Lesson 3. Present Moment Awareness

Guided Breathing Exercise | 4:29 | Belly Breathing with a Breathing Buddy

Educators | 

Before starting this breathing exercise make sure your students have chosen a breathing buddy. 

Learn a little more about Breathing Buddies with Daniel Goleman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scqFHGI_nZE

Belly Breathing helps children to:

• Learn focusing skills.
• Calm down,
• and, figure out that paying attention to their bodies helps them relax.

Why does it work?

Deep belly-breathing signals the nervous system to relax, which then lowers stress and reduces the heart rate and blood pressure.

 

Explain to your students |

For this breathing exercise, children can choose a breathing buddy. In a classroom, this could be a ruler, an exercise book or anything soft students are happy to have rested on their tummy.

 

Ask students |

Ask children to lie on the floor, relax and become aware of the gentle rise and fall of their belly as they breathe naturally. Let’s do this for a few moments.

 

Now let's begin |

 

Let’s check-in |

• Ask, do you feel calmer after you did the breathing with Breathing Buddies?
• Ask your students if anyone can remember why breathing out slowly for longer is important?

 

Before we begin, check how students are going with last weeks mindful life practise. Did your students observe and become aware of their breathing while doing different activities. 

• Which activities did they do when you used slow breathing.
• Which activities did they do when you used fast breathing.

 

Mindfulness Lesson | 7:00  | Present Moment Awareness

Educators |

In this lesson, students will deepen their understanding and experience present moment awareness, which helps with metacognition and emotional regulation.

 

Ask your students |

"Can anyone describe what PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS means to them?"

• It is being aware of what is happening in the HERE and NOW.
• It is also being mindful of what is happening at this very moment.

• It is being aware of your surroundings.
• It is being aware of your body's senses, thoughts and feelings. Let's close our eyes just for a few seconds and notice how we are feeling. Are we feeling great or not great? Are we comfortable? Remember however we are feeling it's all ok.

 

Why is living in the PRESENT MOMENT important? |

When you live in the present moment you will feel healthier, happier, calmer and more appreciative.

You will also get so much more out of your experiences, instead of your mind always being somewhere else.

 

Brainstorm more idea's |

Brainstorm with the class why they think PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS is important?

• It helps us quiet the chatter that is in our mind all day long.
• It helps us concentrate and focus better at school.
• We aren’t worrying about yesterday, this morning or tomorrow.
• We aren’t being distracted while doing activities.

 

Mindfulness Exercise |  3:00 | Present Moment Awareness

This exercise helps students understand what the present moment is.

 

Educators | 

Let your students know, in this exercise, we will be taking a mindful moment to pay attention to our surroundings in the room today. 

Remind students, when we are taking a mindful moment no one should be talking or distracting one another.

 

Let's begin |

• Sitting comfortably, eye’s open.
• Now let's take a deep belly breath in and a slow breath out.
• Look all around, pay attention to what you see. Is it bright or dark? Are there windows in the room? Is there light shining in the window? Can you see outside?
• Look at what is in front of you. What or who is beside you? Can you see behind you? What's on the roof? Look all the way around you and observe.
• Notice the temperature around you. Is it warm, cold or just right? Is air moving or is it still?
• Can you smell anything? Is it a familiar smell that makes you feel good?

 

Now look very carefully |

• Look very carefully and mindfully, can you see anything in the room you have not seen before?

 

Reflection |

• How did you go trying to focus on your surroundings, did you stay in the present moment?
• If you were not in the present moment with us, where were you? What thoughts were popping into your head?
• Did you see anything for the first time? If so, why haven't you seen it before? 

Finish the exercise with this quote " Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That is why it is called the present moment."

 

If there is time |

Invite students to look around the room again, if your mind wanders, and starts thinking about yesterday or tomorrow notice it and accept it, then bring your attention back into the room again and continue to look for new and exciting things.

 

Mindful Life Practise | Present Moment Awareness

Practise through the week |

Practise being aware of your surroundings at school and at home. When your mind starts losing focus try and bring your awareness back into the present moment. 

 

For example when you're doing homework |

• Try noticing your chair, your pencil or pen, the colour of your room, your feet.
• Remember to breathe too  :)

 

Remember Mindfulness is like going to the gym for your mind. The more you practise, your mindfulness muscles become stronger and stronger.

Let's practice our meditation and share our experiences throughout the week.

Guided Meditation | 8:15 | "Waterfall"

Educators |

When asking the students to close their eyes remember some students may not feel safe. Suggest that they can focus their gaze on the floor in front of them, but it is helpful not to get distracted by looking around.

 

Let students know | 

This is their special time to relax and calm their mind and body. Invite your students to sit or lay in a comfortable position and gently close their eyes. If thoughts come and go that's ok.

 

Let's begin | 

During this meditation lets imagine it is a bright sunny day, the sun is shining brilliantly and there is a beautiful waterfall nearby.

 

Reflection |

• How did you feel after going to the waterfall?
• Were you able to stay present in your surroundings or did your mind wander?
• If your mind wandered were you able to come back to the waterfall and what did you do to come back?

 

Mindful Game | Mystery Parcel, Mystery Box

Educators |

This game is a fun way for children to experience mindful seeing and mindful touch which helps with focus, concentration and attention.

 

Tips |

For large classes, students may be broken up into two groups. With one group working with the MYSTERY PARCEL and the second group working with the MYSTERY BOX. 

You may wish to choose a leader for each group, to ensure each group works mindfully. This can be a positive empowering challenge for leaders. 

Allow each group to have a turn on both mysteries.

 

Materials |

• MYSTERY PARCEL - 1 object required, for example, marble, dice, or a piece of fruit wrapped in paper. Something interesting to guess.
• MYSTERY BOX - Enough objects for each child, for example, stones, leaves, shells etc. All a little unique and different.

 

MYSTERY PARCEL - let's begin | 

The object of this game is to use your focusing skills to try and guess what the 1 OBJECT is in the parcel.

1. Pass the parcel around, give it a light shake, feel it, smell it, but don’t open it…. really pay close attention you only have 10 seconds.
2. Keep your idea to yourself until everyone has had a turn.
3. Now, can anyone guess what is inside the parcel?
4. Put your hand up if you know what it is.

 

Discuss |

• How did you feel when you had the parcel?
• Did you feel excited? Frustrated? Something Else?
• Was it hard not knowing what it is?

MYSTERY BOX - let's begin |

The object of the game is to be mindful of SMALL OBJECTS and simple details.

1. Allow each child to choose an object from the second mystery box.
2. Give the children a minute to observe their item and ask them to notice colours, 
3. marks, w
4. eight, texture, s
5. mell or sounds.
6. Ask the children to put their item back in the box.
7. Gently mix them around and ask the children to see if they can choose which item is there’s again.

 

Discuss |

• Was it easy or hard to find your object again after observing it so closely?
• What stood out the most about your object the most?

 

Journal | PNG Format | Present Moment Awareness

 

Educators |

Slide your students' journal to your desktop and print.