An Introduction to Meditation & Mindfulness at Bedford School
Mind Space is delivering an Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation on Wednesday February 1st, 2012 at Bedford Boarding School
9-10am: Year 11
10.15-11.15am: Year 12
12pm: Small Group Sessions
Watch feedback from students at other schools here.
Find out more information about how Mind Space and the Guardian are working together on the Meditation in Schools Project here.
For more information about how to invite a Mind Space Speaker to your school today – contact us.
Meditation in Schools Project – Sats test success in London
In 2009 Riverside Primary School in Rotherhithe, South East London, scored a 100 per cent pass rate in Sats tests in English, maths and science after pupils were taught breathing exercises by a teacher before the exams.
Meditation in School Project Motivation
This week we had a Meditation in Schools workshops with a group of people learning about the Meditation in Schools project.
These sessions are of a practical nature and show practitioners who are interested in meditation how they can contribute to the Meditation in Schools project.
My experience now of running these sessions and bringing Meditation to Schools is that it is a natural wish for people who already have experience of meditation in their own lives to want to bring it to children and students.
When you realize and appreciate the great benefits that arise from Meditation then you always think what would my life have been like if I had learned earlier.
Offering a child access to meditation is one of the kindest most special gifts that you can give to them.
They may not use the techniques straight away but they have at their disposal an incredibly powerful tool which they can turn to throughout their life.
How kind for schools and teachers to offer this to students from an early age!
My own passion and desire to bring Meditation to Schools came as a result of having to travel all the way to Nepal to stumble across meditation.
When I finished college I spent 6 months Teaching English in Nepal and it was here that I discovered the practice of meditation. If I hadn’t traveled there, I may not have learnt or discovered how to meditate.
Sometime people think that you need to travel East to discover meditation – this is false. Meditation is a global activity and can be learnt in the classroom where you learn how to read, count and write – if it is made available.
The Meditation in Schools Project is motivated to making this happen.
Watch feedback from students who have engage in the Meditation in Schools project here.
Meditation in Schools Project – Sessions at Gordano School, Part 2
Mind Space has recently run a series of 6 meditation classes for a group of 16 year old students in Portishead, Bristol.
A unique and innovative program of guided meditations.
Students have signed up and chosen to attend the program at Gordano School.
Here is an update of how Meditation Sessions 4-6 went.
For Sessions 1-3 which appeared on the Guardian Website read here.
Updated November 21st 2011
Written by Liese Stanley
(Liese Stanley is a Mind Space Schools Speaker based in Portishead, Bristol and is delivering
the meditation sessions at Gordano School - Learn more about Voluntary Speaker network here.)
Session 4
A quieter class today. There seems to be a feeling of tiredness, or perhaps it is just that they are more settled and know what to expect. Again we start with a body scan – a meditation focusing on the body – that lasts about 15 minutes. I change the style of where we start and vary the content a little as it is all too easy to fall into patterns. Focus is what is needed here not comfort through repetition.
One of the students is going to an interview soon so we also cover a shorter three-minute “gathering” meditation that can be used beforehand. I point out that it can also be effective just before exams and if necessary during the exam itself.
I also encourage them to tell me how they apply mindfulness in day-to-day activities. At the electives fair where they chose which courses to do, I had caught their interest by asking them to eat chocolate mindfully. It’s a simple three-minute exercise that often gets across the idea of mindful meditation when there isn’t the opportunity to try meditation itself.
Trying to adopt triggers throughout the day to be mindful can help meditation practice and vice versa. We discuss eating, walking, listening to music, just stopping and looking around, all done mindfully.
We return to our mindfulness of breathing meditation. Again, using a count if they feel it necessary. We count as we exhale, I remind them that if they forget the count to return to 1, if they start to get distracted to accept the distraction, let it go and return to the count, if their mind wanders off, to accept the thought, let it go and return to the count. They are used to the practice now and my comments serve as reminders rather than instruction. We finish with personal visualisation allowing the mind more freedom and building an image that they can come back to when they want or need to.
Session 5
Adam, the founder of Mind Space, arrives today to interview some of the students for a video that will be used for training other teachers and also for showing to other schools etc. It changes the structure of the class a bit but this is no bad thing. I run the body scan for a shorter amount of time and we go with a longer meditation – less talking and more freedom to go deeper. Again we use a breathing count, then drop the count, then move to visualisation at the end.
The visualisation feels like a reward somehow. I recall the anecdote of meditation being akin to training a wild horse. Focusing is similar to very slowly and gently pulling on a rope to bring the horse in closer but always letting it out again as necessary. The visualisations seem to be akin to letting the rope slacken and the horse move into a wider surrounding again.
Interviews done, and reminding them of how helpful it was to hear how the sessions were going for them, we leave, calm and focused for now at least.
Session 6
Last session today. We run through body scan, 20 minute meditation and three and five minute meditations. I remind myself what my intention was at the beginning of the course. To offer meditation as a tool that they can use when and where they need it. Not necessarily now but, with a new understanding and good technique, they can return to it when they need it in the future. I do reiterate that regular practice, even 10 minute sessions, is the best way forward but I’m aware that maybe not everyone will follow this just now.
