Mindfulness Handbook by Ashley Zhou ’23

ST. PAUL’S SCHOOL MINDFULNESS HANDBOOK

ZHOU

ASHLEY

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?

In recent years, mindfulness has skyrocketed in popularity in the U.S. and all around the world, becoming a worldwide health trend. But, what exactly is mindfulness?

Mindfulness describes a specific way of living: it is being aware and knowing what you are doing. It can transform how we relate to events and experiences.

As Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, defined it, “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

• Mindfulness is intentional. It is not an automatic reaction. It is acting with awareness.

• Mindfulness is experiential. It focuses directly on the experience of the present moment.

• Mindfulness is non-judgmental. We are able to see things as they are at the moment and let them be as they are.

It is important to note that mindfulness has two levels of meaning:

• Mindfulness can directly refer to the psychological intervention methods centered on mindfulness, namely mindfulness training or mindfulness therapy.

• It can describe the individual’s ability to be aware of the present moment, usually called mindfulness level or mindfulness ability.

History of Mindfulness and Modern-Day Applications in Clinical Psychology

Mindfulness is rooted deeply in Eastern religions, particularly in Buddhism and Hinduism. In Buddhism, Sati — commonly translated as mindfulness — is considered to be the first step towards enlightenment (Selva). In the last century, Eastern meditation began to attract attention in the West, and that also attracted the attention of some psychologists and clinicians.

In 1979, Jon Kabat-Zinn founded Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Therapy (MBSR). He was the first to introduce mindfulness training into the medical profession. MBSR is an eight-week program aimed at reducing stress. Also, MBSR inspired another famous mindfulness-based therapy program, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). The meditation method that originated in Eastern Buddhism was eventually incorporated into Western behavioral medicine and

clinical psychological intervention. With many research studies showing its benefits on mental and holistic wellbeing, today, mindfulness has been incorporated into a variety of settings associated with health and wellness.

Common Misconceptions

Mindfulness is meditation. In a sense, mindfulness can be interpreted as the result of meditation. Meditation is one of the many routes to mindful living. Note that meditation is not the only way to cultivate mindfulness. There are many different types of meditation. Complicating matters further for many, there is a form of meditation called mindfulness meditation — where one uses the technique of mindfulness in meditation.

While mindfulness can be practiced at anytime and anywhere, meditation is practiced for a specific amount of time, at a specific place, and usually in a seated pose; mindfulness is a quality, while meditation is an activity.

Mindfulness is about relaxing. When we practice mindfulness, should we feel relaxed? The reality is that during meditation, we sometimes feel relaxed, but often also experience frustration, boredom, restlessness and the whole range of human emotions! These are all natural and inevitable parts of the process. It is about accepting these feelings and observing them, allowing them to be as is. This can help to release us from loops of stress, depression and anxiety we experience in the everyday.

Mindfulness is having no thoughts. It is nearly impossible to have absolutely no thoughts. If we focus on emptying the mind as our target, we will become very frustrated and may want to quit. In reality, the intention is to focus our attention on something in the present, such as the breath, nonjudgmentally, and when thoughts arrive, we continuously try to bring our attention back to that something we chose to focus on.

Mindfulness requires one to carve out lots of time deliberately. Mindfulness can be practiced in many different ways. Though many people carve out time in their day intentionally to dedicate to a formal seated meditation, there are people who incorporate the informal practice of mindfulness into their lives by being present in what’s happening around them and what they are doing at the very moment.

That said, while practicing mindfulness does not require one to dedicate time specifically for it, for the best effect, one should practice mindfulness formally on top of informal practices.

Mindfulness is all about focusing or concentrating. Mindfulness can help improve our ability to concentrate and focus, but mindfulness is not about focusing. Concentration or focusing is not equivalent to mindfulness. Mindfulness is about cultivating awareness.

For example, you can be doing a seated meditation focusing on your breaths, and your mind wanders off hundreds of times. The fact that your mind wanders does not mean you are unmindful. In fact, every time you notice that your mind is wandering and pull it back to your breath, you are in a state of mindfulness because you are aware. You are present. Being aware that your mind is wandering and being aware of your breath both involve mindfulness.

Mindfulness training helps with everything. With the hype around mindfulness, mindfulness has become a buzzword in self-care and health in schools and outside of schools. Nonetheless, this can mislead people into thinking that mindfulness is a panacea while really that’s not the case. Clinical applications of mindfulness have been shown by scientific research to be affected for different populations, but it does work better for some groups than others. In the same way, some people might find mindfulness training very helpful, while others might find it’s not. Either way, it’s worth a try.

Science of Mindfulness Explained and the Benefits of Mindfulness on Mental Health

There have been many scientific researches on mindfulness, which have found that mindfulness can have tremendous benefits on the practitioners. It can result in cognitive gains, which in turn, contribute to effective emotionregulation strategies. Research on mindfulness has identified these benefits: stress reduction, boosts to working memory, focus, less emotional reactivity, relationship satisfaction, and more. This handbook chose three relevant studies to help you better understand the science of mindfulness.

A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind. One of the most influential scientific magazines in the world, Science once published an article titled “A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind.” A survey of thousands of people found that people’s mind wanders about half the time, and when their mind wanders, especially when the mind drifts to thinking about and engaging with more negative events, people report more unhappiness. Thus, wandering is usually the cause of unhappiness (Killingsworth and Gilbert).

Mindfulness is a special method of paying attention: Paying attention to the present moment is to pay attention to and make good use of everything you see and feel at this very moment, instead of being immersed in worries about the future or the past. As a result, when we live in the present moment, we don’t tend to get lost in our wandering thoughts, and even when we do get lost, we can recognize what’s going on and bring our mind back to the moment — which is the most important.

