Embedded Files
Mindfulness Videos/Resources
Mindfulness Videos/Resources
Find Out How Mindfulness Empowers Us…
Click the image below to watch a short and inspiring video.
Calming Background Noise
Click the image below for a video that you can have on in the background while working on schoolwork or to help you fall asleep!
Did You Know Smiling Is Contagious?
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Simple Things to Reduce Stress During COVID-19
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A Simple Reminder During Tough Times
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Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower
Click the image below to watch a short video on mindfulness.
Mindful Minute (or two)!
Click the image below for a quick breathing exercise.
Peaceful & Relaxing Music
Click the image below for peaceful music and a beautiful nature scene!
Peaceful & Relaxing Music 2
Click the image below for peaceful music!
A Mini-Meditation to End the Weekend
Click the image below for a quick meditation.
A Guided Meditation for G.R.A.C.E
Click the image below for a guided mediation
Change to Chill
Click the image below for more information about mindfulness & resources.
Mindful Body Scan
Click the image below to follow a short body scan with calming images
Guided Imagery
Click the image below for step by step instructions on how to practice guided imagery
Self-Compassion Audio Exercises
Click the image below for audio exercises
Mindfulness Practices of Self-Compassion
Mindfulness Practices of Self-Compassion
What is Self-Compassion?
Self-compassion means relating to oneself with kindness and care, rather than judgement and criticism. It is a quality that can be developed through practice and taps into parts of the brain that have been shown to regulate emotions, reduce depression and anxiety, as well as improving our general well-being.What is Self-Compassion?
It includes treating oneself with compassion when life inevitably becomes difficult, and deeply appreciating what is good in us and in our lives. It does not mean being selfish. In fact, research has shown that developing self-compassion leads to less selfishness and greater compassion for, and connection to, others.
- I want you to place a hand gently on your heart, arm, or cheek.
- Take a moment to just feel the sensations and emotions that arise.
- Picture a child, animal, or any image that makes you feel warmth and love.
- Take three breaths sending compassion to that image.
A Friend Indeed
What would you offer a friend at the end of a hard day that you can offer yourself now?
Be kind and love yourself!
TOP FIVE WAYSto nurture self-love
Look in a mirror and smile;Say “I Love You”------------------Send yourself an email or letter listing six things that you like about yourself------------------Ask three friends to name your top strength------------------Make time to look after your body and mind------------------Do whatever pleases you every now and again
Wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a hug for three breaths. Try saying, “I love you just as you are.”Notice how those words feel.
Look in a mirror and smile;Say “I Love You”------------------Send yourself an email or letter listing six things that you like about yourself------------------Ask three friends to name your top strength------------------Make time to look after your body and mind------------------Do whatever pleases you every now and again
Wrap your arms around yourself and give yourself a hug for three breaths. Try saying, “I love you just as you are.”Notice how those words feel.
KIND WISHES
What kind wish wouldyou make for a loved one?
What kind wish for a Stranger?
What kind wish would you make for that person who frustrates you?
What kind wish could you make for yourself?
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Name three things that you like about yourself. Notice how receiving recognition makes them that much stronger!
What kind wish wouldyou make for a loved one?
What kind wish for a Stranger?
What kind wish would you make for that person who frustrates you?
What kind wish could you make for yourself?
++++++++++++++
Name three things that you like about yourself. Notice how receiving recognition makes them that much stronger!
Compassion Touch
Place your hands over your heart and notice if there is any tension, heaviness or agitation.
If so, send love and compassion to yourself.
Try saying, “I see you are suffering and I love you.”
Self-Compassion MantraPut your hands on your heart and say to yourself,“May you be happy.May you be healthy.May you be safe.May you be loved.”
Repeat four times.
Place your hands over your heart and notice if there is any tension, heaviness or agitation.
If so, send love and compassion to yourself.
Try saying, “I see you are suffering and I love you.”
Self-Compassion MantraPut your hands on your heart and say to yourself,“May you be happy.May you be healthy.May you be safe.May you be loved.”
