developing inner technology
welcome
When I was six my dad
took me to see a movie.
That movie sparked my interest
in technology.
Another reason I love the
movie is that it teaches the
viewer that external
technology can be
dangerous if we do not
balance it with inner
technology.
This is a presentation about
developing inner
technology through
mindfulness-based stress reduction.
before we move further...
I am not trying to promote or
diminish any religious or
spiritual beliefs.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction
(MBSR) is based, in part, by
meditation techniques with roots in
a variety of religious and spiritual
traditions, but let me be clear...
MBSR is a SECULAR approach to
controlling the mind.
Let’s talk about your mind.
past
future
i had a fight with my spouse
this morning
i have a faculty meeting
after school and it’s going to
be a LONG one
my 2nd block class was
terrible yesterday
i have to remember that i
have lunch duty today
i was late for work and my
principal saw me
i’ve got to see the doctor
about that weird mole on my
back....hope it’s not cancer
this is your mind on
past and future thought
this is mindfulness
mind after a stressful day
mind after MBSR
mindfulness is non-judgemental
awareness of the present moment
Why do we need MBSR in our schools?
Let’s look at some statistics...
21% of children aged 9-17
have a diagnosable mental
or addictive disorder.
Approximately 10,000,000 students
in the U.S. are on antidepressants.
In any given year only 20% of
children with mental disorders are
identified and receive mental health
services.
The suicide rate for 15-24 year-0lds
has tripled since 1960. It is now the
third leading cause of death among
teens.
More teenagers and young adults die
from suicide than from cancer, heart
disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke,
pneumonia, influenza and chronic
lung disease combined.
50% of students aged 14 or older
living with a mental illness
drop out of high school.
65% of boys and 75% of girls in
juvenile detention centers have at
least one mental disorder.
My question is....
What are schools doing about this?
Many students are stressed out...
so are many teachers.
How many of you were
stressed out last year?
What can we do to reduce stress and
improve the mental health of our
students and teachers?
I believe mindfulness-based stress
reduction is part of the answer.
Scientifically Validated Benefits
Decreased Stress
Reduced symptoms associated with:
Depression
Anxiety Disorders
Pain
Insomnia
Enhanced ability to pay attention
Increased quality of life
- Sara Lazar / Harvard Medical
School
decision-making)
Increase in gray matter of left hippocampus
(assists learning and memory; emotional regulation)
less gray matter in depression and PTSD
Increase in gray matter of temporo-parietal junction
(perspective taking; empathy and compassion)
Decrease in gray matter of amygdala
(fight or flight, fear response)
- Sara Lazar / Harvard Medical
School
Does your mind control you or do
you control your mind?
A stressed-out teacher cannot
perform optimally and risks
transferring that stress to
his/her students.
So can we give it a try?
1. Sit comfortably and keep your back straight.
2. Breath in and out focusing on your breath.
3.
As
thoughts
from
earlier
or
later
in
the
day
enter
your
mind,
recognize
that
a
thought
has
come
up
and
redirect
your
attention
to
your
breath.
This
requires
practice.
I
was
surprised
at
how
difficult this was for me at first. Stick with it though.
4.
Just
continue
this
process.
You
may
never
really
become
fully
relaxed,
and
that
is
fine.
Remember...mindfulness
leads
to
a
nonjudgemental
awareness
of
the
present
moment.
If
you
are
chastising
yourself
for
not
getting
it
right,
you
are
preventing
yourself
from
reaching
that
relaxed
state.
It's
like
TRYING
to
fall
asleep. You're only making it harder.
Questions?
Recommendations
Jon Kabat-Zinn
mindfulnessinschools.org
meditationoasis.com
todd@cerra.org
teachercadettechnology.blogspot.com
facebook.com/todd.scholl1