Reduced emotional reactivity is key to stress reduction by mindfulness. A study was conducted on 100 health care providers. It put them through an MBSR course and measured their perceived stress before and after the training. The results of the study showed a significant negative correlation between non-reactivity and perceived stress. Those who are less reactive to their inner experiences tend to be less stressed, and this non-reactivity is key to reducing stress based on mindfulness (Benzo). Mindfulness can teach us how to ‘automatically’ see what is happening from an objective and rational perspective.

Mindfulness causes changes in specific areas of the brain. With the rapid advancement of science and technology, the science of mindfulness has developed rapidly. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that after receiving a standard 8-week mindfulness-based stress reduction course, areas in the human brain related to memory and learning, the sense of sense and empty, and emotional regulation thicken, including areas such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala (“Mindfulness Practice”). This research shows that areas of the brain undergo structural reorganization in response to mindfulness, leading to beneficial changes in our brains.

VARIOUS MINDFULNESS PRACTICES AND STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

In this handbook, mindfulness practices are categorized into formal mindfulness practices and informal/or everyday mindfulness practices. Formal mindfulness practices include intentional commitment of time when practicing, while informal practices is when we are paying attention to the present throughout our daily lives without intentionally carving out time.

Formal Mindfulness Practices

MINDFUL BREATHING. Mindful breathing means that we use the physical feelings brought about by breathing as our awareness objects in meditation.

Instructions. When you are ready, we can gently close our eyes, and invite ourselves to feel the physical sensation brought by breathing, which can be the feeling of air entering the nose, or when exhaling the nose, or it can be the ups and downs of the chest or abdomen accompanied by breathing. Invite yourself to experience which of these three parts is more obvious with the feeling of breathing and take the feeling of that part as the object of our awareness. After we choose it, we will no longer switch objects.

Do not actively change your breathing. The breathing can be whatever it is, smooth or not. We don’t need to adjust it. We don’t need to use force to expect ourselves to enter a so-called state of mindfulness, all we have to do is to experience the feeling brought by the breathing of the selected part at the moment. Unknowingly, our mind will run away, think, imagine, or listen to sounds, or feel other parts of the body. This is very normal. Simply gently and firmly return to continue to experience the feelings of the selected part.

When our attention shifts, continuously bring it back to the experience of breathing. When you are ready, slowly open your eyes.

BODY SCAN. The purpose of the body scan is to tune in your body, re-establishing the mind-body relationship by integrating your mind and body into a powerful whole. The most common practice method is to lie on your back and bring your attention to different parts of the body. In body scanning, we pay comprehensive yet detailed attention to the body. We learn to be aware of our bodily sensations and accept them without judgment.

Instructions. We can make ourselves comfortable first, seated or lying down, and then close our eyes gently. Bring your attention to your abdomen at this moment, the feeling brought by breathing. In this exercise, we use the feelings

of various parts of our body as the object of awareness to experience them directly. When you are ready, come and lead your attention down your left leg, to the sole of your left foot, to experience the feeling of the entire sole of your foot at this moment.

Maybe we will find that some parts of the sole of the foot are a little numb, tingly, and find no feeling at all. It doesn’t matter whether there is feeling or no feeling. Just experience it. Then go up and feel the ankle of our left foot, experience the ankle at this moment, if we want, we can say thank you to the ankle, thank our ankle for supporting us for so many years. Go up to feel your own calf, feel the feeling of the calf at this moment, the skin and muscles of the calf. Then, our knee joint, left knee joint, the skin of the knee joint, the inside of the knee joint. No matter what feelings we have, we don’t adjust them. Just let these feelings exist. From the knee joint, let’s now feel our left thigh — the skin of the left thigh, the muscles of the left thigh…

We move to the right leg. Go down to the sole of the right foot, then go up and feel the right ankle, feel the right calf again, knee joint, the right thigh. Experiencing the feelings of each of these parts meticulously. Remember that whether you feel anything or not, it’s all fine. All that matters is for us to continuously feel the sensation of our body parts. If you would like, thank your leg for supporting you for all these years.

Now to our buttocks. Moving upwards, feel our abdomen and the internal organs in the abdomen from bottom to top, and then feel the waist, lower back, and go up to feel the back, feel our chest, feel the rise and fall of the chest accompanied by breathing. Attempt to feel the internal organs in the chest at this moment, although we may not be able to feel them.

Now, let’s feel the left arm. Go down your left arm to the palm of your left hand, feel your left palm, left fingers in turn, feel the fingers, palm, back of the hand, then feel the wrist. We move then to feel the forearm of the hand, the skin and muscles of the forearm, and the left elbow, elbow joint, and then feel the left upper arm.

No matter what you feel, you don’t intend to adjust them, although we may have the willingness to adjust, and even make adjustment actions, we know it’s okay, it’s not wrong, we still just go back to feeling and explore the current feeling of the left upper arm. Now we can feel our left arm as a whole.

Then, we feel our right arm as a whole. First feel our fingers, feel our palms, the back of our hands, the right wrist and the right forearm upwards. Then feel the

right elbow, the elbow joint of the right elbow, and then the right upper arm. If you want to, you can say thank you to our whole right arm for its contribution.

Let’s feel our neck, then the head. Lastly, bring our attention to the whole body. Feel the sensations of the whole body at this moment, along with the breathing.

We can slowly open our eyes.

MINDFUL WALKING. In daily life, we always walk around for some reason, and our legs are like the tools of the mind, helping us get to where we need to go, but we are often ignorant of the experience of walking itself. In mindful walking, we are consciously aware of the walking experience, especially the sensations on the soles of our feet.