Repeat four times.
Compassion for the Inner-Critic
Pay attention to that self-critical voice within you (and all of us). Try saying, “I know you criticize me because you are suffering. I want to care for you”.
Send yourself compassion.
Give yourself credit for that small thing you did in the past week that took courage.
How can you build off that today?
Pay attention to that self-critical voice within you (and all of us). Try saying, “I know you criticize me because you are suffering. I want to care for you”.
Send yourself compassion.
Give yourself credit for that small thing you did in the past week that took courage.
How can you build off that today?
The Sweet Spot
What is an act of self-compassion and self-care that you can take today that is neither self-denial nor self-indulgence?
For the rest of your day, notice the number of self-criticisms and the number of compassionate encouragements you give yourself.
Set an intention to shift that ratio toward COMPASSION.
What is an act of self-compassion and self-care that you can take today that is neither self-denial nor self-indulgence?
For the rest of your day, notice the number of self-criticisms and the number of compassionate encouragements you give yourself.
Set an intention to shift that ratio toward COMPASSION.
Name It and Tame It
Bring to mind (and body) a recent small frustration or a situation that causes some stress or strife.
Can you simply recognize and name it, as you breathe your way through it?
As you breathe, notice what, if any, other emotions may also be present in the moment.
If you’ve made a mistake or fallen short in some way, and the self-blame won’t relent, go to a mirror. Yes, Now!
Look yourself in the eyes and say “I forgive you.”
Bring to mind (and body) a recent small frustration or a situation that causes some stress or strife.
Can you simply recognize and name it, as you breathe your way through it?
As you breathe, notice what, if any, other emotions may also be present in the moment.
If you’ve made a mistake or fallen short in some way, and the self-blame won’t relent, go to a mirror. Yes, Now!
Look yourself in the eyes and say “I forgive you.”
Progress Not Perfection
When was the last time you did a less than perfect job and felt OK about it? When was ‘doing’ good enough?
Try forgiving yourself for a small recent misstep. Now wish yourself well.
Think of a successful experience from your life. How do you deserve credit?
Can you take a moment to recall the last time you laughed?Can you watch a funny video now, or otherwise make yourself smile?
Check in with your body. Ask if it needs anything to feel more comfortable. To stretch, walk, relax, breathe? Give yourself permission to enjoy whatever action you take.
When was the last time you did a less than perfect job and felt OK about it? When was ‘doing’ good enough?
Try forgiving yourself for a small recent misstep. Now wish yourself well.
Think of a successful experience from your life. How do you deserve credit?
Can you take a moment to recall the last time you laughed?Can you watch a funny video now, or otherwise make yourself smile?
Check in with your body. Ask if it needs anything to feel more comfortable. To stretch, walk, relax, breathe? Give yourself permission to enjoy whatever action you take.
An Easy Self-Compassion Practice
Step 1: When you find yourself in a cycle of negative self-talk because you have failed at something or are disappointed with an outcome, remind yourself that the task was difficult and that you did your best.
Step 2: Remind yourself that you don’t have to be good at everything. Not everyone has the same set of skills.
Step 3: Remember that comparing yourself to others can be painful—especially if their successes are all over social media. Thank yourself for your progress and embrace where you are now.
Step 4: It’s okay to feel lucky. Successful outcomes are sometimes based on luck. If something has failed, oftentimes we could not have entirely controlled the outcome so we are not entirely to blame.
Step 5: Your worth is not dependant on external things. You are not only your achievements. Rehearse the internalized voices of all those who have been kind to you, independent of achievement.
Step 6: Take time for yourself and don’t underestimate rest.Mindfulness allows us to see how we respond to ourselves, and work toward a bond that’s healthier and happier. Take a few minutes and try this practice.
Step 1: When you find yourself in a cycle of negative self-talk because you have failed at something or are disappointed with an outcome, remind yourself that the task was difficult and that you did your best.
Step 2: Remind yourself that you don’t have to be good at everything. Not everyone has the same set of skills.
