At the end of this 4 week journey, the  students finally respond to their ocean waves.  The image begins where we left last session, the mist.  The soundtrack of the ocean waves acts as a guide to their final image.

• "Begin breathing routine
• Your eyes are focusing on the Image
• You eyelids are growing heavy as they slowly begin to drop
• You are standing on a path and see the mist in front of you
• slowly the mists roll over you and begin to chill your body
• The chill starts at your scalp, as it touches your scalp it begins to pass over your faces
• Your eyes begin to relax, your cheeks,nose and ears.  Your neck begins to relax as does your shoulders, arms and hands
• Your spine begins to relax, along with your hips.  The mist flows down your thighs, knees, shin, ankles and toes. 
• Your body is relaxed and calm. You look out to the mist covered path and begin to walk
• Walking down the path you hear the ocean in the distance.  The mists begin to part as you reach the shore.
• You sit on the beach and feel the texture of the sand beneath your toes
• Your body slowly relaxes, laying flatly on the beach as you look up.
• Here you are safe, Here you are at peace.  Anytime, throughout your day, you may return to this spot. 
• Slowly the mist rolls off of the see, cooling your face as your eyes begin to open
• Welcome back"

The students were asked to draw half of their face before the mindfulness and half of their face after the meditation. 

While meditation has improved my classroom management and mood of the classroom, it has not increased students art abilities (i.e. focus).  The quality of work remains the same, however the amount of participation has improved.  I did not meet my original goal of enabling artistic expression. In the end I found meditation made vast improvements in my classroom experience. 

Today we will travel to a place where the student has both been and felt safe. 

•  Begin by reintroducing breathing posture.  The expectations for today's meditation are to complete a drawing that must contain value.  You will summon this image to your mind when I ask you to recall and remember. 
  
• Your eyes focus on the image as you breath in and out. 
• Your eyelids slowly grow heavy. Your muscles begin to relax. Your eyes begin to close.
• You call the image of the standing trees to your mind
• You feel the cool mists rise from the forest floors and pass over your feet.
• The chilled mists rise up your feet, chilling the soles.
• The mists rise through your calves, knees, thighs, torso and spreads out through your arms. 
• The mists begins to creep up your neck, throat, head and leaves your mouth on your next exhale. 
• You are shrouded in mist. 
• In your minds eye, you stare into the mist and begin to see an object form, you remember this object.
• The object slowly begins to move.  It is taking you to a place.  You follow it. As the space emerges from the mist, your eyes begin to focus. 
• You follow the object to where it leads you
• The mists begin to clear as your see the outline of a house.
• You have been to this house before. You have never lived here, but It is owned by someone you trust.  In this place you feel safe. Remember this place.
• The mists begin to rise and cover the house.  Slowly night begins to fall as the cool mists leave your body.  
• Welcome back. 

Image of and Ice Castle in the Forest, uploaded by toib as a wallpaper at the following address http://tudogal.com/ice-castle-beyond-the-forest-wallpaper/

Time: 10 min.
Image: Ice Castle in the Forest

• As students come into class I explain to them that today's journey will be shorter and there will be periods of silence as they will become their own guide.
• Students arrange into relaxation pose and begin to breath in and out as their eyes go heavy.

Script:

• "You feel the the slow and gentle forest breeze brush over your skin
• You hear the leaves rustle above your head as the forest prepares for night.
• In your minds eye, you begin to move your fingers, wiggle your toes and stretch your legs.
• You stand and look around the forest clearing and then look out at the ice castle across river.
• A deer walks to you and lowers his antlers. He starts to kneel, permitting you to ride on his back.
• You grab hold of the antlers and climb on to your forest friend. Slowly this deer begins to walk. 
• The deer walks away from the ice castle travelling further into the woods. With every step, you leave my guiding words behind. 
• (Pause...10 seconds...)Here you wander
• (Pause ...15 seconds...) Here you see the forest
• (Pause...20 seconds..) In your minds eye, you hold and remember what you see. 
• (Pause...15 seconds) As night grows on, you begin to leave your vision. 
• Welcome back. "

In order to gather whether this experience can be successful for all my classes, I am experimenting with a more complex story line, that will be the same with each class. The script and feedback are posted below
Image Credit to XPE, found here http://xpe.deviantart.com/art/desert-castle-428283242

Introduce the methods of mindfulness.  Explain that this experience is a reward, just for them and to see it as such. Introduce to students how to use their chair in mindfulness and the purpose of posture and the breath.
Script:

• Your eyes are focusing on the image, capturing every detail, as your lids slowly close
• You feel the warm air cross your face as you look at the castle in the desert. 
• The light from the desert sun is shining on the top of your head, warming your scalp.  The light is traveling through your neck, down your arms and out through your palms. The light is traveling down your spine through your knees, shins, ankles and returning to the earth through the soles of your feet.
• You limbs feel light and warm as you begin to walk over the desert plains.  You feel the course dirt beneath your feet. 
• You look up to see the desert castle with its door wide open. 
• You feel the cool temperatures as you approach the castle door. 
• The hard desert earth is changing to cool marble floors
• You eyes adjust to the dark tones of the desert castle as you walk down the main hallway. 
• You start to walk forward and bend down, piercing the earth with your spade.
• You begin to dig a whole that is perfectly circular.
• You place the spade down as the center of the whole fill with water
• The water seeps out to the edges and goes still.  
• In this water, an image begins to form.  You see the circular grove and the moon shining above.  As you stare at the moon, a cold wind passes over your eyes as the lids begin to lift. 
• Welcome back
• You begin to dig a whole that is perfectly circular.
• You place the spade down as the center of the whole fill with water
• The water seeps out to the edges and goes still.  
• In this water, an image begins to form.  You see the circular grove and the moon shining above.  As you stare at the moon, a cold wind passes over your eyes as the lids begin to lift. 
• Welcome back

Time: 20 min. 
Prior experience with meditation? No
Reaction to Experience: The majority of Students
Behavior Before mindfulness: Students came in with high energy, two students were told to stop rough housing. 
Behavior After mindfulness: Students remained rested and calm as I introduced their assignment for the day.  There were brief periods of activity between the students who did, or had issues with, not participate in the meditation. 

Response to Questions
How do you feel?

• safe
• rejuvenated
• tired(3)
• Enlightened
• relaxed
• Rested
• good
• the same(3)

Do you feel different after the meditation?

• yes(10)
• the same (4)

If you could meditate every day, would you?

• yes(5)
• maybe(3)
• no(3)

Draw and image of what you saw on your journey.

• Images Collected

Time: 20 min. 
Prior experience with meditation? Yes (4 months prior)
Reaction to Experience: For most of the class the experience was positive or benign. The majority would want to participate in meditation once a day.  
Behavior Before mindfulness Student came in with high energy
Behavior After mindfulness: Students worked quietly with brief moments of energy

Response to Questions
How do you feel?

• sleepy(4)
• refreshed
• happy
• relaxed
• good
• relieved
• frustrated
• 
  

Do you feel different after the meditation?

• no(4)
• yes(6)

If you could meditate every day, would you?

• yes(5)
• maybe
• no(3)

Draw and image of what you saw on your journey.

• Images Collected

Time: 20 min. 
Prior experience with meditation? Yes (4 months prior)
Reaction to Experience: Calm.  Majority of students were positive. Majority found success with experience. 
Behavior Before mindfulness: Students came in with higher levels of energy
Behavior After mindfulness: Students remained calm, if distracted. 1/20 had attentiveness difficulties. 

Response to Questions
How do you feel?

• relaxed(3)
• tired(6)
• lost
• calm
• connected
• sleepy(3)
• restful
• 
  

Do you feel different after the meditation?

• yes(12)
• no(4)

If you could meditate every day, would you?

• yes(8)
• no(3)

Draw and image of what you saw on your journey.

• Images Collected

Time: 45 min. 
Prior experience with meditation? Yes 4 months prior
Reaction to Experience: This class had mixed Reviews.  3/18 students could not focus, thus they felt no results from the experiment. 
Behavior Before mindfulness: Students came in stressed, were playful and were making excessive contact with one another. 
Behavior After mindfulness: 
Students were attentive to the assignment.  While there were some bouts of playfulness, they produce a high quality of work
Response to Questions
How do you feel?

• calm
• relaxed(3)
• tired(3)
• sleepy(3)
• good
• refreshed
• couldn't focus
• annoyed (2)
• 
  

Do you feel different after the meditation?

• yes(7)
• no(5)

If you could meditate every day, would you?

• yes(7)
• no(4)
• maybe

Draw and image of what you saw on your journey.