Instructions. We can wear our shoes or be barefoot in this practice. In this exercise, we deliberately slow down our walking movements and then experience the feeling of walking slowly.

Now, we can prepare to start walking. We feel ourselves shifting our center of gravity, and then, we lift the left foot up and send it forward, then the heel lands, feel the sensations of the heel.

Then come to the right foot, feel the feeling of the sole of the right foot. Walk slowly in this way, send it forward, and then turn the body intentionally.

We allow ourselves to consciously feel the feeling of the soles of the feet again and again. Other parts of our body, uninvolved in the active walking, do not need to exert force. If we are exerting force, we can relax ourselves. For example, our hands should be relaxed.

Let yourself just come to experience walking. Bring our attention back again and again if we wander away. Practice like this for ideally ten to fifteen minutes.

RAISIN MEDITATION. We often grab and eat a handful of raisins while thinking or doing ‘more important work.’ These little raisins are so trivial to us. With the mindful eating of raisins, we notice that our experience of eating raisins becomes more nuanced just by being aware of the present moment. We begin to understand and feel the state and experience of eating in a new way.

Instructions. We first put a raisin in the palm of our left hand. Let’s closely observe this raisin. Let’s observe the color and texture of this raisin. We can also hold it up to the light and look at this raisin. At this time, we may have many thoughts in our hearts. No matter what thoughts we have, we leave them as is. We simply go back to observe the raisin.

Then we slowly bring the raisin close to the nose. When it is far away from the nose, we can feel its smell. If you can’t feel it, then let’s pull it in again, and slowly pull it closer to experience the change of its smell as the raisin gets closer.

Let’s put this raisin near our ears. Pinching this raisin with two fingers with a little force, listen to it and see what kind of sound this raisin makes.

Now, we slowly bring the raisin to the farthest part of the body, take it slowly away. Experience our own movement, and then slowly bring the raisin close to our mouth, and then experience how our mouth receives the raisin. Put this raisin in your mouth, but don’t bite it.

Our tongue can taste the taste of this raisin at the moment. Then we can touch the raisin with our tongue and feel the texture of the raisin. We can use the tongue to bring the raisin to touch our teeth and the wall of the mouth, so that our teeth and the mouth can feel the texture of the raisin. When you are ready, let’s consciously bite into the raisins, and then chew consciously. Feel how the raisin changes shapes, secretion of saliva. We may also be able to feel our intention to swallow. When we have swallowed the raisin completely, we can express our gratitude to the raisin if we want, say thank you to it, and thank it for the experience it brings us.

SPACE. The 3-step breathing space practice integrates the core elements of mindfulness into three steps. Its benefit is twofold: firstly, it is a mindfulness practice that can be easily inserted into the middle of your day, so you can easily re-establish your connection with present no matter what situation you are in. Secondly, it is a mindfulness practice that can help you in the face of ‘crisis,’ when you are facing extreme stress, tension, or panic. It can help you temporarily calm down, fully understand your current situation, and deal with the problem more rationally.

Instructions. 1.) We can bring our attention to our inner thoughts and body at this moment. It may be calm, it may be a little excited, a little nervous, a little angry, no matter what emotions you feel, there is no problem, they are all allowed to exist, and they are all allowed to exist in their own way.

2.) Then, we come to be aware of our breathing, choose the part that feels easiest to experience the current breathing, feel our own exhalation and inhalation at this moment, and don’t adjust it.

3.) Then when you are ready, we will expand our attention to feel the whole body, feel the feeling of the whole body accompanied by breathing. When you are ready, we will slowly open our eyes.

LOVING-KINDNESS MEDITATION. The Loving-Kindness Meditation helps us improve our inner tolerance. We will send some beautiful blessings to ourselves and others. We can do this practice alone, or after mindful breathing or body scanning.

Instructions. Gently close our eyes, focus on three of our breaths, and then recite silently

Firstly, send these blessings to yourself: “May I be healthy, may I be at peace, may I be free from suffering, and may I be happy and comfortable.”

Then send these blessings to one of your family members, “May you be healthy, may you be safe, may you be free from suffering, may you be happy and comfortable,”

and now we send these blessings to one of our friends, “May you be healthy, may you be safe, may you be free from suffering, may you be happy and comfortable,”

we send these blessings to an acquaintance, “May you be healthy, may you be safe, may you be free from suffering, may you be happy and comfortable,”

now we send these blessings to someone we may have a little difficulty with:

“May you be healthy, may you be safe, may you be free from suffering, may you be happy and comfortable,”

and now we send these blessings to everyone, including ourselves, “May everyone be healthy, may everyone be safe, may everyone be free from suffering, and may everyone be happy and comfortable.”

Other Types of Formal Mindfulness Exercises

FIVE SENSES EXERCISE Notice something you are experiencing with each of the five senses.

Instructions. Notice five things that you can see. Pick things that you don’t normally notice around you.

Notice four things that you can feel. Bring awareness to four things that you are currently feeling

Notice three things you can hear. Take a moment to listen, and note three things that you hear in the background.

Notice two things you can smell. Try to notice the smells that you would usually filter out.

Notice one thing you can taste. Focus on what you can take right now. You can take a sip of a drink, eat something, notice the current taste in your mouth, or open your mouth to try to get a taste of the air.

LOOK FAR AND NEAR. We now invite attention to look away from your phone or computer.

Instructions. Look as far as you can. It may be a magnificent landscape in the distance, it may be a sugar-fried chestnut stand at the entrance of a shopping mall, or it may be a potted plant on a teacher’s desk. No matter what you see, try not to name it directly in your mind, but just observe it purely. The color, shape, texture, and light and shadow of...