Step 3: Remember that comparing yourself to others can be painful—especially if their successes are all over social media. Thank yourself for your progress and embrace where you are now.
Step 4: It’s okay to feel lucky. Successful outcomes are sometimes based on luck. If something has failed, oftentimes we could not have entirely controlled the outcome so we are not entirely to blame.
Step 5: Your worth is not dependant on external things. You are not only your achievements. Rehearse the internalized voices of all those who have been kind to you, independent of achievement.
Step 6: Take time for yourself and don’t underestimate rest.Mindfulness allows us to see how we respond to ourselves, and work toward a bond that’s healthier and happier. Take a few minutes and try this practice.
Be Happy & Healthy Practice
May I live in safetyMay I have happinessMay I have good healthMay I live with ease
- Find your good. Start by recalling some of the things you've done out of good-heartedness, and rejoicing in those memories. Then silently recite phrases that reflect what you wish most deeply for yourself in an enduring way. Try:
May I live in safetyMay I have happinessMay I have good healthMay I live with ease
- Wish yourself well. Repeat the phrases with enough space and silence between so they fall into a rhythm that is pleasing to you. DIrect your attention to one phrase at a time.
- Practice some more. Each time you notice your attention has wanderd, gently come back to repeating the phrases without judging yourself.
- Get Centered. Now visualize yourself in the center of a circle made up of those who have been kind to you, or who have inspired you because of the love they bring to the world. Perhaps you've met them, or read about them; perhaps they live now, or have existed historically or even mythically. Experience yourself as the recipient of their love and attention. Keep gently repeating the phrases to yourself.
- Let go. To close the session, let go of the visualization, and keep repeating the phrase for a few more minutes. You are transforming your old, hurtful relationship to yourself, and are moving forward, sustained by the force of kindness.
Self-Care Strategies
Self-Care Strategies
Let Your Worries Go
Let Your Worries Go
If - And - When Technique
If you have a persistent thought or worry that is undermining your self-esteem, there are lots of techniques you can use to dispel it. Here are great ways to let go of a worry!
When to do it:
Can be done as often as you need to. Sometimes worry can encourage you to sort out a particular issue, but chronic worry is a habit of the mind that can be broken!
- Write the things that are troubling you on a piece of paper. Then destroy the paper by ripping it up, shredding it, or putting a match to it, if it is safe to do.
- Imagine tying a persistent worry to the string of a balloon, like a label, then let go of the balloon and watch it drift up into the sky until it disappears out of sight.
- Schedule a specific time in the day when you can worry. Write it in your diary or journal if you like. Psychologists call this “stimulus control.” Use your worry time to think up solutions rather than just churning things over in your mind.
Have a Beautiful Day!
Have a Beautiful Day!
Whenever we do something kind for someone else, we can’t help but feel confident - our levels of the feel-good brain chemical, dopamine, rise with a genuinely good deed. Emotional brain training experts say that acts of kindness are innate in all of us, but that the reward circuits in our brain shut down when we are overloaded with worry. The answer is to focus on the positive around us in order to jump start our attraction to natural pleasures.
Try the following imagery to get in touch with the kind-hearted person you know you are and can be for others.
When to do it:
Practice this exercise every time you feel doubtful or frustrated. As you practice, keep in mind that helpful acts can scatter your negative emotions and leave you feeling gratified. You’ll slowly observe how kindness is contagious and brings out the best in you.
- Take a moment to think about the emotional warmth you give others even when you yourself might be hurting.
- Imagine that warmth to be that of the sun as it comes out after a cloudy start to the day. View your emotional stressors as the clouds that simply scatter with all your warmth.
- Now think of something you’d like to do for someone else with your loving compassion. Make an agreement with yourself that you will allow your warmth to shine in the face of adversity.
Embrace Imperfection!
Embrace Imperfection!
Confidence comes when we accept ourselves, flaws and all. In emotional brain training this self-acceptance is one of the key reward states that make us feel good. Try this visualization when you notice yourself being self-critical. It helps you recognize that there can be beauty in an apparent flaw.
