12:11:51 Yeah, that's it.
12:11:55 Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us today for our Boise wellness mindful teacher educator Lunch and Learn session. I want to thank and welcome Jennifer IV who has will be presenting this session entitled The mindful teacher.
12:12:10 Jen is an educator who works with a TD SP and TC DSP.
12:12:16 She also taught internationally for 20 years in the public and private school systems, and she first developed an interest in combining yoga and education while completing a research project on the effects of yoga and academic achievement.
12:12:30 And you may recognize Gemma she offers or weekly practices every Monday mornings at eight o'clock, called rise and realign, and their session is usually a combination of chair yoga meditation and learning about the benefits of having your own practice.
12:12:46 So after the session if you haven't joined us already, and you're looking for some opportunities to build your own practice. Hopefully you can join us then.
12:12:55 So we're grateful to have you here today with us, Jen. Before I send it off to you I just want to remind everyone that this session is being recorded and that there are a number of resources on our Boise web wellness website in case you ever do need help
12:13:11 them coping, or if you feel overwhelmed.
12:13:15 coping, or if you feel overwhelmed. Okay, over to you, Jim.
12:13:29 Beautiful. Thank you so much. I really appreciate that.
12:13:23 And I recognize some faces. It's nice to see you again. I hope you're studying and teaching journeys going well. I just wanted to remind you that you might want to paper and pencil.
12:13:34 If you have any ideas to write down or you can download or print this from the gen VOB site, so maybe Eric is going to, I think I put them in the chat already Yeah, so you can print this off the site if this is helpful, all the different things that I'll
12:13:48 be sharing today the resources and ideas are on this resource.
12:13:57 And there's also some slides on the gen VOB site, so feel free to use these with your students or your community if you find any of them at all helpful.
12:14:11 So it's always wonderful to be with the community among it's inspiring Lunch and Learn presenters.
12:14:21 So perhaps some of what I share today might also be meaningful for you. And I want to honor your time so if you have to leave or if I somehow go over, feel free to continue your day.
12:14:28 You can always email me if you have any questions, a few have emailed me already actually about research related to yoga, meditation, as well as about teaching internationally or with the board, so feel free to email me about any of those things as well
12:14:42 if I can be helpful.
12:14:43 I'd like to explore and experience and strategies and tools for wellness with you.
12:14:54 I'll be guiding you through these practices, beginning with some yoga movement, discussing some of the benefits. So I'm sitting meditation and Iris integrative restoration you're going to draw.
12:15:07 weekly live sessions as well as tuning into the recording so keep doing that I hope that helps you because little and often is the key to making any of these practices, a natural part of your day and your students day, as well as your community.
12:15:25 So these become habits and routines.
12:15:27 And you might notice some connections between these practices as they teach us to welcome what's here, appearing and disappearing in both our internal, external environment.
12:15:43 So I'd like to begin with some movement, which is how I begin my classes every morning and after lunch.
12:15:53 You don't have to be a yoga teacher yoga practitioner, regular yoga practitioner for any of this a lot of this just looks like movement really.
12:16:03 And there's a science behind choosing a song, if you decide to use music in the 2015 study conducted by Spotify, along with music psychologist David Greenberg, a song needs to build nudging you gently and gradually getting energy levels up needs to be
12:16:20 positive and encouraging needs a strong beat. So making you feel like dancing so maybe a BPM between 100 to 130.
12:16:31 And I added this it should be appropriate for your age group, and your school community so depending if you're teaching kindergarten all the way to high schoolers.
12:16:46 So this is a song, I use most mornings, it's lovely day by Bill Withers, so feel free to join in as we move together just for a short while we will do the whole song, incorporating some stretching or yoga, modifying adjusting tuning into whatever your
12:17:00 body needs at this moment, I actually try to use the version that has words, because I want the students to be more and more exposed to work so I'm going to share that with you guys.
12:17:11 So you can see there's a whole bunch that have words as well it's all prepared.
12:17:16 I'm just going to continue sharing screen because you don't need to see me I think fully just need to move. So let's start. Okay.
12:17:31 We're gonna wake up in
12:17:31 the sunlight.
12:17:54 Just one.
12:18:26 Alright, that was just sort of a short thing My kids love it I usually play this as sort of our theme song as we enter the classroom.
