developing inner technology. welcome when i was six my dad took me to see a movie
TRANSCRIPT
developing inner technology
welcome
When I was six my dad took me to see a movie.
That movie sparked my interest in technology.
Another reason I love the movie is that it teaches the viewer
that external technology can be
dangerous if we do not balance it with inner
technology.
This is a presentation aboutdeveloping inner
technology through mindfulness-based stress
reduction.
before we move further...
I am not trying to promote or diminish any religious or
spiritual beliefs.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is based, in
part, by meditation techniques with roots in a variety of
religious and spiritual traditions, but let me be clear...
MBSR is a SECULAR approach to controlling the
mind.
Let’s talk about your mind.
past futurei had a fight with my spouse this morning
my 2nd block class was terrible yesterday
i was late for work and my principal saw me
i have a faculty meeting after school and it’s
going to be a LONG one
i have to remember that i have lunch duty today
i’ve got to see the doctor about that weird mole on my back....hope it’s not
cancer
this is your mind on past and future thought
this is mindfulness
mind after a stressful day mind after MBSR
mindfulness is non-judgemental awareness of the present
moment
Why do we need MBSR in our schools?
Let’s look at some statistics...
21% of children aged 9-17 have a
diagnosable mental or addictive disorder.
Approximately 10,000,000 students in the U.S. are on
antidepressants.
In any given year only 20% of children with mental disorders
are identified and receive mental health services.
The suicide rate for 15-24 year-0lds has tripled since 1960. It is now the third leading cause of
death among teens.
More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and
chronic lung disease combined.
50% of students aged 14 or older living with a mental illness
drop out of high school.
65% of boys and 75% of girls in juvenile detention centers have
at least one mental disorder.
My question is....
What are schools doing about this?
Many students are stressed out...
so are many teachers.
How many of you were stressed out last year?
What can we do to reduce stress and improve the mental
health of our students and teachers?
I believe mindfulness-based stress reduction is part of the
answer.
Scientifically Validated Benefits
Decreased Stress
Reduced symptoms associated with:Depression
Anxiety DisordersPain
Insomnia
Enhanced ability to pay attention
Increased quality of life
- Sara Lazar / Harvard Medical School
Impacts on the brain after 8 weeks of MBSR30-40 minutes per day.
Thickening of prefrontal cortex (working memory and executive
decision-making)
Increase in gray matter of left hippocampus(assists learning and memory; emotional regulation)
less gray matter in depression and PTSD
Increase in gray matter of temporo-parietal junction(perspective taking; empathy and compassion)
Decrease in gray matter of amygdala(fight or flight, fear response)
- Sara Lazar / Harvard Medical School
Does your mind control you or do you control your mind?
A stressed-out teacher cannot perform optimally and risks transferring that stress to
his/her students.
So can we give it a try?
1. Sit comfortably and keep your back straight.2. Breath in and out focusing on your breath.3. As thoughts from earlier or later in the day enter your mind, recognize that a thought has come up and redirect your attention to your breath. This requires practice. I was surprised at how difficult this was for me at first. Stick with it though.4. Just continue this process. You may never really become fully relaxed, and that is fine. Remember...mindfulness leads to a nonjudgemental awareness of the present moment. If you are chastising yourself for not getting it right, you are preventing yourself from reaching that relaxed state. It's like TRYING to fall asleep. You're only making it harder.
Questions?
RecommendationsJon Kabat-Zinn
mindfulnessinschools.orgmeditationoasis.com
teachercadettechnology.blogspot.com
facebook.com/todd.scholl1