Lesson 4. Mindfulness And The Brain

Guided Breathing Exercise | 4:45 | Tree Pose Breath

Educators | 

Today students will be doing this breathing exercise while standing up in tree pose position. If you have time, and you don't think it will unsettle your class, this exercise is easiest to do with shoes taken off.

 

Let’s begin | 

   

Check-in |

• Did anyone find it easy or hard to balance?
• What helped you balance if you found it easy?
• What about how you feel inside? Do you feel more peaceful?

 

Before we begin, check how students are going with last weeks mindful life practise. 

• Are your students being aware of their surroundings at school and at home? 
• Have they noticed anything new, that they haven't seen, heard or felt before?

 

Mindfulness Lesson | 10:00 | Mindfulness And The Brain

Educators  | 

The objective of this lesson is for students to learn about the 3 key players in the brain;

• The Prefrontal Cortex,
• The Hippocampus, 
• The Amygdala.

In this lesson, students will develop an understanding of the three key areas of the brain and how they influence their emotions, thoughts, behaviours and the ability to make calm, wise decisions.

 

Note: Image of the brain for your whiteboard or screen. 

Let's Begin  | 

Today we will be learning about the 3 key players of our brain,

• the PREFRONTAL CORTEX,
• the HIPPOCAMPUS
• and the AMYGDALA,

and how practising Mindfulness can affect them.

The easiest way to remember and understand each player is by associating them with characters.

• Prefrontal Cortex - TEX THE WISE OWL
• Amygdala - DALA THE GUARD DOG
• Hippocampus - HIPPO THE LIBRARIAN

 

Prefrontal Cortex - TEX THE WISE OWL |

TEX is a wise leader who controls all the activities for the rest of your brain, and she plays an important role in helping you think and learn new things.

TEX is very smart, helping you focus and pay attention, solve problems, plan and organise things, helping you feel motivated too!

TEX helps you feel great! TEX plays a key role in helping you understand and manage all your feelings, helping you to wait and stay calm instead of reacting and feeling worse. She helps you to make good choices and is there to stop you from doing crazy things.

TEX grows bigger and even more clever by practising mindfulness, which helps her to calm DALA.

 

Amygdala - DALA THE GUARD DOG |

DALA is like a security guard for your brain. His job is to protect you and keep you safe and, he reacts quickly when there is a danger. Like when you see a branch falling from a tree, DALA helps you move out of the way so it doesn't hit you on the way down.

DALA is also known to be very emotional and when feeling angry, sad or upset, he can think that he is in " real danger " and can stop you from making sensible decisions.

Like when someone in the playground upsets you, DALA can set off an alarm. This may lead you to say or act in a way you wish you hadn't, or react in a way without thinking and listening to TEX THE WISE OWL.

DALA can also react to different situations by going into "fight, flight or freeze." You might have experienced this before by making a mistake you didn't mean too, or, in any situation that makes you feel nervous, afraid, or bullied.

DALA shrinks with mindfulness training, and like any good guard dog, he becomes better at doing his job when he is listening to TEX making less reactive and smarter decisions. 

 

Hippocampus - HIPPO THE LIBRARIAN |

HIPPO helps you recall all your memories, everything you have ever experienced or learnt is stored here. 

HIPPO connects all your memories to different emotions and senses. For example, when you smell popcorn it might remind you of the movies, or, hearing a song can remind you of a happy time in your life.

When DALA is upset, HIPPO can't store our memories or, properly bring them to mind, which can make it difficult to learn and remember things.

HIPPO grows bigger and can store more amazing memories with mindfulness training.

 

Discuss a little further |

• With mindfulness practise, we are helping TEX and HIPPO grow and become more active.
• This will help you to focus, and stay calm down, which in turn settles and calms DALA.
• When DALA is calm he won't overreact with emotions, so you can wait before acting, leading you to make better choices and be happier about them. 

 

Mindfulness Exercise | 5:00 | Pause, Notice, Breathe.

