Ms. DeHaven’s 6th Grade Class
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B103ZJQG0fM8aVUxVVJicDdCdmc
Mindfulness Practices:
MINDUP
Learn 2 Breathe
Presented by:
Carol Nickles and Heidi Mancusi
Mount Horeb Area School District
Objectives
1. Experience mindfulness exercises
2. Learn about what mindfulness is and current research
3. Learn how to cultivate mindfulness into your district’s culture
4. Learn of 2 mindfulness curriculum: Learn to Breathe and MINDUP
5. Learn about current resources
What is mindfulness?
http://mindfulnessforteens.com/
Attention to the present, with compassion.
Pillars of happiness - Real Happiness at Work, Sharon Salzberg
Balance in life
Communication and Connection
Concentration
Integrity
Compassion
Meaning
Resilience
Open awareness
Full Catastrophe Living - Jon Kabat-Zinn
The attitudinal foundations of mindfulness practice
1. Non-judging
2. Patience
3. Beginner’s Mind
4. Trust
5. Non-striving
6. Acceptance
Core Meditations
Mindfulness of the Breath
Identifying Emotions
The Body and Walking
Letting Go of Thoughts
Loving Kindness
Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness
Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate
Emotion Regulation, Attention, and
Performance by Patricia Broderick, PhD
http://learning2breathe.org/
This curriculum is based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s pioneering work on mindfulness
based stress reduction that is supported by rigorous research.
It is a clear, user friendly, and inspiring guide for bringing mindfulness to our
youth
Learn to Breathe Curriculum
Heidi and I co-facilitated/delivered the curriculum with six high school students in the Spring of
2015.
All of these students struggled with anxiety and some with anxiety and depression.
L2B offers six and eighteen session programs. We implemented the six week session program.
Share themes--B=Body; R=Reflections; E=Emotions; A=Attention; T=Tenderness; H=Habits
We collected pre and post group data based on statements of attitudes and knowledge of stress
factors and we also conducted individual interviews with each student after the conclusion of the
group.
Learn to Breathe
Body--Listen! Your BODY is trying to tell you something.
Reflections--Thoughts are just thoughts
Emotions--Surf the waves of your Emotions
Attend--Attend to the inside and the outside
Try Tenderness--Take it as it is
Habits--Practice Healthy Habits of the mind
Empowerment--Gaining the inner edge!
Learn to Breathe curriculum
We collected pre and post group data based on statements of attitudes and
knowledge of stress management. We also conducted individual interviews with
each student for feedback on most salient lesson/s learned from the group.
The results were mixed. We consulted with Ms. Broderick recently and learned of
the program satisfaction scale, the affective self regulatory efficacy measure,
and other instruments in the manual. The interviews yielded the following
comments in answer to the following question: What did you learn that will help
you manage your stress in a healthier way?
“Thoughts are just thoughts”. “Pay attention to your body”.
Learn to Breathe--student feedback
“Be mindful! The past is in the past!”
“Find fun healthy ways to take care of yourself.”
“Be where you are.”
“Be kind to yourself.”
ALL of the students gave L2B class an enthusiastic thumbs up and would
recommend it to their peers/classmates. They also shared the opinion that it
should be taught to all students.
Why mindfulness?
Student health - ready to learn?
Attention/concentration tool
Classroom climate
Teacher health
Brain Physiology
Sympathetic nervous system vs.
Parasympathetic nervous system
Fight or flight vs. resting state
cortisol levels, heart rate, breathing
Amygdala vs. Prefrontal cortex
stimulus-->reaction
stimulus-->mindfulness→ response
MindUP Curriculum
http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/
Our School Psychologist, Tara Hogseth and our School Counselor, Krisann
Weier facilitated a small support group with six sixth grade students and
implemented 15 lessons on a weekly basis from February until June 2015.
MIndUP focuses on teaching students about mindful attention so they are ready
to learn and interact with their peers. It also encourages students to monitor
their own senses and become more aware of their world so they can respond
reflectively.
MindUP Curriculum
Grades 6-8
The first few lessons focus on the brain (how our brains react to stress and the
Core Practice).
The middle lessons focus on sharpening the senses (listening, seeing, smelling,
tasting, and movement).
The last few lessons focus on attitude, joyfulness and finding optimism in daily
life.
MindUP
Overall impressions--positive experience but lessons could be combined and it
would be optimally effective to implement it in the classroom on a Tier 1 level.
They also felt that the Core Practice would be worth practicing more often.
They collected pre and post surveys with 1-10 scale with 1=strongly
disagree/don’t understand and 10=strongly agree/understand fully.
Students understanding of the Core Practice went from a 1.8 to a 7.
Students perception of finding daily joy and optimism went from a 5.8 to a 7.
MindUP curriculum Grade 2
Our K-2 School Counselor, Emily McKee began delivering MindUP with second
grade students in the classroom for six weeks. She shared that teaches a lesson
on brain anatomy, on defining mindfulness, and then utilizes sections from the
MindUp curriculum on mindful listening, mindful attention, and deep breathing.
She also utilizes exercises from the book, Sitting Still Like a Frog.
Emily plans to expand on utilizing more of the MindUp curriculum next school
year and develop an evaluation plan as well.
MindUP Curriculum Grade 5
There is much enthusiasm among our five fifth grade teachers and they are all
in various stages of experimentation with mindfulness and utilizing some of the
MindUp curriculum.
Two teachers use the centering and breathing exercises in the first few lessons
and are in the habit of practicing mindful breathing every morning to start the
day.