12:18:32 I teach virtually. So, yeah, so that might be an idea for you if you you're interested in something like that.
12:18:41 And hopefully it right in your spirit or right it always makes me smile, whenever I play this song.
12:18:46 Okay.
12:18:50 And so, do you think this is something you could add to your classroom Oh thanks for the heart yeah it's lovely right, or do you think you might benefit from it or enjoy it even during a staff meeting I've done stuff like this during staff meetings.
12:19:03 And these are some other suggestions just for building your own personal practice. So, Adrian and Leslie fight master what's nice is the offer both multi day and 30 day challenges from beginning all the way to intermediate flows so if you think you might
12:19:17 want to do more of this kind of movement, you can learn for free on YouTube.
12:19:22 Okay.
12:19:27 And these are some different resources that I use with my classes in person and virtually because I've also done Oh teaching as the PE teacher and the classroom teacher from kindergarten all the way to grade eight.
12:19:39 So mindful movement. It offers suggestions through the high school and Deb regularly offers free or inexpensive training. I did her one day training, and she, she gave me the book for free actually along with the training and some other resources.
12:19:54 She also asked me to do a body scan. As a recording because we became friends, so you can meet lots of cool people doing these kinds of things is joining in in these trainings.
12:20:09 Alright, so here's another practice. This is one of the flows from mindful movement, and I do this usually right after the land acknowledgement and oh Canada.
12:20:18 Um, since they're standing up already, or during the day is a brain break so feel free, free to try this with me, if you, if you'd like you can modify or do the seated you can do this in any other way so I'll just show you it's very brief.
12:20:31 Okay.
12:20:32 So, usually, right after the acknowledgement. They're already standing so we just do it. So, gratitude. That's the first position.
12:20:40 And then I get them to stand on their tippy toes. Reach for the sun, really reaching, and then I tell them let go, you can touch anything the floor, your shins your knees whatever you can touch.
12:20:52 And then gratitude. And that's it. So we try that again. gratitude. Reach for the sun, let go and gratitude. Great job. Yeah, so it just feels good feels good in the body and it's very connecting.
12:21:12 So hopefully you're already starting to feel and understand that yoga and mindfulness meditation practices are beneficial.
12:21:35 It continued to be researched and implemented by universities like u of t, or the Military Medical Centers like MH.
12:21:28 And from this medically reviewed article seven benefits of meditation and their effects on your brain. They share research that supports these practices so this is something you can come to your leaders about for tangible reason scientific reasons of
12:21:41 why yoga meditation mindfulness, would be useful for your classes and your school community first focus and concentration which is necessary for effective learning in school the network, Harvard Medical School us brain scans to show connections between
12:21:57 mindfulness and increased gray matter in areas that process new information.
12:22:03 Improve self esteem and self awareness. This was proven in the Journal of cognitive psychotherapy on the effective use of meditation training for treating social anxiety disorder.
12:22:12 So this is especially helpful as we face is change and uncertainty reduction of stress, lowering the stress hormone, cortisol helps relaxation. In the 2013 Review researchers analyzed over 200 studies on mindfulness and meditation.
12:22:29 So this is very helpful I find with, you know, the demanding school schedule and transitions that really helps my immunity.
12:22:36 And if I stress out and react, my autoimmune conditions are exacerbated. But if I can be present and feel into any moment, mindful ease. I respond better and supportive and healing ways for myself and for others around me.
12:22:50 Meditation manages anxiety and stress. And this is evident in studies of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and BSRH therapy by Jon Kabat Zinn, as well as integrative restoration guided meditation is developed by Richard Miller, which will be practicing
12:23:05 together today.
12:23:08 It also controls pain and internal medicine study reported 6400 participants found relief from acute and chronic pain through meditation, it fights addiction and substance abuse and rehabilitation study mindfulness training help prevent future relapses
12:23:26 by altering brain receptors regulating the brains experience of pleasure, also increases awareness and better management of cravings.
12:23:35 And finally can help us become more loving and kind. Meditation strengthens brain circuits to help us recognize other people's emotions, promoting benevolence and decreasing biases so it's great for our community.
12:23:50 The loving kindness meditation foster self compassion, as well as compassion for others.
