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MINDFULNESS 101 “In today’s rush we all think too much,
seek too much and forget about the joys
of just Being.” --Eckhart Tolle
HOW DO YOU
MEASURE YOUR
CHILD’S
SUCCESS?
Important skills, perhaps more important
than academics....
Learning to channel attention to important tasks
Sustain motivation when work becomes demanding
Ability to recognize and manage emotions
Ability to handle frustrations
WHAT IS
MINDFULNESS??http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzR62JJCMBQ
What is MINDFULNESS?
Jon Kabit-Zinn Ph.D, lead researcher on Mindfulness
and founder of the Center for Mindfulness at the
University of Massachusetts Medical School, defines
mindfulness as:
“The awareness that arises through
paying attention on purpose in the
present moment, and non-
judgmentally.”
What is MINDFULNESS?
Being completely in the NOW
Noticing, THIS SECOND, how you feel, what you
think, what you want
WITHOUT criticism or judgment
Learning to focus your attention to the PRESENT
Allowing thoughts/emotions to move away from what
might have been or what could be
Technology’s ImpactSmart phone users check their phones every 6.5
minutes! This works out to be 150 times a day!!
Silence is replaced by constant communication.
Solitude is replaced with social media.
Stimulus is speeding up our nervous system
Technology’s Impact...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IztrJ1T1qg
We live in a TECHNOLOGY SATURATED world!!
WE NEED TO INSERT PAUSE.........
REMINDER: We are HUMAN BEINGS not HUMAN
DOINGS...
Take a moment to
PAUSE...
Natural Pauses...
Pushes the RESET button on our nervous system
Nature has a way of regulating our nervous system!TIME in the DAY WITHOUT deliberate type of thinking!
What are your kids
learning from you?
Kid’s brains are like sponges...they are influenced by
your mood, state of mind.
They observe/model your behaviors, habits, coping
skills.
"If we can teach children that
feelings are mentionable and
manageable, we will have done a
great service for mental health."
- Mister Rogers
Why be mindful? • Better focus and concentration
• Decreased stress & anxiety
• Improved impulse control
• Improved coping skills
• Improved ways of responding to difficult emotions
• Increased self-awareness
• Increased empathy and understanding of others
Benefits of Mindfulness
• It lowers stress (altering brain waves in a postive way)
• It eases pain (controls the volume knob on pain and emotion)
• It calms (better able to focus, deal with difficulty, and control
your reactions to challenging situations)
• It makes music sound better (helping you truly enjoy music
and sound, enabling you to relax when you hear it)
• It makes food taste better (increases your ability to savour
and enjoy food, as you slow down, you may even naturally
consume less.
• It can help you relate better (more compassionate)
Benefits of Mindfulness
• Decreases anxiety and depression
• It can improve your mental focus (helps you to study and
raises performance)
• It can boost immunity (increases ability to resist colds, flus
and other ailments)
• Increases feelings of happiness and positivity
Caught up in the past = Depression
Worried about the future = Anxiety
FOCUS ON NOW!!!!
Mindful Breathing
When a child is upset, worried or overwhelmed
practice ELEVATOR BREATHING
Have them close their eyes and imagine their body is
like a tall building and the inhalation of their breath is
like an elevator rising to the top. As they exhale
gently describe the elevator going down.
Mindful Listening
Mindful Minute (transitions, start of the day...)
THE POWER OF THE BELL
www.mindfulnessdc.org/bell/index.html
Body Scan
Simple way of directing attention and checking in
with different parts of the body. Often you will find
areas you are holding stress. When you direct focus
to the part, you can release this stress.
Sweeping through the whole body from the toes,
heel, foot, ankle, heel, shin....relaxing each part
along the way.
Mindful Eating
What does mindfulness
look like at home?
RECOMMENDATIONS
to try today....PAUSE and begin to notice your emotional state
throughout the day.
Reflect: Are you REACTING or RESPONDING to
situations with your kids.
Make time for unstructured family time away from
homework/technology.
Spend quality time with your kids (unstructured)
Model mindfulness techniques- Deep Breaths,
Mindful Listening, Body Awareness, Mindful Eating
RECOMMENDATIONS
to try today....
Take time at bedtime or in the morning to encourage
your child to:
Imagine the type of day he/she wants to have.
Think of 3 things you are grateful for....
Think of 3 compliments to give a classmate
MOST
IMPORTANTLYENJOY the
MOMENTS with
your
children....They
grow up fast!!!
ResourcesSweet, Corinne. The Mindfulness Journal,
Exercises to help you find peace and calm
wherever you are. 2014.
www.mindfulschools.org
www.mindful.org
Lighthouse Arabia and Raymee Grief
Center, Jumeriah Beach Road