I also touch again on the possibilities of being more mindful through the day and encourage them to pause here and there and breathe!
I am happy that they all feel confident enough with their approach to meditation, the practice itself and how to integrate it into daily life either now or in the future. They are aware of resources available to them and hopefully have a fresh understanding of what it is about. It is up to them now, when and how they use meditation.
And actually that is the point, meditation is different for everyone. Once the basic understanding is there it becomes very much a personal journey.
I am incredibly grateful to and privileged to have worked with these students. I am reminded of the quote “By learning you can teach. By teaching you can learn.” I have and this experience will add to my teaching of other students.
For Sessions 1-3 (which appeared on the Guardian Website) read here.
Meditation in Schools: Insights and feedback from the students.
Take a look at how the students who have taken part in the Mind Space ‘Meditation in Schools’ project respond to the meditations – their thoughts, insights and feedback provide a fascinating insight into this growing and innovative work.
Meditation in Schools Project – Sessions at Gordano School
Mind Space is currently running a series of 6 meditation classes for a group of 16 year old students in Portishead, Bristol.
A unique and innovative program of guided meditations.
Students have signed up and chosen to attend the program at Gordano School.
Below is an update of how the sessions are running on week 3
Updated October 6th 2011
Written by Liese Stanley
(Liese Stanley is a Mind Space Schools Speaker based in Portishead, Bristol and is delivering
the meditation sessions at Gordano School - Learn more about Voluntary Speaker network here.)
Session 1
I was initially surprised to see the boy/girl ratio. Only 1 girl but 8 boys.
Not everybody on the list had turned up- it would seem some were legitimately absent but some just unaccounted for. As this is an electives afternoon it is not a typical part of their curriculum but they tell me that they are meant to attend chosen courses.
The room we have is actually a common room and used through lunchtimes so as soon as I come in I open blinds and windows and turn off electric lights.
Move tables to the back of the room and pull chairs to the front but leave them to place the chairs where they want, I sit to the front, facing them in a kind of semi-circle.
Began with a switching off of phones, and we chat about their thoughts and expectations for meditation, introduced myself , Mind Space and background.
Really good comments, 1 person has tried meditation before. It’s a new course and I feel that their personalities will come through more given time.
We begin a meditation within 10 minutes as it feels right to practice rather than talk and I think it will ease the apprehension.
Begin with 5 minutes of body scanning before focusing on the breath, using counting for 5 minutes and then we drop the count and sit for a further 5 minutes.
No heckling, giggling or disturbance and I am impressed with their openness to a new experience as well as feeling very relieved!
We chat about how it went and discuss the last time they may have sat still, with no mobile, TV, ipod, book, computer etc. Also discussed expectations of meditation and suggested that if they wanted to feel blissed out, or have a blank mind that they were in the wrong room!
However, it would help with stress, focus, relaxation and self-understanding.
Went into the same meditation again but this time for 20 minutes. I really wanted them to feel that they were getting used to the practice itself. Left them deciding how they might incorporate meditation into a more daily practice, even 10 minutes at a time.
Find our more about the Meditation in Schools Project here and how you can become involved
Session 2
Only 6 of us this week. Again some legitimate reasons for abscence and 2 people did join us later when they could, quietly slipping into the room and sitting and joining in with on-going meditations.
We discussed posture more, in response to their questions, and they also told me of a history lesson that discussed a meditating monk who set fire to himself in response to the Vietnamese war. Didn’t see that one coming!
This week we started with a 20 minute body scan. This seems to really calm the atmosphere as until then they have been rushing around, studying and some have just been out of the school during lunchtime or in the 6th form common room (believe me they are leaving behind some LOUD music and chat).
Most had done at least a couple of meditations of their own, or downloaded, through the week and we discuss how they might build on these and blocks that stop them.
Also discuss and do a short 5 minute meditation that they could use when feeling particularly stressed and they want to discuss visualization and how that might work.
We finish the session with a longer meditation which is interrupted by 2 teachers walking in at different times, but the class remains unfazed and continue.
It is the teachers who look shocked, perhaps at finding us in the room as there is no noise to alert them to our presence, perhaps at finding quiet students, perhaps wondering what the heck we are doing.
Session 3
There are 12 of us today. Another girl has joined us as well as a new 2 new boys. As the body scan worked so well last week we start the session again with that and again they all seem to get a lot out of it.
This is the first week that I have had to ask them to start chatting amongst themselves so we can all listen to each other. Good in as much as they are wanting to discuss, not so good in as much as I am not a teacher and don’t feel confident or comfortable in the role of “controlling a class”. ??It doesn’t get to that but it does raise my awareness of thinking of some techniques to bring us back together rather than everybody start chatting amongst themselves for too long. I would like them to get used to listening to each other one at a time as they all have great comments and experiences are all different. I decide to try putting together a meditation mood board so have asked them all to bring in something next week, a quote, colour, image-anything at all that conjurs up their feeling for meditation. They can then describe why they chose it and as they seem such an artistic bunch I hope that a visual will help them explore their own ideas about meditation.