12:23:54 So for stressful or challenging situations just pausing or resetting for a few minutes.
12:23:59 That helps us to respond better instead of reacting, there's greater clarity, so so much research and info out there supporting this development of a regular personal practice.
12:24:15 Related to this quote, perhaps participating today, giving yourself some time.
12:24:20 You may feel even just a little more in touch with your natural sense of healing reconnecting with yourself and everything around you, especially your school community, and especially your students.
12:24:32 building self care is ritual or routine for ourselves and inspiring our communities students are loved ones. And over time, little by little, calmly more confidently.
12:24:43 Inspiring our communities students or loved ones. And over time, little by little, calmly more confidently. We can meet day to day challenges life with greater compassion and grace.
12:24:54 So let's reconnect here, with a short sitting meditation, modified from the traditional practice using similar script to one shared in the handout, so you can practice on your own.
12:25:06 Everything is invitations suggestions or anchors the body invited to position itself in any way that feels good, sitting upright, usually for learn some breath flow is positioning themselves comfortably and noticing the chime if it feels right for you.
12:25:24 You can use the App Insight timer, or I'll be using a time today. I can feel into the body breathing.
12:25:32 Just welcoming all possibilities without attaching or detaching just noticing the mind wandering or thinking as it naturally does without judging it, and welcoming in any anchor suggestion that may return you to the present moment.
12:25:48 Just taking care of yourself if discomfort arises, you can turn the volume off or down. Open your eyes or ground your feet firmly.
12:25:58 Okay, so just start to settle in
12:26:03 any comfortable position.
12:26:09 Eyes are opening or closing or gazing softly
12:26:19 feels comfortable really noticing the chime being present with the vibration or sound or until the very last moment.
12:26:39 was the sound dissipates perhaps bringing one hand to the belly. one hand to the chest.
12:26:47 Sensing their weight and temperature,
12:26:56 your own pace take three of the deepest breath, so far today.
12:27:13 Take your time filling the belly and chest rising and falling in
12:27:27 this new season this new day this fresh moment.
12:27:33 Perhaps your intention is to welcome the felt sense of gratitude.
12:27:38 During this time together into the teaching learning day ahead, or for your daily life.
12:27:47 So just allowing and inviting and intention.
12:27:50 While I offer one allowed.
12:27:55 I welcome the felt sense of gratitude.
12:28:00 I welcome the felt sense of gratitude.
12:28:06 I welcome the felt sense of gratitude.
12:28:12 Hey, just feeling into how those words might resonate.
12:28:25 Moving present with the breath.
12:28:30 Felt sense rising and falling in the belly in the chest.
12:28:43 Your mind wanders gently coming back to the breath without any judgment.
12:28:55 Gently coming back to the way to the hands of
12:29:00 the felt sense of the breath.
12:29:09 You're ready noticing the time again.
12:29:13 Returning to awakened state.
12:29:16 All the while allowing this feeling of being okay peaceful and joyful.
12:29:26 Grateful remaining with you throughout the day.
12:29:41 To be curious, is this something you and your class might enjoy your benefit from as part of your regular routine.
12:29:54 So I've been recommending resources.
12:29:58 And these are all just ones that I've used myself or with my communities.
12:30:03 So Tara Brock, I think she's very well known.
12:30:08 Eliza Goldstein.
12:30:11 And just a reminder that always in RSS they offer free weekly meditation movement sessions throughout the year from some of your professors even and peers and me every Monday morning.
12:30:35 And there are still thousands of free youtube videos apps websites summit speakers, so there's so much information out there now.
12:30:39 And these are some more resources that you can use personally as well as with your school community.
12:30:51 They actually offer diverse practices including sitting meditation, Yoga movement I rest to perhaps pick one or two to start and try them out in your life personally, and just seeing how they fit in your own schedule and with your own personality.
12:31:09 Smiling mine thrive inside is an easy to use app has short and longer relevant meditations. And for some of the recordings, you can even choose a female or male voice which is nice.
12:31:20 I believe this one's free as well.
12:31:27 Calm offers a 30 day mindfulness in the classroom resource. So I suggest subscribing to any of these different offerings. They send free resources and programs directly to your email.