Then invite attention to return to the object in front of you, observe the imprint on the phone film, the pattern on the phone case, the distribution of keys on the computer keyboard, the colors and lines of various icons on the screen...

Once again inviting attention away from the screen in front of you and looking as far away as you can.

It is possible to take a new orientation, or to re-invite attention to something that has just been observed.

Then invite your attention back, back to the screen, or other nearby objects. If you see dust falling or misalignment, try not to make adjustments first, just observe.

Repeat this several times.

We don’t need to see anything, or gain any insight, just see with our eyes.

SOLO BLIND WALKING. This is a classic exercise that many people might have tried. Putting on the blindfold, the world lost control in an instant. Some people became more stable as they walked, and more people walked more and more anxious. Try mindfulness solo blind walking! The fun twist on mindful walking.

Instructions. After putting on the blindfold, the uncertainty of “where am I, where do I come from, and where am I going” may appear in your mind, try to just treat them as thoughts, and invite attention to come back and feel your body, how do you feel about yourself? After completing the walking process, how do the soles of the feet, ankles, calves, knee joints, thighs, and waist feel at this time? Just feel the walking movements step by step.

Note, although it is called “solo blind walk,” please do it when there is a caretaker in the space. If you want, you can also thank them for their careful company after the practice. Get rid of any items that could potentially cause harm. As always, safety is most important.

Informal Mindfulness Practices (Everyday)

In fact, mindfulness in daily life is the same as formal mindfulness practice. If you spread it out, it is also a big topic that can be discussed for a long time. In mindfulness-based stress reduction courses or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, daily mindfulness practice (informal practice) is a very important part, often used together with formal practice, but unlike formal practice, daily mindfulness practice is often not guided by specific instructions. It requires the students to combine the main points in the mindfulness practice and be aware of the things in daily life.

So, what does mindfulness practice look like in your life? As long as you are awake, you have a basis for mindfulness. All you need to do is to pay attention to the present moment, but please note that paying attention to the present does not mean making you think or consider. Through thinking, your attention may be taken away from the present moment, and turned into your own thinking world. We have to directly perceive the things you want to pay attention to, and feel the basics of things through direct listening, direct seeing and direct touching. That is the essence of mindfulness.

Mindfulness practice is about seeing and knowing you are seeing, hearing and knowing you are hearing, touching and knowing you are touching.

In other words, multi-tasking in life (such as mopping while listening to music, driving while listening to the radio, and using your phone while walking, etc.) is not mindfulness practice, even if you know you are mopping, but you are not paying attention to the action of mopping the floor by yourself; even if you know you are driving, but you have not noticed how you complete the action of turning on the indicator light; even though we know that we are walking, but our attention is actually not focused on walking, mindfulness means that it’s not about conceptually knowing that you are doing it, but that you are actually doing it while you are doing it, being aware of every moment of experience.

To put it simply, mindfulness is to do one thing wholeheartedly, to be aware of one’s own movements, body sensations, the shape, size, movement, temperature and color of objects when completing this task, and even the larger environment, including light, natural sounds and air movement.

MINDFUL WRITING. Finally, let us take mindful writing as an example to open the door of daily mindfulness.

Example: Before starting, we can observe the shape, color and taste of the paper. When we are ready, we slowly pick up the pen and pay attention to how the action of picking up the pen and starting to write is completed. We can focus on feeling how the fingers cooperate with the pen holder and the strokes of the writing as we write. We can also pay attention to the small pauses between each stroke. In the process of writing, our mind will inevitably wander. If you find that your attention has wandered, please gently and firmly bring your attention back to the current writing task. After finishing writing a word, we can bring our attention back to the feeling of the body at this moment. Get a feel for how your body feels when you finish writing.

Mindfulness Techniques — Really Quick and Easy to Implement. If students are anxious before taking a test or before a big sports competition, they can try these quick and easy mindfulness techniques to help ease their anxiety.

• STOP: Stop, take a breath, observe, proceed

• Cross Arms: Cross your arms and take a deep breath. Switch which arm is on top and do it again.

• 4-7-8 Breathing: Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, breathe out for a count of 8

• Be Where Your Feet Are: Take a moment to notice where your feet are. Take a breath or have a physical gesture/cue that reminds you to be present

• Body Posture: Shoulders back, sit up or stand tall, and take a breath

• Gratitude: Name (or think of) a good thing from the day so far (naming three is even better!)

• S.T.A.R Breathing: Smile — Take a breath — And — Relax

SCHOOL-SPECIFIC RESOURCES

There are a number of mindfulness resources available at St. Paul’s, such as the LinC mindfulness Program, library de-stress mindfulness sessions, and more. In this section, these resources will be outlined and described briefly.

LinC Mindfulness Program

The LinC mindfulness program was officially launched in 2022. Once a week during a free block, third formers meet to learn mindfulness. All third formers will be partaking in this program for a term in the year. The course is eight weeks long, and every week, the course focuses on a new mindfulness theme. A teacher from Inward Bound Mindfulness Education, or iBme, leads the course. iBme, co-founded by St. Paul’s School alum Jessica Morey ‘97 in 2010, is a nonprofit that provides teen mindfulness education.

IBme: IBme has retreat programs for teenagers that students can explore and partake in if interested

Library De-stress Mindfulness Sessions

Leading up to exam weeks, the library offers destressing mindfulness sessions, which students can look out for and participate in. In addition, the library also provides different objects and activities that can be used towards the ends of mindfulness. For example, the library offers the Buddha Art, which is a water painting that students can watch the color fade. Moreover, other offerings including puzzles, heart-making, coloring, can be done mindfully, as illustrated in the informal mindfulness practices section.