• Images Collected

Image:Ruins of Palmyra, Syria
Time: 20 minutes (due to phone interruption)
Note:
It's important to note that in the last two weeks the students have taken their midterm exams and started the new semester.  As a brief experiment (because the whole school seems to be in high stress) I will attempt this same exercise with all of my classes.   I will include feedback below. 
Script:

1. Students settle into their seats and are given a chance to relax and look at the screen while the teacher takes attendance.
2. Teacher begins the breathing strategies.  In through the nose and out through the mouth. Students breath deep breaths and hold and then slowly filter out their breath through their mouth.
3. Teacher says the following :

• "Memorize the image on the screen and slowly close your eyes. 
• You are standing in the ruins.
• You begin to feel the dry winds brush across your skin
• The sun in shining brightly, sending heat to the top of your head and down through your limbs.
• You feel your whole body getting warm.
• The heat from the sun-warmed rocks is warming your feet as your begin to walk. 
• Your eyes are set on the ruined 
• You pass by stone columns, you step over broken rocks. You wonder who lived in this place.  What were they like? Did they walk down the same streets as me? 
•  You continue to walk towards hill and feel the terrain change from stone to hard packed earth.  You start to walk up the path towards the ruined building.
• You reach the building and begin to walk inside. This building looks like it hasn't been touched for years. Parts of the roof have caved in and dappled light is shining into the niches between columns.  
• You look in the niche and see a series of paintings. These paintings show people with tools. Each tool is specific to the trade. 
• You stop by one image to see person holding up their tool.  This time the tool is three dimensional.  You reach forward to grab the instrument only to find that you are holding a spade.  This person was a gardener and their relic has left you with a tool. 
•  You turn towards the center of the temple and see the light from the ruined roof is shining on one small patch of earth.
• Phone Rings
• Students continue to breath in and out as I answer the phone
• Now that the phone conversation is over with, continue to breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
•  Breath in Breath out. Breath in, return to the temple.  Breath out, feel the warmth of the desert air.  Breath in, feel the spade returned to your hand.  Breath out, see the patch of earth. 
• You start to walk forward and bend down, piercing the earth with your spade.
• You begin to dig a whole that is perfectly circular.
• You place the spade down as the center of the whole fill with water
• The water seeps out to the edges and goes still.  
• In this water, an image begins to form.  You see the circular grove and the moon shining above.  As you stare at the moon, a cold wind passes over your eyes as the lids begin to lift. 
• Welcome back"

I asked the Students the following questions:

1. In one word, how do feel after this experience?

• tired(3)
• peaceful(4)
• relaxed (5)
• sleepy(3)

1. At any point did you relax?

• yes(15(all))

1. What was your experience when the phone rang?

• surprise(4)
• came back here(2)
• distracted(5)
• didn't notice(3)

1. Draw an image of what you saw on your journey.

• images documented separately

Image: Desert Sands 
Music
Time: 15 min. 
Notes:  

• I split a classroom with another teacher.  This teacher is conducting class normally, when my class is silent, they can hear all the conversations and lessons in the other classroom. 
• This is the week prior to midterm exams and tensions are high. 

Script:
Music is playing as students enter.
Teacher says the following:

1. Please site facing the image of the sands
2. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth
3. Breath in 1,2,3,4,5; Breath out 1,2,3,4,5
4. Focus your eyes on the image and remember every detail.  Follow the light as it reflect on each grain of sand.  Follow the shadow that the sand hills cast. 
5. With your next breath, your eyelids are growing heavy and closing. The warmth of the desert 
6. Call the image of the sands to your mind. Breath in and Breath out.
7. Focus on one grain of sand.  You see this grain moving. 
8. The grain rolls on top of another piece of sand and you see it stack on another grain. 
9. The sand structure begins to grow in a line. Turning into what looks like a column. 
10. The sand formations continue to grow into what looks like a building. Is it a temple? Is it a palace? The sand shifts beneath your feat, turning into a sold path as you walk through the door. 
11. Inside the building the light grows dim.  You see sand shifting, swirling to form vines.  From these vines grow bright red fruit.  You grab a fruit and bite into it.  You taste the crisp sweet flavor. 
12. The sands continue to grow and change.  and climb to form trees,  The trees sprout in a circle and grow towards the ceiling.  From the ceiling you see a circular beam of light shining in the center of the grove of trees. 
13. You sit beneath the beam of light and fill the warmth enter your body.The light passes through your veins.  
14. The light begins to dim and the cold air increases as your gently open your eyes. 

