Im so grateful for Hope at Hand, Inc. and the staff at John E. Ford K-8 for recognizing the need for mindfulness meditation in the school system. I can only imagine what different choices I would have made had I known earlier how to consciously respond in the present moment instead of react from past programming. This past Weds I was able to share my passion of contemplative education with a group of educators who are exploring new ways of responding to reactive behaviors in the classroom. We explored an experiential process of guided meditation with a gratitude practice before I dumped a ton of neuroscience and psychology on them :) Having a solid framework of the why we should do this is critical if we are to really shift the system. We tell children to pay attention all day long, yet we are not teaching them how. Training the brain to be present in the moment with non-judgmental observation is the absolute best practice we can teach children if we want to help them develop a healthy self-image, have less reactive tendencies, and effectively integrate new ideas. Next up on the table is developing a program that nurtures the teachers own personal practice. Through Hope at Hand and Unity Plaza Jax, we hope to collaborate in securing a grant and/or sponsorship to create a holistic wellness program to nurture our public service workers all around the community. This includes teachers, law enforcement officers, and city employees. The more people empowered with tools for regulating their own emotions and letting go of judgmental behaviors the healthier this town will be. If you have a program idea to support this population, or are interested in sponsoring us, please reach out to me at [email protected]
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 15:37:16 +0000
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