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LESSON 1:
Learning Intention:
By the end of the session I will have participated in a Mindful Safari and become more aware of my surroundings using my senses.
Success Criteria:
- I can be mindful of my surroundings
- I can use my senses to become more aware of objects in my surroundings
- I can describe and explain the objects I have discovered
Task:
Another beautiful child-friendly re-framing of a traditional mindfulness practice is to take your students on a Mindful Safari. Instruct students to remain quiet, calm their thoughts and move slowly while on safari. Ask students to turn their sense of sight, touch and sound onto high. With your CLaS group, search for beautiful natural objects to explore in and around your home or backyard. Once they have found an object, prompt them to consider:
– What does it look like?
– What colour is it?
– What does it smell like?
– Can I touch it?
– What does it feel like?
Students may like to search for mini-beasts and other creatures that move. When they find a creature, encourage students to watch the creature in silence for as long as they would like to.
– What does it look like?
– How does it move?
– What colours can you see on its body?
Mindfulness
Mindfulness
Our CLaS focus for Semester 1 is Mindfulness. Throughout Term 2 we will continue to run our CLaS program with this focus in mind as well as introduce the concept of a growth mindset.
Mindfulness is paying attention to what you are doing or how you are feeling right now (in the present moment).
Practising mindfulness helps us become more focused and aware, and more able to direct our attention to where we want it to be.
We practise mindfulness by choosing to focus on something, and then bringing our attention back to this when it becomes distracted.
Mindfulness meditation is like exercise for your brain. Just like you do exercise to keep your body healthy, you meditate to keep your brain healthy.
Every time you meditate you are strengthening your mindfulness muscle.
We can start to develop the skill of mindfulness by practising paying attention to our body. Our bodies are always with us!
The Resilience Project states that mindfulness meditation helps to:
• reduce depression
• reduces anxiety
• improves decision making
• improves ability to focus
• relieves stress
• prevents heart disease
• lower blood pressure
• reduce chronic pain
• improve sleep
• makes you less nervous
https://theresilienceproject.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/MCEC-publictalk-17thAug2017.pdf
Now, more than ever, it is important for our students to have an emphasis on well-being and in particular mindfulness, positive self talk and a growth mindset. Frequent mindfulness sessions on Smiling Mind would also be very beneficial for students to continue doing at home.
https://www.smilingmind.com.au/
We are providing the details for your information, we will be working out how to undertake our CLaS sessions remotely as the term unfolds.
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