Spreading Mindfulness In Schools

This school year I'm implementing a mindfulness curriculum in Clarksville Community Schools.

Combining some of the different practices and teaching I've gotten into the last few years, the goal is to help FOCUS kids to create a rich learning environment.

This can include dealing with behavioral and learning issues, but at the root of this for me is breathing fundamentals and basic nonjudgmental awareness to what is (meditation and mindfulness).

Something I notice when teaching breathing and mindfulenss with elementary students is that the students who are hyperactive/move a lot have higher respiratory rates. This means they take in more air per minute than they should.

Those that are more still and well behaved normally have have lower respiratory rates.

The lower rate equates to more calmness relaxation and focus, while the higher rates correlate to more scattered attention, lack of focus, and more fear based behavior.

It's such a fun game to play in a way.

Walk into a room.

Purely observing.

I look at movement patterns, eye focusing patterns, and their ability to stay still or want to move.

I can almost always guess which kids will breathe more and which will do less. .. which ones will be more hyperactive and which ones more focused.

What I do know is that teaching breath awareness and ultimately breathing mechanics to the breathing is the first step in building awareness and ultimately conscious awareness to behavior.

This will ultimately help them get past their subconscious programs, which is the next step for me in this intervention.

I'll be sure to elaborate on that more in my next post but here is a video covering some of this work!

Breathe light and stay aware friends!

- Billy