12:31:38 So when you're ready, you can just go into your email and you can get some guidance, at your very easily.
12:31:52 I've included a reflection handout for developing your sitting meditation, it might be helpful to notice patterns. When seems to be the time you meditate most in the morning before your mind wakes up or during your commute to work.
12:32:06 I know for me I do mindfulness and meditation on my drive as I go to the school.
12:32:12 What rituals and anchors work best for you a voice guiding a chime. And on the belly.
12:32:19 And what seems to appear and disappear, chronic pain in the neck and shoulders stories we tell ourselves.
12:32:27 So I use this one myself during an eight week meditation or educators course that I took with peace in schools. And that's another good resource.
12:32:41 Last practice I'd like to share so inspired by IRS integrative restoration, founded by Richard Miller.
12:32:47 It's guided meditation based on yoga need, which is also called yoga sleep.
12:32:52 So it's that relaxing, or remaining conscious people often feel greater restoration after a full 45 minutes is practice, and that's more than a night sleep will be practicing an aspect of is related to sensing.
12:33:08 It may seem familiar guided by my voice, the body positioning itself so it feels comfortable and at ease tuning in being whatever is most calling your attention all possibilities are welcome, resting or alertness.
12:33:24 Just take care of any discomfort arises, you can open your eyes ground Your feet are fine movement,
12:33:35 be using our senses to tune in.
12:33:38 This is helpful as we practice settling in letting go.
12:33:42 Also it's a way of feeling okay and loved peaceful or joyful at a moment's notice.
12:33:50 So considering who or what imagery may bring this ease, a loved one place in nature.
12:34:11 A real or imagined place a memory.
12:34:05 Using the five senses to live in this experience.
12:34:10 So for example, being at the beach.
12:34:14 Seeing vast blue waters puffy white clouds.
12:34:19 Hearing waves lapping
12:34:23 touching soft sand, feeling the cool breeze or warm sun smelling fresh clean air, tasting the saltiness of the sea.
12:34:39 So feel free to write down or feel into imagery that brings you okay peace or joy, using your own five senses.
12:34:47 And then we'll do this short practice.
12:34:50 I'll just give me a moment here.
12:34:54 Another possibility could even be being held or holding a loved one could see the features of their face.
12:35:03 Here, they're familiar voice, touch their soft skin smell their heart smell their natural scent.
12:35:19 Get touch and feel into their heartbeat even.
12:35:25 Okay, so even if you don't have this completely done that's okay just open up your senses.
12:35:31 And we'll just start here. So, setting aside any work for now.
12:35:42 Recognize that when you return to them again after your practice.
12:35:59 Might there be more space for openness, creativity, Fresh outlook.
12:35:59 Body and Mind beliefs into surfaces and spaces
12:36:11 appreciating this well time break
12:36:21 body moving or quieting
12:36:32 eyes gazing arresting.
12:36:48 senses expanding in all directions.
12:37:01 welcoming
12:37:09 colors.
12:37:14 Lights shadows.
12:37:22 Sounds inside or outside of the room.
12:37:35 textures or sense
12:37:45 tastes.
12:37:56 The body mind settling in
12:38:03 adjusting in any way that might bring while being.
12:38:18 during I rest welcome every messenger.
12:38:28 Appearing
12:38:33 expanding
12:38:38 and disappearing in their own time
12:38:46 without needing to think or judge.
12:38:55 Accepting everything just as it is to
12:39:08 experience your heart's deepest desire longing contribution
12:39:16 purpose for this lifetime.
12:39:25 your why in the world.
12:39:38 perhaps for service,
12:39:47 being a role model,
12:40:07 recall your intention.
12:40:15 your why for this moment or this practice.
12:40:28 support supporting you and realizing your heartfelt desire.
12:40:33 During this practice, or in your daily life.
12:40:52 perhaps to welcome the felt sense of gratitude.
12:41:04 Welcome in your inner resource,
12:41:10 a safe haven refuge.
12:41:15 That helps you feel okay, peace, joy
12:41:24 at a moment's notice.
12:41:34 Perhaps imagery of a loved one
12:41:42 place in nature,
12:41:50 real or imagined place
12:41:58 memory.
12:42:06 Bringing opaqueness
12:42:14 using the five senses to live in this experience of
12:42:25 being at the beach.
