ABOUT CAMPUS
a MINDFUL approach to education THE LIGHTS ARE DIMMED, YOGA MATS BLANKET THE CLASSROOM FLOOR, AND SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYS AS STUDENTS TAKE A COLLECTIVE BREATH, AND BREBEUF JESUIT TEACHER MICHELLE MARTIN BEGINS TO LEAD A GUIDED MEDITATION. BY ANNIE MELBERT ’15 “We’re going to take a deep breath in, and slowly let it out…Focus on the space in between your in-breath, and your out-breath…I invite you to imagine a bright light above you that pushes out any tension or stress…and just for a moment, allow your body to sit in this peace.” Michelle, who has been with Brebeuf for 13 years, boasts an inspiring 26 years as an educator. She currently serves the Brebeuf community as a French teacher, immersion trip coordinator, and most recently, mindfulness teacher. “My absolute favorite thing about my role at Brebeuf is that my position isn’t limiting,” Michelle shared. “We are encouraged to stretch ourselves professionally.” The teacher certainly took this encouragement to heart by completing over 200 hours of mindfulness certifications through the International Mindfulness for Teachers Association (IMTA). This rigorous accreditation process involves studies in the history, science, and secularization of mindfulness; cultural competency, i.e., diversity, equity, and inclusion; and contemporary applications of mindfulness in fields such as education, prison, medicine, and business. It also includes personal mindfulness practice, a practicum, training under the supervision of a mentor, and two one-week silent retreats.
All of this hard work informs the mindfulness initiative Michelle has brought to the Brebeuf community. But what is mindfulness? “There is a misconception that mindfulness entails ridding yourself of all thoughts,” Michelle said. “This is not true. The best definition [of mindfulness] that I have come across is from Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., who is the founding executive director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts. He defines mindfulness as the ‘awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.’” Numerous studies have shown that establishing mindful practices may lead to decreased stress and anxiety, better sleep, increased ability to regulate difficult emotions, deeper empathy and understanding of others, higher levels of well-being, and greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of the world. These findings carry important implications for the ways mindfulness may benefit Brebeuf students, especially given the rise of mental health challenges among American teens. “Teenagers are under a variety of stresses that come not only from physical and cognitive changes, but also the mixed messages they receive through social media, the way they are ‘plugged in’ all the time, and the changes in the current university landscape,” Michelle explained. “Messages insisting [that students] need to do more and be more bombard them every day, and life has become a competition for them. Mindfulness teaches teenagers to set more realistic expectations for themselves, to be patient with themselves, and to feel loved and accepted.” Michelle’s one-credit, one-semester Mindfulness 1 and Mindfulness 2 elective courses teach students how to be in the present moment and see things from more constructive perspectives. The curriculum employs meditations, games, reflections, and short readings to teach strategies for increased relaxation, improved focus and concentration, and management of difficult emotions. Lessons
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SPRING 2020