August 2020. I awoke each day from a sleepless night with a nauseated feeling in my stomach. Most years, I use July to decompress and recharge; August is for some light planning that would help me get the school year off to a good start. But not last year. Summer of 2020 was all aboutContinue reading “Reconnecting with My Roots”
Category Archives: Mindfulness
The Mindful Minute
This idea is not original to me (is anything original anymore, anyway?), but it is so simple and powerful that I wanted to share it. Those of us who practice mindfulness regularly know that the hardest thing about mindfulness is remembering to be mindful when we’re not engaged in formal practice. And yet, this is why weContinue reading “The Mindful Minute”
Rules of the Room
One of the first things you will want to do when teaching mindfulness is to establish clear guidelines and expectations. This keeps everyone safe and will help you keep your calm. Ultimately, you have to do what works for you. Here’s what I do: I let everyone know that there’s really only one rule forContinue reading “Rules of the Room”
Building Buy-In
A few years ago, one of my colleagues decided to take the plunge and start teaching her students mindfulness. She knew about my own personal practice and subsequent success in teaching it to my students. For years her attitude towards mindfulness was, “I could never do that. My mind is too busy.” I would alwaysContinue reading “Building Buy-In”
Embracing Resistance
Dealing with resistance in any form can be one of the most challenging parts of being an educator. When we put a lot of time and energy into something, it is both physically and emotionally draining to have to convince others to care. We already have to do this regularly regarding our content areas, soContinue reading “Embracing Resistance”
Finding Your Anchor
This is a script of the first practice I do with my students. Close your eyes and bring to mind the image of a ship at sea. Watch as it glides across the water and rides the waves with ease. Notice as the ship gently glides into port and drops anchor. What happens to theContinue reading “Finding Your Anchor”
You DO Actually Have Time for This
Most people who want to practice mindfulness themselves or teach mindfulness to their students regularly cite one obstacle: There’s not enough time. And I totally get it. One of the main reasons so many of us feel like we need mindfulness and the peace it can bring is because we are overworked and overwhelmed. AddingContinue reading “You DO Actually Have Time for This”
Start with One Minute
When I was training to be a yoga instructor, I was continually inspired to bring what I learned into the classroom. Right before a test, I would teach alternate nostril breathing. I often encouraged my students to approach their work mindfully without using that word—and definitely without teaching them HOW to do this. Why? Time,Continue reading “Start with One Minute”
Ms. Hastings 