The 22nd Annual Midwest
Institute for Students and
Teachers of Psychology Friday, February 20 and Saturday, February 21, 2015
Hosted by The College of DuPage Psychology Faculty and Psi Beta Chapter
Concurrent Sessions
Saturday, February 21, 2015 9 to 10 a.m. SRC 2000 A “The Mindfulness Revolution: Meditation Meets
Psychological Science”
Hillary Rosenthal and Pete Masciopinto Glenbrook South High School
Meditation Meets Psychological Science
What is Mindfulness?
—  Being present in the moment
—  Awareness —  Focus
“Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment
with intention, while letting go of judgment, as if your life
depends on it.”
~Jon Kabat-Zinn
Interview
“Mindfulness is the science of finding focus in a
stressed-out, multi-tasking culture.”
~Mark Williams & Danny Penman
[21st Century British Authors & Educators]
What is the Opposite of
Mindfulness?
—  Mindlessness?
—  Empty Mind?
NO!
—  The opposite (and enemy) of
mindfulness is… THINKING
JUDGMENT
MULTI-TASKING
Physiology of Mindfulness
http://www.studyblue.com/notes/note/n/neuro-­‐anatomy/deck/135382 “Scientific
research using fMRI has shown
that the insula becomes energized through
meditation. This is usually significant because
this part of brain is integral to our sense of
human connectedness as it helps to mediate
empathy in a very real and visceral way.”
~MINDFULNESS Williams & Penman 2011
“Mirror Neurons: Monkey See, Monkey Do”
Increased
mindfulness
activates the Mirror Neurons
in the brain. Current scientific research
supports that mindfulness
training
and
practice
correlates
to
increased
empathy and compassion in
human attitudes and actions. We Can Change Our Brains When We Change Our Minds
NEUROPLASTICTY
The brain’s structure can be
altered and changed through
neuroplasticity or the brain’s
ability to reorganize itself by
forming
new
neural
connections when we change
our thinking and behavior. http://patientadvocates.com/teaching-yourbrain-new-tricks-keep-your-cognitiveability-alive-and-well-what-isneuroplasticity v Current
research referenced by
Dr. Richard Davidson suggests
that Mindfulness training and
practice
can
induce
specific
molecular changes to our genes
that could have evolutionary
impact on our development.
v This
means that our physical
engineering will adjust to our
mind’s attitudes and beliefs.
http://www.investigatinghealthym “Like
grandmother’s vintage dress, you could wear it or have it altered. The
genome has long been known as the blueprint of life, but the epigenome is life’s
Etch A Sketch: Shake it hard enough, and you can wipe clean the family curse.” http://discovermagazine.com/2013/may/13-grandmas-experiences-leave-epigenetic-mark-onyour-genes 2 Ways to Practice
Mindfulness
—  Eliminate distractions
—  Focus on here and now experience
“When we explore and examine
our emotions and feelings, we can
change our brain and our mind. Our lives are about molecules,
enzymes, and Biochemistry;
moreover, we need to connect
how these physical factors are
linked to our emotions, feelings,
and inner life. Mindfulness helps
us with integration between the
physical and emotional.” ~Dan Siegel “Mindfulness &
Neuralintegration”
APPLICATION OF MINDFULNESS
“Mindfulness is now being examined scientifically and has been found to be a key element to happiness.”
