to pay attention to the experiences, feelings and emotions

Developing controlled awareness with out reaction

Developing reaction choice

Mindfulness in the classroom

Stop Pay attention Becoming aware of present moment Do Not judge whatever is happening as ‘good’ or ‘bad’

Breath Control Feet flat on the floor Sit up straight Take deep breath in through your nose that moves your belly out, exhale through your mouth Practice fast, slow…….

Decrease rate, increase control with practice

Purposeful Breathing Inhalation focus attention on the sensations accompanying your breathing,

Attend to the experience at the nostrils, around the diaphragm or the movement of the abdomen when inhaling and exhaling

Do not manipulate the breath in any form

Purposeful self control Close you eyes, if any part of your body wants to move, move it Hand on desk, tapping foot, shaking shoulders

With eyes closed continue the movement, slow it down

Stop movement

Body Scan Awareness of physical sensation

How does my ………feel

With each inhalation breath in energy Exhale breath away (tension pain)

Heart fullness How does …….. Make me feel Am I …………..(emotion) Remember when you felt ………

Generic Affirmation May you be happy May you be healthy May you be safe May you know peace

Interconnection In a mindful state, in your mindful body

Think of a time when someone was kind to you Picture the moment as if you were watching it on the TV

How does their kindness make you feel? Take that feeling and imagine sharing it with someone else

Teachers as Role Models To teach mindfully you need to be mindful

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/

http://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-practice/mindfulness-the-basics

http://www.mindfulteacher.com/

Significance of Meditative practice

Be still and Know that I am God Psalm 46:10

When you are in doubt, be still, and wait Ponca Chief White Eagle

Once your mind becomes absolutely still, your intelligence transcends human limitations Sadhguru

Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself. Hermann Hesse

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders Lao Tzu

In the stillness of life, we find our higher self Donald Hicks Everything is based on mind, is led by mind, is fashioned

by mind. Buddha

http://www.the-guided-meditation-site.com/mindfulness-benefits.html

Todays Practice When the sound disappears

Nostril breathing

Listen to the rain

Progressive muscle tensing

Additional Resource

The Way of Mindful Education: Cultivating Well being in Teachers and Students http://danielrechtschaffen.com/

John Hopkins School of Education http://education.jhu.edu/aboutus=

Child Research net: Young People in Japan http://www.childresearch.net