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Pupils to meditate in the classroom | News

Pupils to meditate in the classroom | News

Boys at a boarding school are to be given weekly meditation and stress relief classes.

The eight-week “mindfulness” course, for 14- and 15-year-olds at Tonbridge School in Kent, is designed by psychologists from Oxford and Cambridge to develop skills in concentration and combat anxiety.

Richard Burnett, a teacher and housemaster at Tonbridge who is leading the course, said: “One of the things about schools is that silence is associated with power - the teacher tells the pupils to be quiet. What you need to do is convey the idea that silence is a positive activity to be savoured and enjoyed.”

Mindfulness for Stress Reduction

This month I would like to focus on the subject of stress, or rather stress reduction. This January, you may be looking for ways of reducing your stress and better managing your level of well-being. This is understandable. A new year has begun. An opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start again.

Mindfulness is probably one of the most well-proven ways of managing and reducing stress in the world. Hundreds of research papers have shown time and again that the eight week mindfulness course lowers levels of stress, anxiety and depression, as well as many other physiological benefits. Some evidence is now showing benefits for even shorter practices. A study that hasn't been published yet, showed that mindfulness training for just 2 weeks, through the use of a computer, had greater positive measurable change in the brain compared to 2 weeks of therapy training over the same period of time (research by Professor Richard Davidson's team). This is still just anecdotal evidence, but interesting all the same.

Here, I've provided 5 tips for reducing stress by using mindfulness. Sit back, relax and enjoy!

1. Practice formal meditation daily. This doesn't mean you have to spend 45 minutes or 30 minutes. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and feel your breathing. When you catch your mind wondering off, congratulate yourself for noticing and bring the attention back to the breath. This can be for 5 minutes if you want. Obviously, the more the better. Daily discipline is the key here.

2. Practice informal mindfulness daily. This means you give your full and undivided attention and care to whatever you are doing, whenever you are doing that action. If you are washing the dishes, wash the dishes, don't start thinking about the cup of tea you may have after. Enjoy the warmth of the water, the reflection of the cutlery...continue in this way and you'll finish the day energised instead of shattered.

3. Practice mini meditation throughout the day. Do shorter meditations between activities instead of rushing from one to another. What's the hurry? Life is a miracle - it's worth slowing down and smelling the flowers. Take time to just be.

4. Go with the flow. Flow is a state of mind in which you are so fully engaged with the action that you forget that you are 'doing it'. So, let go of the idea that you are the 'doer' and let the doing flow out from your being. See wikipedia's entry on flow for more interesting facts.

5. Remember first comes first. You need to be clear what is most important in your life and focus on that. Bring mindfulness to what you're doing and avoid wasting time with petty things. The digital age we live in can sweep up all your time. Stop, take charge and decide how to spend your few precious moments on this earth. You won't regret it.

The Great Bell Chant - A Visual Meditation

This Great Bell Chant is read by one of the greatest teachers of mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh. This video is stunning. Give it some time to load up on your computer before playing it through on full screen.
In my opinion this is one of the most beautiful video meditations I have seen. I couldn't wait to share it! The video is more of a wish for kindness and a cessation of suffering in the world. The way it is filmed and delivered is stunning, majestic and breath-taking. Take a deep breath, turn off your phone and enjoy.

The Great Bell Chant from R Smittenaar on Vimeo.

National Geographic Video on Meditation

I enjoyed watching this video on Tibetan Buddhism. It is an excellent summary of the teachings of the great masters that live in the beautiful mountains of the Himalayas. The reporter does a superb job of taking a journey into the nature of compassion, wisdom and exploring the cessation of sufffering. Includes interview with the wonderful Matthieu Ricard. I hope you enjoy watching it!
Go to Video

Four steps for reducing stress at work mindfully

1. Determine what is the cause of stress at work
You can't easily begin to start reducing stress if you don't you know what the cause of the stress. It could be your boss that is irritating you, and you think he or she is putting too much pressure on you; it could be the fact that you feel as if you've got too much work and not enough time to complete it; it could be that you feel very tired and you just need more rest; perhaps it's other co-workers that are causing distress. Take a moment to reflect and find out the causes of your stress. If you've had a good think and still really don't have an idea what is actually causing your stress, then continue to practice or begin to practice meditation and use that to help you to settle your mind. From this clarity the reason that causes you stress they arise.

2. Make a list of all the things that are causing stress.
The very act of writing stressors down can begin help relieving stress. This is because thoughts which are causing you stress, which are often spinning around in the mind, have been externalised. So go ahead and grab a piece of paper and pen, and jot down all the things that are causing stress. This process may also help to undercover any other hidden causes of stress which only unfolds once you begin the act of writing

3. Giving your mind space to find a creative solution
Now that you've written down the causes of your stress you can begin to find solutions. If the solution is not obvious then a little bit of creativity is required. Of the many benefits of meditation, creativity is one of them. Put your pen and paper down, or push your computer aside, and find a comfortable position. This may be lying down on the floor or sitting on your favourite chair. There are tips on how to do this on this blog or on the website www.learnmindfulness.co.uk  By practising to mindfulness meditation you're creating a different mind state, an opportunity to begin coming up with solutions. Our unconscious mind is often untapeed butfull of many different solutions. Calming the conscious mind allows us to access deeper and deeper layers of mind from which solutions may arise. So practice in mindfulness meditation for a few minutes or an hour - the length of time is up to you. I would say, the more the better!

4. Take a small baby step.
Once you have discovered the causes of your stress and begun coming to some solutions to reduce the causes of your stress, then you need to take action. This can be the most difficult step. However, try not to be disheartened by taking small baby steps. You are beginning to move in the right direction. Taking small steps is not a bad thing. It is far more realistic to take small baby steps than taking huge leaps. It can also have a snowball effect - small steps slowly begin to grow until eventually before you know it we've made a huge change in the lives for the better.

Good luck! (Let me know what your thoughts are - I'm interested)

3 Tips to be more Mindful

Here's a few easy first step to being more mindful in your life

1. Feel 3 breaths before you have a meal

Mealtimes happen regularly. It's a great idea to attach your mindfulness to meals which then both reminds you to practice, and also helps you to digest the food properly, as you're more likely to eat it at a sensible speed rather than gulping it down.

2. Feel your feet when you walk
We're normally in a doing mode of mind. That means we're goal orientated and easily get lost in our heads. By feeling your feet as you walk, you're being to move into being mode of mind

3. Have some quiet time daily
There's nothing better than a daily dose of mindfulness meditation. Simply feel your breath, or the sensations in your body, or connect with your senses for a few minutes every day.

Take a step towards mindfulness today!
Telephone Mindfulness available at www.learnmindfulness.co.uk