lesson 8
Sensory Awareness
Activities in this unit will teach us how to train our brain to pay more attention to the things that matter.
Mindful Movement
What is Mindful Movement?
Mindful movement is being aware of the sensations of the body, whether we are active or at rest.
The body gives us signals we can recognize to help us be aware of physical and mental states.
It is important to understand the brain-body relationship so we can better manage our emotions and behaviors.
We have control over our physical responses and overall health by being in tune with our bodies.
Day 1 - Linking to Brain Research
Cortisol, the Stress Hormone
- hormone released by the adrenal glands
GOOD: helps the brain be aware of dealing with immediate danger
BAD: too much for too long can get in the way of clear thinking, memory and learning
When someone is in a constant state of alert due to physical, environmental or emotional stress they likely will have high cortisol levels. This is not good during the important early years of brain development.
We need to learn to mindfully control our breathing and heart rate to lessen our stress level to keep emotional balance.
Heart Rate
- how many times your heart Beats Per Minute (BPM)
Controlled breathing slows heart rate.
Usual resting (relaxed) 8 year old BPM is between 70 - 100
Usually, the lower the BPM, the stronger (more efficient) the heart.
How the heart works - YouTube 3:35
How you feel can affect your heat rate.
Find your resting heart rate.
Try this...
Find your pulse (how often blood is pumped through your body).
- use the finger tips of your index and middle fingers
- gently press the side of your neck where your throat meets your chin
- you should be able to find your carotid artery, a large blood vessel through which blood is pumped to your head.
- count how many times you feel it pulse in 10 seconds
- multiply your number by 6 to get your resting BPM
12 beats (in 10 seconds) x 6 = 72 BPM
Beats Per Minute BPM conversion chart
Tally the resting heart rate or BPM for everyone in the class.
Day 2 - Warm-Up
Pulse practice
Divide a piece of paper or whiteboard into 3 sections and label like this:
1. Find and take your pulse as in Day 1 - record it under "Resting BPM"
2. Complete 1 to 2 minutes of the Core Practice - REALLY focus on your breathing, not moving - try to slow your heart beat,
- take your pulse again - record it under "Mindful BPM"
3. Watch this exciting roller coaster ride (full screen with sound) Montu Roller Coaster - Bush Gardens: YouTube 2:00
- take your pulse again - record it under "Excited BPM"
Beats Per Minute BPM conversion chart
Discuss:
Were you able to slow your heart rate with the Core Practice?
What emotions make your heart beat quickly?
Do you think it is easier or harder to concentrate when your heart rate is fast?
What are some activities that make your heart beat quickly?
Day 3 - Engage, Explore, Reflect
Move and Relax
Engage:
A stronger, faster pulse is a signal our body gives us when it's working hard.
Today we want to notice changes in our pulse and other signals our body gives us when we are working hard.
We also want to discover ways we can change our movement or activity to return our body to a resting state.
Questions:
How hard is your heart working right now: not too hard / a little hard / really hard?
Let's record some ways we can ......
Make our heart rate SLOWER? Make our heart rate FASTER?
PDF version to record the rest of this activity.
Explore:
Beats Per Minute BPM conversion chart:
1. As a class choose one of the CALMING activities and do it for 2 minutes.
Say: As you breathe deeply, allow your prefrontal cortex to focus on how relaxed your arms, legs, shoulders, and neck feels. Feel those slow, deep breaths fill up your lungs and escape."
Have everyone take their pulse and record the tallies below.
2. As a class choose one of the HIGH-ENERGY activities and do it for 2 minutes.
Have everyone take their pulse and record the tallies below.
Discuss:
What are some other signals your body is sending that tells you that you have been working hard?
After a minute of sitting still, take your pulse again. Do you notice a difference?
What are some other signals your body is sending that tells you that you are calming down?
Reflect:
How can being mindful about the changes our body experiences help us understand what's going on?
Are there other times when you're not exercising but your emotions are taking charge, that your body might be sending similar signals?
What can you do to help yourself remain calm?
Day 4 - Career Connection
tai chi (tie-CHEE) instructor
- teaches meditation in motion which connects the mind and body.
It teaches how to be at peace through gentle movements.
First taught in ancient China as a self defense technique it now teaches how to find inner peace through a system of movements done slowly and mindfully. There are over 100 movements and positions done with thoughtful breathing.
Tai Chi Chuan by a Shaolin Monk - YouTube 3:30
What other careers need to think about (be mindful of) how they are moving where one wrong move could be disastrous?
Try This:
Once or twice a day think about your posture. Are you holding yourself upright - are you alert?
Day 5 - Journal Writing
Active Body Chart
Use the Active Body Chart to describe how your body feels when it is active. Describe your emotions during these favorite physical activities.
Day 6 - On Your Feet
You are about to listen to different types of music.
Listen quietly and mindfully for 15 seconds.
When I give the signal start moving to the sound you hear.
Let the music tell your body how to move.
Discuss:
how did your body change its movement between each type of music?
how do you feel about each type of music?
Day 7 - Mindful Walking
We're going to practice mindful walking.
Let's walk SLOWLY around the room.
As you walk, pay close attention to your body.
What part of your foot hits the ground first?
Where are your arms compared to your legs?
How do your legs and feet feel?
How do the other parts of your body feel?
Now let's walk FASTER.
How do your legs and feet feel now?
Has the way your body feels changed?
Day 8 - Position Yourself to Learn
How you hold your body (posture) is very important - especially when it comes to learning.
Sitting upright (but not rigidly), with ears above shoulders, shoulders over hips, and feet flat on the floor.
Imagine that your head is a balloon, floating above your shoulders.
Sitting with good posture will get oxygen to your brain to help you think more powerfully.
When you slouch (bend over) you put a "kink" in the artery that carries oxygen-rich blood to your brain. (think pinching a water hose)
Remember: Good posture = good thinking!
Practice sitting in a good, upright position. Is your back straight? Head up? Feet flat?
Try this for fun:
Choose a judge (or judges)
Choose a person to be the timer.
Get your body in Prime Learning Position (PLP) (see above).
On "Go" begin drawing a picture on some paper or a whiteboard.
When the judge sees you move out of your PLP you are "out."
See who can maintain a PLP for the longest amount of time.
It's NOT easy, you have to use muscles you don't use a lot - but good posture is very important.
Day 9 - Journal Writing
Body Signals Cartoon
Using the Body Signals Cartoon form, design a cartoon that tells about a time when your body was sending you a clear signal that you did something about.
Maybe you were really thirsty and you got a drink of water.
Perhaps you were really nervous and decided not to do whatever it was you were nervous about.
Use thought or word bubbles in your cartoon to explain how you were feeling and why you responded the way you did.