When to do it:
This is a lovely exercise to do when you feel you are different to others, or you feel isolated from a group.
- Close your eyes and breathe naturally. Imagine you are in a beautiful field of soft green grass. See yourself walking across the field, and imagine the breeze against your face, the natural aroma of the grass warmed by the sun, the soft springiness beneath your feet.
- In your mind, find a place to rest. As you sit, you notice a patch of clover and run your hand over these delicate three-leaved plants. Your eye is drawn to one and as you look more closely, you see that -unlike the rest- it has four leaves.
- Picking the clover, you examine it closely- the rounded shape of the leaves, its deep green color, the wonderful symmetry. It is different to all the other clovers, yet it is also perfect. You place it gently in your pocket as a reminder that you, too, are unique and perfect, just the way you are.
The S.T.O.P. Practice
The S.T.O.P. Practice
The STOP practice can help whenever you’re feeling distress, creating space to observe and tame your feelings, and to access the deeper resources within you. It helps you develop the emotional intelligence and psychological flexibility required for greater mastery over the challenging moments.
This “portable” mindfulness practice can support you as difficult moments arise at any point in your day. The four steps of the STOP practice can take as little as a few seconds to a few minutes to complete. Try it out and see how long you prefer doing each step.
S - To begin, the “S” stands simply for stop. Literally. Just stop what you’re doing, whether it is typing or rushing out the door. Give yourself a moment to come to rest, pause, and collect yourself.
T - The “T” stands for take a conscious breath. Now that you’ve paused, take a deeper breath, or two, allowing yourself to feel the expansion of the belly as you breathe deeply. Notice the sensations of being here, now. As you do so, it may help to bring your attention to the sensations of your feet meeting the floor. Feel the support of the ground and of your own relaxing breath as you do so.
O - The “O,” stands for observe what’s arising in you, including any thoughts, emotions, or bodily sensations (such as tension, butterflies, tightness in the jawline). Broaden your awareness to take in the circumstances. Notice how you can be in this situation without being ruled by it. For added support, offer self-compassion as you release tension and stressful thoughts. As you calm down, open to the choices you have in terms of how best to move forward from here.
P - Finally, the “P” reminds you to simply proceed with intentionality, taking the next step in your day from this place of strength, wisdom, and presence.
AIM TRUE!
AIM TRUE!
Having clear aims is crucial if you want to forge ahead in life. If your goals are unclear or vague, it is hard to focus and you are less likely to feel the sense of achievement that encourages you to persevere.
When to do it:
Right now! Write your goal and vision for the future down. Writing down a goal helps to focus the mind and makes it more likely you will achieve it.
Here are four evidence-based factors for successful goal-setting, drawn from cognitive behavior therapy.
- Be affirmative. Frame your overall goal as a positive rather than a negative. So, rather than opting to “stop eating junk food,” start to “eat healthy food.’ People are more likely to achieve positive goals than negative ones.
- Stretch yourself. If your goal is something easily achieved, it won’t build your confidence - having an ambitious goal makes you work harder than an easy one. Think of it as an archer’s bow string - if it is too easy to bend, the arrow will not fly.
- Measure it. Your overall goal should be so clear that an outside observer can see that you have achieved it. It helps to break down your goals into smaller steps, which should also be measurable: A target of “chat to two peers I don’t know at lunch” or “email my teacher when I do not understand my homework for clarification” is easier to measure than “be more sociable” or “self advocate.”
- Set a deadline. Telling yourself that you want to get fit and in shape at some point in the future is too easy to dodge. Give yourself a clear time frame - for example, “ I will be ready for running Cross Country this fall” - and then work out a plan for achieving it.
NEVER ALONE
NEVER ALONE
Bring to mind a stressful situation in your life. Are you really alone with it? Who else, strangers or friends, might share a similar stress?
Whatever today’s challenge is/was, can you think of anyone else who might be going through a similar struggle?