Wellness & Health Page on the Canvas (With Recordings)

On Canvas, there is a health and wellness page with guided meditation and yoga sessions. Students and faculty can access the page and use the resources on it as needed. This page was first launched during the COVID pandemic, when SPS community members were stuck at home and isolated. The page was a great way for people to center themselves and find inner peace amidst the difficult time. Nonetheless, it continues to be an amazing resource for students and faculty navigating their often-busy and stressful lives today.

Chapel Meditations

Sometimes, there would be meditations in the Chapel. There have been meditation sessions led by the Mindfulness/Meditation Society, the Science of Mindfulness and Meditative Practices class, LinC program, and more. These meditations do not happen very frequently, but do happen a few times a year.

School Clubs

There are school clubs that are directly devoted to mindfulness practices. Students can look out for and participate in the club meetings. Two of the clubs that are related are the Mindfulness/Meditation Society and the Yoga Club.

• Mindfulness/Meditation Society

• Yoga Club

OUTSIDE RESOURCES

Though SPS offers many mindfulness resources, the students and faculty cannot determine when they want to practice and how in many of the cases. This is when alternative resources outside might come in handy. For those who want to integrate formal mindfulness practices into their lives with more flexibility and frequency, they can check out mindfulness apps, YouTube channel, and more.

Mindfulness Apps

• Headspace

• Calm

• Insight Timer

• KORU Mindfulness (Fun fact: Mr. Pacelli is a certified teacher on KORU Mindfulness)

• Healthy Minds Program

• Smiling Mind

• UCLA Mindful

Guided Mindfulness Sessions: Meditation & Yoga

• Guided Meditation, Mindful www.mindful.org/category/meditation/ guided-meditation

• Guided Meditation, Yoga Journal www.yogajournal.com/meditation/ meditation-classes

• Yoga with Adrienne www.youtube.com/@yogawithadriene

• Calm www.youtube.com/@calm

Books

• The Mindful Teen: Powerful Skills to Help You Handle Stress One Moment at a Time (The Instant Help Solutions Series) by Dzung X. Vo

• Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon

Kabat-Zinn

• The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

• Practicing Mindfulness by Matthew Sockolov

• Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff

• Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence — The Groundbreaking Meditation Practice’ by Daniel J. Siegel

• How to Meditate: A Practical Guide to Making Friends with Your Mind by Pema Chodron

• Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn

• The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself from Depression and Emotional Distress by John Teasdale, Mark Williams, Zindel Segal

Articles

What is Mindfulness, Mindful www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness

How to Practice Mindfulness: 11 Practical Steps and Tips, Positive Psychology positivepsychology.com/how-to-practice-mindfulness

Which Type of Meditation Is Right for Me?, Healthline www.healthline.com/ health/mental-health/types-of-meditation#movement-meditation

A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation, Yoga Journal www.yogajournal.com/meditation/how-to-meditate/let-s-meditate

How to Meditate, New York Times www.nytimes.com/guides/well/ how-to-meditate

The Science of Mindfulness, Mindful www.mindful.org/the-science-of-mindfulness

When science meets mindfulness, the Harvard Gazette news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-changethe-brain-in-depressed-patients

Talks

Your Thoughts are Bubbles — Jon Kabat-Zinn www.youtube.com/ watch?v=w8Nsa45d0XE

“The Healing Power of Mindfulness” — Jon Kabat-Zinn www.youtube.com/ watch?v=_If4a-gHg_I

Journals

• Mindbodygreen

• Mindful

• Yoga Journal

ADVICE FROM EXPERTS AT ST. PAUL’S

Experts in the field of mindfulness at St. Paul’s School share their tips, techniques, and general advice. Those featured were interviewed, and their responses to the questions are below. They are arranged in alphabetical order: Mrs. Daniels, Ms. Hansen, Ms. Mumford, Mr. Pacelli, and Ms. Zehler.

Note: Two questions might be combined for a few of the interviewees, as it is believed their response answers both of the questions.

Mrs. Daniels

Mrs. Daniels is the Dean of Student Support. She lives in Manville house and has worked at SPS for the last 15 years. She loves doing different things to take care of her mental and physical self.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAINTAIN YOUR OWN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING?

Sleep: For Mrs. Daniels, getting enough sleep is absolutely critical. “Everything else falls into place when you sleep well.”

Food & Water: Eating very healthily and drinking lots of water

Exercise: Every day, she makes sure to do some kind of exercise, whether that’s running, walking her dogs, doing spin class a couple days a week, or practicing yoga. While exercising is critical for one’s physical health, it also contributes to mental well-being

HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN PROMOTING WELLNESS?

Mrs. Daniels is involved in the Yoga Club and Mindfulness Club. She is also involved in the third form mindfulness program, and feels really proud of how the school has been able to introduce mindfulness to all third formers. She also contributes to the wellness on campus by leading by example.

WHAT GENERAL ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS TO WANT TO BETTER TAKE CARE OF THEIR HEALTH (MENTAL AND PHYSICAL)?

Mrs. Daniels thinks that one problem is that students set expectations of themselves that are too lofty. For example, if a student wants to start exercising and they set the goal of exercising every day for an hour, this is a lot and very difficult if the student has not been exercising at all. Instead, maybe, it’s better for students to think about “one day at a time instead of forever.” Today, I’m going to do something to take better care of myself.