Responses from students

• What is one word to describe how you feel afterwards?

chill,refreshed, rested (2), relaxed, very exhausted, tired (2), sleepy(3) could not concentrate, happy, calm, peaceful(2)

• On a scale of 1-10 (1 being stressed, 10 being calm) how do you feel?

Average stress level was 6.4 (edging towards calm)

• Did you feel that you could meditate?  If not why?

Yes(5),  No because, noises next door (10)

Day 2
Image: Desert leading to mountains
Script:
Students entered and teacher took attendance.  Teacher re-introduced mindfulness and the purpose of it.  During the breathing exercises, the phone rang from the tutors.  Teacher requested they call back after the meditation.  
Journey included the following steps:
1. Walk through breathing and proper posture.
2.  Student relax as their eyelids feel heavy
3.  Students are asked to call the image back up to their mind
4. Teacher gave sensory feelings as if their feet are on the desert ground and legs were brushing against the cluster of grass.
5.  The warmth of the ground passed through their feet to soften their joints and pass up through their, leaving them feeling light and fast.
6. They walk quickly through the desert ground and up a the hills. 
7. The airs begins to chill as they walk to the top of the mountain.
8.  Night comes on and they see lights formed in a grid pattern over the mountain. 
9.  They walk towards the light hoping to see a city of people who will accept them. 
10.  The lights turn from a city into a path
11. They follow along a path of lit stones to a bright rectangle in the distance.
12. Walk to the rectangle and see a door. Turning the cold knob they walk through
13.  On the other side of the door they see a circle of trees and white moon above.
14. They sit in the circle and feel complete. A whole person, comfortable in our skin. 
15. Gently open the eyes, welcome back to class.


Student responses:
Students described themselves as feeling calm and relaxed.  Many noted that their mood changed afterwards.  In terms of energy, many said they were more tired than energized.  They responded that the ocean scene left them feeling more relaxed.  


It's important to note that my room is shared with another teacher and is divided by a temporary wall.  Thus, all of the sounds they hear from the other class become more obvious when meditating. I have informed my students that they know they have successfully meditated when they can block all exterior sounds from their mind. 

Day 1   
Date 1/6
Image: Ocean
Time: 20 minutes
Experience Description (written in script form to describe process):
-Teacher placed notes on the board, Students walked in and at the ringing of the bell, teacher took attendance.
-Teacher asked students to silence their cell phones and put their computers away.  Teacher waited quietly while the students did this.   
-Teacher discussed correct posture (i.e. students rested their backs against the chair with their hands open facing the image on the screen)
-Teacher discussed correct breathing and the benefits of the full breath
        - students breath in through their nose to fill their lungs, students breath out through their mouths
        - students were encouraged to breath silently. 
- Initially many students laughed during the breathing exercises.  
       - In response teacher asked the students to focus on breath and not those around them " This is the time for you. not your peers.  This is the time to forget those around you".  When one student continued to joke/comment teacher offered an alternative assignment for the student to do in the hallway. Students responded with silence. 
- Teacher asked the students to focus on the image projected, describing all of the images parts
- Teacher asked students to close their eyes and call image to the surface.  
- Teacher continued to describe image
- Teacher developed "sensory" clues describing the wind, the texture of the sand, the sound of the water. Students began to imagine their journey with the following steps

1.  Seeing a silhouette boat on the horizon as the sun sets
   
2. The boat grows larger and they step in
3. The boat pulls them across they water
4. They look up to see the skies and moon
5. They feel the rock and bump of the boat as their journey ends
6. They feel the splash of the water as they step out and wade to the other beach
7. This beach has sand and cold, circular pebbles, which they pick up to hold in their hand
8. Their feet step on the pebbles as they walk away from the beach and up a path
9. The path leads them to a top of a hill where they see the circular *Grove of Trees
10. The walk into the grove, sit down and look up seeing the circular moon. 
11. They feel whole, complete and rested
12. The wind blows across their face as their eyes lift and look out

*the Grove of Trees is a resting point to mark the end of every journey. 
- Following this, students were asked to complete the feedback sheet. and asked to work on their sketchbook. 
- During the class period the teacher continued to play meditation inspired music


Successes
- students had positive response
- many said they liked the experience
- students were calm for the classroom period
Need for Improvement/ future changes
- develop a back up assignment for students who refuse to participate in meditation
- Re discuss purpose of mindfulness