Day 4 of Mindfulness

Going back in time

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"

---

Student Feedback

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

Positives

• After 2 weeks of 0 meditation, all students were able to reach a point of relaxation
• Even with the phone ringing, 3 students claimed to not notice
• Unlike the last meditation, only one student commented on the noise from next door

Improvements

• Reduce time to 10 minutes
• create more detailed drawing assignments...Is there a way I can include their sketchbook prompts into their adventure?
• Focus on mindfulness lessons of meaning