For example, Mrs. Daniels challenges students to go for a walk outside without listening to anything or talking to people, going on a completely mindful walk. On the walk, “really pay attention to walking–the feel of wind and sunshine on your face–and just try that for a day.” For the next day, “maybe do the same thing” and maybe try something new. Students should try something they like to do: if they like to move and dance, they can do some kind of activity that incorporates that. Exercise does not need to be a chore and actually can be fun!

HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND STUDENTS TO INCORPORATE MINDFULNESS INTO THEIR LIVES?

“Be where your feet are.” Mrs. Daniels recently heard this expression, and this sums up what mindfulness is all about. She knows many people are very connected to their technology and recommends them taking breaks from technology: take those airpods out, walk without your phone, eat without looking at your phone and taste the food, really engage in conversations with your friends. Her biggest piece of advice is to “get off your phone and be more present.”

Ms. Hansen

Ms. Hansen is the newest Counselor at Clark House, and she used to run Mindfulness groups for staff at a children’s hospital.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAINTAIN YOUR OWN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING?

“Maintain a routine which includes meditation and gratitude (spiritual practice), exercise, sleep, and healthy eating (physical practice), intellectual pursuits and mindfulness (mental practice) as well as maintain social connectiveness with friends, family, and cohorts.”

HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN PROMOTING WELLNESS?

“My intention is to facilitate an expansion of the western health lens to include spiritual wellbeing. Spiritual wellbeing encompasses relational aspects of life; relations with people, the earth and the universe.

Specific ‘spiritual’ practices which are noted for their health benefits include:

• Tai Chi: Chinese practice described as meditation in motion

• Forest bathing: Japanese practice that fosters connectiveness with nature.

• Singing bowls: Tibetan practice that synchronizes brain waves to the vibrations of the bowls for calming and the release of tension

• Mindful meditation: Buddhist practice to cultivate awareness and compassion

• Yoga: Hindu philosophy and methodology to encounter reality as it is here and now.

All of these practices foster calmness through an embracement of unity and wholeness between humans, earth, and universe.”

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE STUDENTS TO BETTER TAKE CARE OF THEIR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH? / ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC SELFCARE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

• Take sleep seriously: Sleep is critical for physical and mental rejuvenation. Sleep deprivation leaves people vulnerable to attention lapses, reduced cognition, delayed reactions, and mood shifts.

• Maintain a healthy diet of natural foods: WHO healthy diet: www.who. int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet

• Regular physical activity: WHO physical activity: www.who.int/newsroom/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity

• Challenges in life are inevitable and unavoidable: Challenges are not failures, rather they are opportunities for growth. How we deal with our challenges determines how we thrive and survive.

• Un-structure your attitude: Our minds are like a parachute; they don’t work unless they are open

• Love yourself: “Love is the absence of judgment. Self-compassion begets compassion for all.” (Dalai Lama)

HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND STUDENTS TO INCORPORATE MINDFULNESS INTO THEIR LIVES?

“Mindfulness is a state of being: of being calm, clear, and compassionate. Cultivating mindfulness, one recognizes that:

• You can’t stop the waves (challenges of life), but you can learn to surf (calm your thoughts about the challenges to see them through to growth)” Jon Kabat Zinn.

• To cultivate mindfulness, it is important for a student to practice; a Mindful practice.

• Mindful practice is the ‘art of sitting’.

• Start with 1-3 minutes of sitting quietly and comfortably. Over time incrementally increase the sitting time to 20 minutes, deemed an optimal sitting, twice a day.

• Use your breath to help you focus on being present with your thoughts as they arise.

• STOP: stop, take a breath, observe, and proceed…with the next breath. Deep breathing links to help one start: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcOSFSdS-to and www.youtube.com/watch?v=GViVk4RVJYE

Your mind is like a rushing river of thoughts. It never stops, but it is constantly changing. Sometimes our mind is wild with crashing waves thoughts. Sometimes our mind flows with quiet thoughts. That is what the human brain is built to do. With Mindful practice you are not trying to stop the river of thoughts, you are just trying to change your relationship to your thoughts. When you practice mindful meditation, you learn to climb onto the bank of the rushing river of thoughts to watch the thoughts float by. You find that sitting on the river bank of thoughts feels very different than being in the river, caught up in the current of your thoughts. (from The Mindful Twenty Something Holly B Rogers MD, 2016 as recommended by Dr Pacelli).

Intentional mindful practice, with an attitude of curiosity, patience, acceptance, and nonjudgmental gives you the ability to let go of those thoughts which hinder you and pay attention to those thoughts which help you on your personal purposeful life path. www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWJUv1lH-Ng

Apps that Ms. Hansen Recommends:

• Calm

• Headspace

• UCLA Mindfulness

Ms. Mumford

Ms. Erica Mumford has been working for St. Paul’s School for 14 years. She is a registered and licensed dietitian and also a certified fitness instructor. She meets with students individually in nutritional counseling for a variety of reasons which takes up most of her time here, but she also does some community education primarily in the form of my Food for Thought emails and sports team talks. Moreover, she collaborates with the dining hall about the food.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAINTAIN YOUR OWN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING?

“I teach exercise classes mostly at the YMCAs and just got back into teaching yoga on Fridays here at the AFC. I teach cardio kickboxing, strength training, and step aerobics. Group fitness provides a good variety, is social and most of all is fun! I’ve been teaching for over 25 years and still love it. I also enjoy taking family walks in the evenings and in the summer, gardening, berry picking and hiking beautiful New England in the summers. I enjoy family time playing cards, board games, dancing, hide and seek, passing the soccer or lacrosse ball. I try to keep things in perspective and when feeling stressed; my go tos are to close my eyes and take some deep breaths or seek support and call one of my sisters or do something creative like make some jewelry or listen to music/make a playlist. I am trying to read more often for pleasure and meditate more regularly. I love to cook and especially like food bowls and soups and popcorn with lots of spices.”

HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN PROMOTING WELLNESS?

“I hope that the SPS community enjoys and reads the Food for Thought emails. I currently teach the Friday 3:30 yoga class. I collaborate with Clark House about future programming for students (we welcome your ideas!). I am part of the SPS wellness committee.”

WHAT GENERAL ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS TO WANT TO BETTER TAKE CARE OF THEIR HEALTH (MENTAL AND PHYSICAL)?

“St. Paul’s is a busy place and it can be difficult to do all things well all the time: academics, sports, healthy eating, sleep, social time with friends. Hopefully, there’s time taken for everything so that you do most things well most of the time and the same thing isn’t constantly neglected. It’s important to surround yourself with people that lift you up; weed your social garden if necessary.”

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC SELF-CARE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

“For self-care techniques, different things work for different people. I encourage you to make a list of 5-6 things you enjoy (maybe 2-3 short ones and 2-3 longer ones). Then, when needed, pick one of those things to do. It might be restorative like reading or meditating or journaling, something artistic like drawing or doodling or making a room collage, something active like stretching or taking a quick walk or push-ups (it only takes 7 minutes of exercise to release endorphins) or organizational like making a list or reorganizing something in your room or simple like listening to a song or two or painting your nails. Usually getting outside or writing something helps even if just a few minutes.

I feel that starting the day strong with breakfast is important in order to fuel your body and mind and drink water throughout the day. Plan ahead to eat regularly, about every 4 hours and find a balance with healthy foods and pleasurable foods. When feeling stuck mentally, give yourself permission to take a break for 5-10 minutes. Take a brief walk, listen to music, try lying with your legs up against the wall and take a few deep breaths. Establish a regular nighttime routine for good sleep.”

HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND STUDENTS TO INCORPORATE MINDFULNESS INTO THEIR LIVES?

“While walking around campus, try incorporating mindfulness. Put away phones, engage in conversation, observe our beautiful surroundings, feel the air in your lungs and ground beneath your feet. Stand tall with your head held high.

Try practicing positive self-talk using affirmations. You can repeat this to yourself when negative thoughts creep in and/or in the mornings and night and it will make a positive impact. Over time, your thoughts can change behaviors.

Take 1-3 minutes to take a few deep breaths or meditate or stretch, at a time that you could do it regularly, such as first thing in the morning or last thing at night.”

Affirmations for Positive Self-Talk (provided by

• I am strong. I am healthy. I can do this.

• I got this!

Ms. Mumford):

• I can ____ (run, race, row, dance, etc.) like the wind!

• I will persevere. This will get easier.

• I take charge of my health and well-being.

• I believe in myself.

• I will treat myself with kindness and patience, as I would my best friend.

• I deserve to enjoy leisure and rest without guilt or anxiety.

• I am a unique and special person just because I am me.

• I will speak up for myself.

• I will focus on talking and thinking positive.

• My body is a vehicle to my dreams. I will honor it, respect it and fuel it.

• I am a priceless, invaluable and irreplaceable person.

• I will walk with my head held high, supported by pride and confidence in myself.

• I am beautiful inside and out.

Mr. Pacelli

Mr. Pacelli teaches Physics and Astronomy at St. Paul’s, and he enjoys swimming, yoga, and meditation. He teaches “a class on mindfulness and meditation,” namely The Science of Mindfulness and Meditative Practice, and “a mindfulness professional development class for faculty and staff.”

WHAT DO YOU DO TO MAINTAIN YOUR OWN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING?

“I try to meditate every day, eat smart and get exercise at least 6 days a week. I like to play music and stay connected to family.”

HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN PROMOTING WELLNESS?

“I teach a class on mindfulness and mediation/ I also host meditation evenings for the community/ I teach a mindfulness professional development class for faculty and staff”

WHAT GENERAL ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS TO WANT TO BETTER TAKE CARE OF THEIR HEALTH (MENTAL AND PHYSICAL)?

“Get more sleep, eat smart (less processed food). Exercise daily, and of course develop a meditation practice.”

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC SELF-CARE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? & HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND STUDENTS TO INCORPORATE MINDFULNESS INTO THEIR LIVES?

“Connect with a mindfulness app and use it every day.”

Ms. Zehler

Often known by students as Ms. Z, Jen Zehler serves as the Director of Mindfulness Programming at Trinity Institute for Applied Neuroscience and Spirituality (TIANS) tians.online working in partnership with teachers, families, and communities to facilitate the implementation of mindfulness and restorative practices through a healing centered curriculum within school, home, and community settings. Ms. Z also works at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS) as the Intensive Online Programs Manager. They are a certified teacher and received their undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education at New Jersey City University and a master’s degree in Mindfulness Studies at Lesley University. Ms. Z completed teacher training with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme), is a Qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher, and has received training in Mindful Schools, Mindful in Schools Project (.b) and the Mindful Life curriculum. They also hold a certification in Restorative Justice Circle Keeping from Planning Change and completed Trauma training for working with youth through The Center for Adolescent Studies. Ms. Z resides in Barre, MA and Jamaica Plain, MA. and enjoys biking, pickleball, creative arts, and reading.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR OWN MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING?

