In the classroom

Have calm music playing as students enter the room.
Begin the class with a 3-5 minutes of a mindful breathing practice.
Use the sound of a bell to begin a mindfulness of sound practice.
Play calm music while students are exiting the class.
Practice mindful listening.
Take a mindful movement break.

How Does This Impact Your Classroom?

Any of the practices or routines will give your class a sense of calm and ease. They will enable you as the teacher to create a peaceful space for learning. This will give students the opportunity to focus better and bring their attention to the classroom. It also lowers the chances of behavioral problems. Students have an opportunity to take a scheduled moment for themselves and just be.

1 Minute Breathing Meditation

To begin, find a comfortable seat. Start by noticing your breathing. Feel your breathing moving in and out of your nose.

Inhale 2 counts and exhale 2 counts
Inhale 2 counts and exhale 3 counts
Inhale 2 counts and exhale 4 counts
Inhale 2 counts and exhale 5 counts

Feel free to make the exhale longer. You can continue to a count of 6, 7 or even 8 if that is comfortable for you.

Enjoy.

Star Breath

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This practice allows you to take 5 deep breaths while following the lines around a star. It's a very easy practice that is very calming. Try to breathe into your belly so you are taking in as much breath as possible. On the out breath, try to release all the air out feeling your belly deflate. Take a moment to sit quietly when you have finished and notice how you feel after the 5 breaths. Enjoy.

How are you feeling?

The mood meter is here to help you identify your emotions throughout the day. Feel free to drop back in any time to check in and see how you feel. Notice how your feelings change throughout the day and what might be contributing to the shift in feelings. You might want to download the mood meter app to your phone so you can better keep track of you emotions.