"We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are."
- Anais Nin
Psychology today has a nice article about ways to enhance Emotional Intelligence. This quote stood out to me along with this piece of advice: When we avoid personalizing other people's behaviors, we can perceive their
expressions more objectively. People do what they do because of them more than
because of us. Widening our perspective on the situation can reduce the
possibility of misunderstanding. The practice of Mindfulness inherently "widens out perspective" on situations and provides the space between thought and action for us to "see things as they are."
This graph is not specific data with regards to Mindfulness; however, it is a nice visual about the successes of meditation in schools. These numbers appear to come from both Trancendental Meditation (TM) practices as well as Mindfulness traditions. Although it also has scientific backing, the TM movement may be a more difficult path for school implementation as it is sometimes stigmatized as a cult. Nonetheless, this article shows the positive aspects of school based TM programs, specifically the Quiet Time Program, created by the David Lynch foundation.
Well it looks like people are starting to catch on and mainstream media outlets(is PBS mainstream media?? ) are beginning to bring the benefits of Mindfulness in K-12 education to a larger audience. This is a great video that exemplifies the growing movement of not only the practice of Mindfulness, but also its application as a Social/ Emotional curriculum in schools.
As it has been painfully reported, America lags other industrialized nations in academics including below average results in Mathematics. Out of 65 industrialized nations we are 14th in Reading, 17th in Science and 25th in Math; however, where do we rank in self-regulation? Where do we rank in emotional control... where do we rank in self-awareness.... what about interpersonal awareness? We can hammer the 3 Rs into the heads of our future generations, but if they are unable to utilize these skills for personal growth and the interpersonal skills necessary to fulfill the basic social contract, then we have ultimately failed. Luckily, it looks like the 4th R, self-Regulation is starting to gain momentum as a viable learning foundation in K-12 education.
This segment from On Point with Tom Ashbrook does a great job of showing the importance of character development and Mindfulness, as well as the science behind it within educational settings. With Fox News reporting on Congressmen Tim Ryan's (D-Ohio) promotion of Mindfulness in his own life, we are starting to see an encouraging movement that is reaching across red states and blue states.
Apparently meditation decreases the duration of the common cold
Meditation (mantra-centered) as an intervention for the sensory processing deficits seen in Autism seems to be growing.
Good news you don't have to drag the family to go see Grandma in the old peoples home anymore, as Carnegie Mellon found that an 8 week MBSR course reduces loneliness
Recent research has shown that heart and lung health has been linked to better reading and math scores in middle school students. This is great because it just so happens that meditation and yoga may also help fight acute respiratory infections and asthma
Alas back to school has a arrived. After swim lessons and sports camps students line up outside in their new shoes and shiny book bags in order to start a new year of learning and growth. Or, if you are a teacher/administrator, to start a new year of budget cuts, angry parents and ballooning class sizes. Just as its important to start every day with an intention, it is also a good time to start a school year off with an intention. The cacophony of politics and opinions can often be so loud in education that it may cloud your perception of what exactly it is you are trying to accomplish. I'm going to take this first week of school to embrace the dynamic nature and events of a school system and set a goal of what I want to accomplish this year. Whether its being more organized, staying motivated, or remaining patient in the face of adversity, I'm going to set this intention as a "north star" for my year.
Taking a moment to ground yourself and set an intention helps you to be confident in your actions and prevents you from straying from your path (which you ultimately created). Remembering this each morning before students and staff come hurling through those school doors will not only help you stay in the moment, but will also provide peace and steadfastness in moments of stress.