Educators  |

During this exercise, students will practise using their mindfulness to settle and calm their Amygdala, DALA the guard dog.

Students will learn the concept of PAUSE, NOTICE their feelings, then BREATHE to feel calm before they react or respond.

Doing this when upset, angry or afraid can help students take control and make better decisions.

 

Let's Begin |

Let your students know that you are going to do a mindfulness exercise where they will be invited to visualise a situation that may trigger them in some way causing there Amygdala - DALA the guard dog, to react. 

After visualising the situation let students know that you will be inviting them to practise a mindfulness exercise called PAUSE, NOTICE, BREATHE to help them calm their DALA and their Amygdala so they can create space to make good choices instead of reacting.

 

Let's begin a visualisation |

Ask students to close their eyes and imagine today is the last day of school and tomorrow is the school holidays.

You're excited because tomorrow you are flying on a plane to go on a family holiday. 

The final bell rings for the day, you race home and your mum and dad have bad news. The holiday is cancelled due to a storm with heavy winds and rain that is coming. You won't be going on the plane. 

• Lets PAUSE for a moment. 
• NOTICE what you feel inside and ask what am I feeling?
• BREATHE, breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth. Notice your belly rising as you take slow deep belly breaths.

Invite students to stay with their mindful breathing for a little longer, then open their eyes and return to the room.

 

Reflection |

• Did you notice DALA settling down and becoming calm after doing PAUSE, NOTICE, BREATHE?
• How do you think you would have reacted if you didn't practise this mindfulness exercise?
• Can you think of another situation when it would be a good idea to practise PAUSE, NOTICE, BREATHE?

  

Note |

If you have time try another visualisation suggested by your students and once again practise PAUSE, NOTICE, BREATHE.

This is a wonderful way to learn more about your student's worries and concerns, and an amazing way to connect and reassure students that by breathing we can overcome difficult emotions. 

 

Mindful Life Practise | What Triggers Me

Over the following week start to notice what kind of things trigger you. When you become aware of your triggers then it becomes easier to respond in a calmer mindful way.

• See if you can practise using PAUSE, NOTICE, BREATHE instead of acting or reacting.
• Remember what you practise you become really good at.

 

Practise your meditation, if you like you can ask Mum or dad to listen with you at bedtime.

Guided Meditation | 7:33 | 'Butterfly'

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 | 

"Butterfly" is one of Isabelle's most loved meditations. Enjoy.

 

Reflection | 

• How does your body feel after that meditation?
• Were you really able to see your butterfly?
• Put your hand up if you found it easy to relax, put your hand up if you found it hard.
• Would anyone like to draw their butterfly that they imagined during this meditation 

Mindful Game | What Triggers Me Game

Educators |

During this game, students will further develop relationships, empathy as well as a self-awareness of what things or situations trigger their Amygdala, DALA the Guard Dog. 

 

Materials |

• Paper and pencils.
• A small box or container to place responses in.

 

Educators |

In this game, students will have fun discovering how well they know other students in the room as well as looking within to recognise their own triggers.

 

How to play |

Each student is given a piece of paper to write down

• 2 things about them for example, black hair, tall, love maths, play soccer.
• 2 things that trigger them for example, missing the bus, forgetting lunch.

Note, students must not put their names on the piece of paper.

1. Fold the piece of paper and place it in a container
2. The teacher or the class leader can then pass the container around and each student takes out one piece of folded paper.
3. Then invite one student at a time to read out the 4 facts on the piece of paper.
4. The student reading the facts must guess who the facts are about. If the student can't guess the class gets a chance to guess by putting up their hands to answer.

Finish the game by inviting the students to place one hand on their belly and practise 4 mindful belly breaths so they can calm and settle their Amygdala, and prepare for the next part of the day.

 

Journal | PNG Format | Mindfulness And The Brain

 

Educators |

Slide your students' journal to your desktop and print.