~HARVARD HEALTH Publications Major Uses of Mindfulness Training
—  Stress management
—  Especially breathing and body scan
exercises
http://crossfitbethany.com/2014/02/developing-­‐mindfulness-­‐by-­‐dr-­‐jess/ HOW TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
BREATHE
Pay Attention: It’s a Skill DISCIPLINE
Tune Up: Think about what we are doing NOW
Improve Metacognition THINK
Let’s Try It
—  Body Scan
Major Uses of Mindfulness Training
—  Psychotherapy
—  Anxiety disorders
—  Cognitive behavioral approach
Major Uses of Mindfulness Training
—  Cardiovascular benefits
—  Not all forms equally effective
—  Body scan, breathing exercises, and
compassion training supported by
research
Major Uses of
Mindfulness Training
—  Building Resiliency
—  Especially seen in compassion training
The Mindful Classroom
—  Promotion of social and emotional well-
being for the whole student
—  Direct training of techniques to employ The Mindful Classroom
—  Reduction of test anxiety
The Mindful Classroom
—  Improved focus, especially important for
high cognitive load
—  “Clear the decks” for creativity
—  Non-judgment replaces negative cognitive
bias
The Mindful Classroom
—  Promoting attention to detail
Let’s Try It
—  Focused Experience The Mindful Classroom
—  Building resiliency —  Students persist in difficult tasks
—  Tolerate frustration without acting out
APPLYING MINDFULNESS IN SCHOOLS
Being in the Zone
Brain
Body Mind
“Schools can teach reflection,
relationships, and resilience not
just reading, writing, and
Arithmetic.”
~Dan Siegel
How do we make school MORE MINDFUL?
GUIDANCE, INSTRUCTION, PRACTICE
calls for the passion of the teacher to ignite the student
Strive for and recognize Zen Moments: I Get It! Practice Collective Respect & Connectivity
Take Mindful Attendance: “Be Present!” (Maybe the body is present, but where is the mind?)
TEACHER: Have something worthy and valuable to Offer CARE for teachers who CARE for Students
If Teachers are stressed, exhausted, and burned out, how can we care for the kids?
Care for self so that you can give to others. CURRENT CONCERNS & TRENDS IN
EDUCATION
Increased stressed, pressure, suicides, addictive behavior, and cheating. How can Mindfulness Training & Practice help teachers,
students, schools, and communities?
“Researchers find that those children who
participated in the mindfulness program reported
fewer depressive symptoms, lower stress and greater
well-being than the young people in the control
group.”
~ http://mindfulnessinschools.org STARTING POINT: Teacher Education, Workshops, & Training
MINDFULNESS A PRACTICE EXERCISE
AWARE, AWAKE, ALERT, ATTENTION IN THE MOMENT NOW
Add music, poem,
silence
v  Take a few moments to “Drop In”
and pay attention to now…
v  STAND: Focus on self awareness “I am standing.”
v  Feel the connection of your body
to the floor.
v  Become aware of sensations:
feet, pelvis, torso, spine, neck,
arms, head
v  Be aware of breath and
awareness of arms
v  Focus on self-standing…
completely
Standing, Breathing, Resting
APPLYING MINDFULNESS IN ATHLETICS
“One area athletes tend to struggle with
during competition is staying in the
present moment.”
“ “ The Application of Mindfulness Practice in Sport” MIND & BODY UNITED IN PURPOSE: “The State of Flow”
“Mindfulness
teaches us to manipulate our own mind
instead of letting it manipulate us.”
v  Research suggest that practicing mindful exercises in
addition to physical training results in improved mental
and physical performance.
v  The Flow State is defined as the state of consciousness
where the mind and body are one.
v  In flow, a person is completely absorbed in his or her
actions and experiences (Csikszentmihalyi ,1990)
http://www.thesportinmind.com/articles/the-application-of-mindfulness-practice-tosport/ “Mindfulness
helps train the prefrontal cortex, the
part of the brain that creates a calm and alert state
of mind, which helps us stay focused, avoid distraction
and perform at our best.”
~ Dr. Kristen Race, Ph.D.
RELATED ARTICLES
“Mindfulness in Education” Research Highlights
pages “Why Teaching Mindfulness Benefits Students’
Learning”
“The Education of Character”
“A Classroom in the Now”
“The Application of Mindfulness Practice in Sports”
“Is Mindfulness Good Medicine?”
“The Mindful Revolution”
“Mind of the Meditator”
“Science and mindfulness complement each other in
helping people to eat well and maintain their health
and well-being.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
“The
Mindfulness
Revolution”
Thank you for
attending.
College of Du Page
Psychology
Conference 2015