Consider one of your role models. Can you recognize that they suffer and struggle with imperfection too?
Do you suffer sometimes, want to be happy, but don’t always know how to make that happen?
CONGRATULATIONS!You’ve just discovered you have something in common with every other person across the world and across history. We all think happiness is something that will come later when conditions in our lives are better.
For five breaths, let go of any thought about the future and see if there is happiness to be found in the present.
In every moment, there are infinite reasons to be upset and infinite reasons to be happy.
Make a list of five things you could be happy about right now. Don’t stop if more keeps flowing!!
A Simple Morning Practice to Start Your Day with Purpose
A Simple Morning Practice to Start Your Day with Purpose
This practice is best done first thing in the morning, before checking phones.
1. Connect with your body. On waking, sit (in your bed or a chair) in a relaxed posture. Close your eyes and connect with the sensations of your seated body. Make sure your spine is straight, but not rigid.
2. Connect with your breath. Take three long, deep, nourishing breaths—breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then let your breath settle into its own rhythm, as you simply follow it in and out, noticing the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.
3. Investigate your intention for the day. Ask yourself: “What is my intention for today?” Use these prompts to help answer that question, as you think about the people and activities you will face. Ask yourself:
- How might I show up today to have the best impact?
- What quality of mind do I want to strengthen and develop?
- What do I need to take better care of myself?
- During difficult moments, how might I be more compassionate to others and myself?
- How might I feel more connected and fulfilled?
4. Set your intention for the day. For example, “Today, I will be kind to myself; be patient with others; give generously; stay grounded; persevere; have fun; eat well,” or anything else you feel is important.
5. Throughout the day, check in with yourself. Pause, take a breath, and revisit your intention. Notice, as you become more and more conscious of your intentions for each day, how the quality of your communications, relationships, and mood shifts.
Mindful Minute
Mindful Minute
Perspective Shift
Perspective Shift
Mindfulness Practices for Attention
Mindfulness Practices for Attention
The goal of mindfulness practices is to gently return your focus on your breathing again and again, even after you get distracted. By doing this, you strengthen your attention muscle and block out daily stresses long enough to regain focus and composure. It takes practice!
SEAT Strategy:
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and answer the following questions:
- What Sensations are in your body?
- What Emotions are you feeling?
- What Actions do you want to take?
- What Thoughts pop into your head?
This helps you figure out what you want, what’s causing or exacerbating feelings of distraction, and what you can do to return to the present moment.
Hot Chocolate Breath:
Hold your hands as if you were holding a mug of hot chocolate right under your face. Imagine first smelling the hot chocolate, inhaling deeply through your nose, then blow on it to cool it down, exhaling smoothly across the surface out your mouth. Repeat this for a minute or two. Let your breath find its own rhythm: not too fast, not too slow.
7/11 Breath:
Simply breathe in for 7 seconds, and out for 11 seconds. Count as you breathe. Repeat 12-15 times.
The Silent Sigh:
Slowly and fully exhale, pressing all the air out of your lungs. Close your eyes and focus your attention on what’s frustrating you.
STOP Strategy:
Place a printed out stop sign in places you frequently go (in your bathroom, in your kitchen, in your locker, etc.) When you see the stop sign, follow that command and stop what you are doing for a few moments. Take a long, slow breath, letting it go all the way in and exhaling it all the way back out. Observe your surroundings and ask yourself “What’s here? What’s happening to me in this moment?” then you can proceed with your day as normal.
Zoom In On Sounds:
Sit up straight, with your eyes closed. Ring a bell, strum a guitar, or make another short melodic sound (use a chime on your phone). Listen closely and make an effort to hear the beginning, the middle, and the end of the sound. You can repeat this step a couple of times if it takes a moment for you to get the hang of it.
Once the sound fades, identify the farthest sound you can hear - maybe it’s cars driving by, or the wind blowing through your window, someone walking down the hall, or a clock ticking. Next, turn to the sound of your breath. Now focus on the sound of your own heartbeat.
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