Who knows? At least they get a chance to speak one at a time.
Before the final meditation some of them ask again about posture. It is clear that some of them want to try sitting on the floor. We go through possible options and 2 sit in a semi lotus but on chairs, and 4 in semi-lotus on the floor. The 20 minute breathing meditation goes well again, the energy in the group is definitely lifted.
This week really showed them coming out of themselves and more relaxed and confident with the idea and practice of meditation. My thoughts when I leave them are -how do I keep them focused- and when might the heckling start?!!
Meditation in Schools – Portishead, Bristol
June 29th – Electives Fayre: Chocolate & Meditation Written by Liese Stanley
I was recently invited to take part in an electives fayre at Gordano School in Portishead near Bristol. The fayre was set up to give sixth formers a chance to get more information about optional courses being offered for their Wednesday afternoon of study.
Trying to introduce meditation at such an event was tricky, in a busy and noisy hall filled with students wandering around, the environment was not conducive to even a short meditation so I decided to introduce the idea of being mindful instead.
Whereas mindfulness means being in the moment, meditation is the technique used to practice it, so the idea to experience mindfulness was not too far removed from what might be in store for them if they signed up for the course.
Next question for me was what could be the focus for their mindfulness?
What could be a point of real focus, if only for a few minutes…something that engaged all the senses but something that would also be acceptable to the majority – answer…chocolate eating!
So armed with a plate of chocolate buttons and a short list of instructions I asked for volunteers to take part in a chocolate-eating experiment. Not surprisingly the next couple of hours the stall was really quite busy.
I asked each volunteer to take a chocolate button but, and believe me it really is necessary to say this very quickly, not to eat it straight away. Instead they were to find a place to stand or sit (most sat outside on the grass) and look at the chocolate and consider it’s weight, sensation on the hand, where it might come from, the look of it, color,size etc.
Next to smell it and think about the aroma.
To break it – did it make a sound?
Only then to put it in their mouth, but not begin to eat it, but feel it melt, be aware of the taste and where in the mouth it tasted. Then to slowly move it around the mouth noting the difference sensations and tastes. Finally they could swallow it and then consider how this was different to their normal chocolate eating.
The whole experience took probably only 3-4 minutes and they were then invited to write on the back of their instructions whatever they felt.
The overall consensus was that they had never eaten a chocolate in that way, with such awareness ever before.
Many stated that they generally ate chocolate without really being aware of it at all, in a rush, suddenly realizing that it was finished.
Many said that this time they didn’t feel an urge for more as soon as they were finished, which would normally have been the case.
Other comments included:
“Appreciated it more”
“More sensual”
“More fulfilling”
“I was much more focused on the actual chocolate itself, rather than the idea of it”
was one that I found particularly interesting.
The list for the meditation class has now been closed at 16 and I am looking forward to starting meditation practice with the students in September. I am hoping that we can accommodate others who wanted to take part at the beginning of next year.
Liese Stanley is a Mind Space Schools Speaker based in Portishead, Bristol and will be delivering
the sessions a Gordano School in September.
If you would like to discuss a Meditation in Schools workshop in your school then please contact us.
Meditation in Schools Workshop
Take your experience to the next level!
This workshop will be focusing on improving our understanding of Guiding a Meditation.
On the surface Guiding a Meditation may seem straightforward – however to Guide a Meditation that will lead the listener to a place of peace is an art form and a life times work. Then transferring this to guiding a classroom of children and skeptical teachers to a place of peace requires skill, experience and confidence.
This session will inspire, give encouragement and most importantly offer practical and valuable instruction and experience in guiding meditations.
This workshop will include:
- Presentation
- Guided Meditations
- Practical Guided Meditation Workshop
- Constructive Feedback
- Access to an extensive Online Meditation resource
- Certification
- Optional Homework!
Venue: Mind Space, Moseley Exchange, 149 Alcester Rd, Moseley, Birmingham,
Time: 10-1pm
Costs: £15
Prior booking is essential for this workshop via Paypal here:
Meditation in Schools Workshop
“If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.” Gandhi
Our next workshop at the Moseley Exchange to share with you the work that we are accomplishing with our Meditation in Schools project. We would like to invite you to discover how Meditation is inspiring learners in schools and how you can participate in this inspirational project.
Mind Space Meditation presents
Meditation in Schools Workshop
Monday 10th October: 10-1pm, Moseley Exchange, 149 Alcester Rd, Birmingham
Suitable for those interested in bringing meditation to the next generation…
Learn about the Mind Space Volunteer Speaker Network and how you can become involved.
The day will include presentations, Q & A, guided meditation
The cost of the day is £15 (with monies taken used to promote the project).
If you are interested in attending the day please contact us
with Adam Dacey, Meditation teacher & practitioner for over 17 years and award winning Social Entrepreneur.