12:42:31 Fast Blue Water
12:42:40 puffy white clouds.
12:42:47 Waves lapping.
12:42:54 saw sand.
12:43:02 Cool Breeze
12:43:10 warm sun,
12:43:19 fresh clean air
12:43:28 saltiness of the sea
12:43:37 interweaving words.
12:43:39 Okay Enos, peace,
12:43:45 joy,
12:43:48 may bring calm
12:43:55 and a felt sense perhaps emanating from the heart.
12:44:03 release of the belly of
12:44:10 relaxation of the shoulders, the jaw.
12:44:20 Recognize and affirm that you can come back to your inner resource of ease and calm.
12:44:27 At any moment.
12:44:34 Whenever you feel the need for feeling okay, peace, joy,
12:44:46 without any need to think or analyze
12:44:52 free to just be
12:44:58 tuning in.
12:45:04 scanning the entire body.
12:45:12 feeling your way.
12:45:19 Feeling the body breathing itself.
12:45:31 Recognizing unchanging okay Enos awareness, in which every sensation.
12:45:53 Feeling Emotion
12:45:49 arises
12:45:53 unfolds.
12:45:58 And in its own time dissolves back to where they came from.
12:46:08 Imagine going about your everyday life.
12:46:14 Sensing and recognizing how in each moment.
12:46:18 You always know the precise and perfect response to each and every situation you encounter in life,
12:46:34 taking your time as you integrate this experience back into your waking life,
12:46:46 welcoming the environment surrounding you.
12:46:55 Allowing the felt sense of okay Enos, peace, or joy to accompany you.
12:47:04 As you need everything as messengers
12:47:12 gratitude and every action and interaction throughout this day this week,
12:47:22 feels right fingers and toes fine movement.
12:47:30 Eyes open and close
12:47:39 fully present
12:47:45 appreciative of this time for yourself.
12:47:49 The practice of IRS.
12:48:00 So again, exploring this Iris practice is something you or your class might enjoy or benefit from as part of your regular routine, my kindergarten class is studying the five senses.
12:48:12 so I tie this into practicing mindfulness and meditation.
12:48:16 You can use almost any book, especially if there's lots of visuals details or descriptions, depending on your students grade levels. So this is the book that I used with my students.
12:48:28 And then after listening to the read aloud.
12:48:31 Hi kid and welcome to this top boxes.
12:48:36 Okay.
12:48:37 Let's see.
12:48:41 Okay.
12:48:45 So after listening to the read aloud I asked them to share.
12:48:49 And they totally got it, they were able to use all their senses all the JKNSK is we're sharing everything that they saw.
12:49:01 And then the next day I think it was we talked about who or what makes them feel okay peaceful or joyful, their answers were pretty cute.
12:49:11 I just remember whatever they feel is there perfect experience so I had a little boy talk about a venomous snake Felton made them feel good.
12:49:20 That's great. And then you had you know someone else saying that their sister reading.
12:49:25 So it's always wonderful to hear, you know, what they what they really feel brings them ease or calm.
12:49:36 And this could be used for sitting meditation practice so if you have older students you could probably listening experience this whole five minute practice or kindergarteners just did a one minute practice and I just kept the video muted.
12:49:49 And they just simply observed and imagined as I cycled through the five senses, asking them what they could see in the video, but they could hear, touch, smell, taste.
12:50:00 So again inquiring if this is inspired practice is something you and your class might enjoy your benefit from this become part of your regular team.
12:50:10 And again, these are all on the Google slide deck on the agenda Yogi. So you're welcome to use these in your community.
12:50:22 And there's so many free opportunities every day. The IRS website has free events live and recorded. And these didn't even exist before the pandemic so it's so great that they're here now.
12:50:33 And there's the Java mind app. It was made by a teacher for teachers.
12:50:38 And there's a free version, so you can listen to me, if you enjoyed this is today. I'm under the brief now. And in various topics including joy and gratitude.
12:50:48 The links are also in the handout.
12:50:55 Just a reminder about the Monday sessions, feel free to join us and find the recordings as well.
12:51:08 And feel free to join and subscribe to my website and the YouTube channel. So lots of what we did today is there as well.