Day 1 of Mindfulness

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  

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