“Firstly, as a mindfulness teacher, it is vital that I have a daily meditation practice. I also believe it is important to care for my body through regular exercise, bubble baths, and healthy food choices, however that must include popcorn! I enjoy walking in nature, biking for fun and as a mode of transportation. I work out with a personal trainer twice a week and play pickleball at least two or three times a week. Balancing time with friends and alone time also supports my mental well-being. Staying curious about life and increasing my knowledge through reading, meditation studies and retreats, and cultural experiences helps to support my personal wellbeing. One of my current passions is photography, which has become another form of meditation practice.”

HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED IN PROMOTING WELLNESS?

“At the core of how and why I teach is helping people understand the importance of being their own best friend. I think when we have a healthy relationship with ourselves, we have healthier relationships with others, and the natural world. For me, part of promoting wellness is also to recognize my impact on others and the world and to continually question inequities and injustices. Whatever changes you would like to effect in society have to begin with you. Mindfulness is about practicing for the benefit of all beings, everywhere, without exception. I am also fervent about supporting ways we can be more connected to nature, music, and the arts as contemplative practices.”

WHAT GENERAL ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS TO WANT TO BETTER TAKE CARE OF THEIR HEALTH (MENTAL AND PHYSICAL)?

“One key practice that you can begin is pausing. Pausing to connect with the body by feeling your feet on the ground. Remembering our connection to the earth. Being caught up in the mental activity of the mind takes us out of the present moment of what is actually happening. Another important practice is gratitude. Appreciating what you have can make you feel more optimistic and satisfied and experience less frustration, envy, and regret. It also tends to result in increased self-esteem and confidence, which also improves mood. Regular exercise, healthy food choices, good sleep habits, and making time for play and fun-connecting to joy are tops on the list. I also think talking with someone when you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, worried, grieving, or sad is so important because whatever we try to push away or repress just gets bigger and stronger. Reaching out for help is actually a sign of courage. It doesn’t mean you’re broken. It just means you’re human.”

ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC SELF-CARE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?

“Mary Oliver said, “learn to stand still and be astonished.” Part of the astonishment and standing still or sitting still we are doing comes from a sense of curiosity and wonder. To really behold whatever is occurring. It is so rare that we do that or that we are encouraged to do that. To behold-to lovingly gaze upon the unfolding of our moment-to-moment experience. It’s simply that. That’s our practice. And with the quality of excessive gentleness- a phrase from John O’Donohue. Too often we encounter excessive cruelty within, toward ourselves or we witness it. I see it in our personal lives and in the collective.

Excessive gentleness, of kindness, self compassion and care are crucial forms of self-care. Some people get the idea that compassion for self is wimpy, and that if we are kind to ourselves, then we lose our drive to succeed. Research actually shows the opposite! Compassion for self improves our resiliency, our ability to bounce back after a failure. When we fail at something and then turn against ourselves, this can lead to depressive-type thinking. But when we make a mistake, and we cultivate self compassion, we realize that everyone messes up, it’s not just us -- and moving through the disappointment doesn’t seem so sticky. Kristin Neff reminds people that self-compassion actually helps people achieve goals, not walk away from them.”

HOW DO YOU RECOMMEND STUDENTS TO INCORPORATE MINDFULNESS INTO THEIR LIVES?

“A Simple Morning Practice to Start Your Day with Purpose. This practice is best done first thing in the morning, before connecting with your devices!

1. Connect with your body. On waking, sit (in your bed or a chair) in a relaxed posture. Close your eyes and connect with the sensations of your seated body-even if it is ten seconds! Connect with the other senses-what you see, hear, smell, taste.

2. Connect with your breath. Take three long, deep, nourishing breaths — breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then let your breath settle into its own rhythm, as you simply follow it in and out, noticing the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.

3. Investigate your intention for the day. Ask yourself: “What is my intention for today?” Use these prompts to help answer that question, as you think about the people and activities you will face. Ask yourself: How might I show up today to have the best impact? What quality of mind do I want to strengthen and develop? What do I need to take better care of myself? During difficult moments, how might I be more compassionate to myself and others? How might I feel more connected and fulfilled? 4. Set your intention for the day. For example, “Today, I will be kind to myself; be patient with others; give generously; stay grounded; persevere; have fun; eat well,” or anything else you feel is important.

5. Throughout the day, check in with yourself. We can always begin again! Pause, take a breath, and revisit your intention. Notice, as you become more and more conscious of your intentions for each day, how the quality of your communications, relationships, and mood shifts.

6. Practice gratitude!!!”

WORKS CONSULTED

Benzo, Roberto P, et al. “Mindfulness for Healthcare Providers: The Role of Non-Reactivity in Reducing Stress.” Explore (New York, N.Y.), U.S. National Library of Medicine, Nov. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC6295257

Davis, Daphne M. “What Are the Benefits of Mindfulness?” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, www.apa.org/monitor/ 2012/07-08/ce-corner.

Goldstein, Elisha. “The Top 5 Myths about Mindfulness Meditation.” Mindful, 23 Nov. 2021, www.mindful.org/the-top-5-myths-about-mindfulness-meditation Hendriksen, Ellen. “The 5 Biggest Myths of Mindfulness.” Scientific American, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-5biggest-myths-of-mindfulness.

Killingsworth, Matthew A. and Daniel T Gilbert. “A Wandering Mind Is an Unhappy Mind.” Science 330, 932-932(2010) (2010). DOI:10.1126/science.1192439

“Mindfulness Practice Leads to Increases in Regional Brain Gray Matter Density.” Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, greatergood.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/ Holzel-Mindfulness_and_Brain_Gray_Matter_Density.pdf.

Selva, Joaquín. “The History and Origins of Mindfulness.” Positive Psychology, 21 Feb. 2023, positivepsychology.com/history-of-mindfulness/#east-westmindfulness.