One of the teachers is enlisting a small group of students (4) to read the
MindUP book and help set up lesson plans. The goal is to begin teaching it in
January 2016. All are eager to utilize MindUP and establish mindfulness
practices in their classrooms.
Exciting Research - Mind-Body connection
Norman Cousins - Anatomy of an Illness (power of joy and pain management)
Bernie Siegel- Love, Medicine and Miracles.(power of mind over body)
Studies have demonstrated eliciting the relaxation response affects blood
pressure, heart rate, and oxygen consumption. (2008 Herbert Benson)
Harvard Gazette- 10/13/15 Relaxation response proves positive- study reveals
how mind-body medicine could cut health care costs. James Stahl (43% reduced)
Harvard Gazette- 5/5/15 Meditation may relieve IBS and IBD. Researchers found
the relaxation response showed improvements in the two gastrointestinal
disorders. Branden Kuo -(decreases inflammatory factors)
Research on Gratitude
Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley
People who regularly practice gratitude and positive thinking consistently report:
Stronger immune systems and reduced illness
lower blood pressure
decreased time/impact of aches and pains
more joy, optimism, and happiness
acting with more generosity and compassion
Research in the Schools
Zenner, C., Herrnleben-Kurz, S., & Walach, H. (2014). Mindfulness-based interventions in
schools – A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 603.
Overall improvement seen with cognitive performance and resilience to stress.
Many studies with small numbers of participants, difficult to control environmental factors.
Tang, Y., Yang, L., Leve, L. D., & Harold, G. T. (2012). Improving executive function and its
neurobiological mechanisms through a mindfulness-based intervention: Advances within the
field of developmental neuroscience. Child Development Perspectives, 6(4), 361-366.
Improvements seen in attention,cognitive control, and emotional regulation.
Research here in WI - Dr. Richard Davidson
http://www.investigatinghealthyminds.org/
Davidson, R. J., Dunne, J., Eccles, J. S., Engle, A., Greenberg, M., Jennings, P., . . . Vago, D. (2012).
Contemplative practices and mental training: Prospects for American education.Child Development
Perspectives, 6(2), 146-153.
Many studies using fMRI to demonstrate changes in brain function with
meditation techniques. Focus on wellbeing and factors affecting well-being.
Student reports...parent reports
Emailed 90 families to inform of videotaping in the classroom - all positive
responses with parents/guardians excited that mindfulness is being introduced
in the classroom.
Student interviews:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B103ZJQG0fM8TUlyWHlUTkpqT00
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B103ZJQG0fM8akRnQ1ExSUtFdjA
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B103ZJQG0fM8elplWDM2WG5ELUE
The Journey of Changing Culture-Bringing
Mindfulness to your District
Is every District culture the same? Every school in the district? Every classroom?
There is not a prescription for bringing mindfulness to the district as it needs to
be individualized to each setting. There is discussion right now about promotion
of mindfulness activities by facilitating growth of practice with educators. If an
educator practices mindfulness their interactions with students will change and
improve even if they do not bring mindfulness practice into the classroom.
Healthy Classrooms Symposium with Dr. Richard Davidson helped to spearhead
change in our district.
Tools to provide information for educators
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction coursework. This was created by Jon
Kabat-Zinn. In WI there are only 2 facilities that offer this course- UW Health
Integrative Medicine and a course in Milwaukee (on our resource list). Other
local health centers offer variations of mindfulness instruction.
Book Club - At the MS in MHASD we met weekly to discuss each chapter of Real
Happiness at Work by Sharon Salzberg.
Outside speakers/professional development opportunitieshttps://drive.google.com/open?id=0B103ZJQG0fM8aGRGQzdXQy1qTTNmdHpF
MG0tNUd5TWRiaU5j
Ways to use Mindfulness in your district
1:1 counseling
small groups - Learn to Breathe and MindUp
In the classroom
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B103ZJQG0fM8ZlloQ0xkemtaN1k
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B103ZJQG0fM8RFNhY1RwMXBLU3c
District/school wide - mindful minute
Mindful Quotes for Reflection
“Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the
exquisite vividness of each moment. We also gain immediate access to our own
powerful resources for insight, transformation, and healing.” Jon Kabat-Zinn
“The most precious gift we can give others is our presence. When mindfulness
embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” Thich Nhat Hanh
“It is not that mindfulness is the answer to all of life’s problems. Rather it is that
all of life’s problems can be seen more clearly through the lens of a clear mind.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness Quotes for Reflection
“Compassion for others begins with kindness to ourselves.” Pema Chodron
“Be where you are; otherwise you will miss your life.” Buddha
“Mindfulness helps us get better at seeing the difference between what’s
happening and the stories we tell ourselves about what’s happening, stories that
get in the way of direct experience. Often such stories treat a fleeting state of
mind as if it were our entire and permanent self.” Sharon Salzberg
“Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime,
unobtrusively.” Sharon Salzberg
Thank you so much for being with us today
Carol Nickles, Grade 6-12 School Social Worker/K-12 Safe & Drug Free Schools
nicklescarol@mhasd.k12.wi.us
(608) 437-2400 x2163
Heidi Mancusi, Grade 6-12 School Nurse/ District wide Physical Therapist
mancusiheidi@mhasd.k12.wi.us
(608) 437-2400 x2195
Tara Hogseth, School Psychologist Mount Horeb Middle School
hogsethtara@mhasd.k12.wi.us
(608) 437-2400 x3309
Special Thanks to others who helped:
Anne Beier
4th Gr. Teacher
Julie DeHaven
6th Gr. Teacher
John Malecki
HS teacher
Theresa Daane
Director of
Student Services