Learning Goal: I can practice mindfulness.

Very simply, mindfulness is a way of thinking. It’s training your brain to pay attention and focus. It’s learning to direct your attention to what is happening in your present experience, including your mind, body, and environment.

We’ve had a very active week this week as we’ve begun the move from home learning to on site learning. You might find it helpful to take a moment and engage in some relaxing mindfulness activities.

First, some thinking for you – What activities do I enjoy and love to do?

Next, take some time to colour, read or simply spend time in your favourite space in your home. As you do so think about all of the things you are enjoying in that moment. It may be picking the colours as you colour in, the movement of the pencil across the page. It could be curling up with a new book, or picking an old favourite. A book where the characters or events in the story are new and exciting, or as familiar as your own family. Or it could simply be sitting in your favourite comfy chair, wrapped in your cosiest blanket, as the sun streams through your window.

Either way relax into the moment and just pay attention to what is happening in your present experience. The thoughts in your mind, the sensations in your body, and the sounds and movements in your environment. All the while just let your breath simply flow in, and then out, in, then out.

Finally, if you are looking for some follow up mindfulness activities, don’t forget you can always go back over previous postings on the3/4 blog:

• https://sites.mpp.vic.edu.au/mpps3and4s/category/mindfulness/

Or check out the following pages on the MPPS mindfulness blog:

• http://sites.mpp.vic.edu.au/mindfulness/mini-mindfulness-exercises/
• http://sites.mpp.vic.edu.au/mindfulness/mindfulness-books-read-alouds/

Learning Goal: I can set a goal.

Today, as a part of our preparation for returning to on site learning  we are going to revisit one of our previous mindfulness activities, The Power of Yet!

Everyone is different and sometimes things feel easy to learn, but sometimes learning can be a challenge! That’s where the power of yet comes in! If there is something you would like to achieve, think about how you can work towards improving. 

Get a piece of paper or a page in your book and write these things down:

First, list one thing that felt easy for you to learn. This could be something that came naturally to you and you don’t remember having to really work at, like walking, talking, riding a bike or catching a ball!

Next, list one thing that was challenging for you to learn, but that you have improved at through practising or getting help. This could be a skill like riding a bike, or something you have worked on at school, like a skip counting pattern.

Then, list one thing that you haven’t quite learnt yet. Think about something that you would like to practise more to get better at, would like to get help with, or that you would like to try for the first time.

Finally, focus on the third thing you wrote down, the thing that you haven’t quite learnt yet. Visualise yourself doing it! How do you imagine yourself getting better at it? Is someone helping you, are you practising regularly? 

Draw yourself achieving this goal. Show how you would feel when you improve!

Learning Goal: I can practice some yoga positions.

Recent we looked at yoga as a form of mindfulness. As mentioned, yoga, like a lot of activities requires practice to begin to understand the poses and to appreciate the benefits. Today we are going to revisit the poses from last week.

First, find a quite space were you can have room to stretch, and still see the computer.

Now, work your way through some of the yoga poses shown in the PowerPoints below. Don’t forget its ok if your attention begins to wander, but bring your awareness back to the pose and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Finally, if yoga is not your thing, don’t forget you can always go back to one of the many mindfulness activities we have explored in recent months (mindfulness activities on the 3/4 blog) and select one that you felt was a positive experience for you.

Learning Goal: I can select a mindfulness activity.

First, this week we have been looking at what the various mindfulness activities we’ve explored have They:

• help us learn to be calm when our emotions or thoughts are getting busy or “out of control.”
• help us to center on being fully present, right now.

The key to all of them is our breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Last term we presented you with many different mindfulness activities. Now we’d like to allow you the opportunity to choose which one suits you, or which one helps you in this particular moment. 

Now, revisit one of the mindfulness activities on the 3/4 blog and select one that you felt was a positive experience for you. Or you may choose one you didn’t get to.

Then, spend some time on your chosen mindfulness activity.

Finally, don’t forget its ok if your attention begins to wander, but bring your awareness back to the task at hand and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Remember mindfulness activities don’t need to be stand-alone exercises. Below is an acronym to help give a little mindful experience throughout your day, when sometimes you just need to stop.

• S: Stop. Whatever you’re doing, just pause momentarily. 
• T: Take a breath. Re-connect with your breath. The breath is an anchor to the present moment. 
• O: Observe. Notice what is happening. What is happening inside you, and outside of you? Where has your mind gone? What do you feel? What are you doing? 
• P: Proceed. Continue doing what you were doing. Or don’t: Use the information gained during this check-in to change course. Whatever you do, do it mindfully.

Learning Goal: I can select a mindfulness activity.

First, this week we have been looking back at the various mindfulness activities we have explored.

We know they:

• help us learn to be calm when our emotions or thoughts are getting busy or “out of control.”
• help us to center on being fully present, right now.

The key to all of them is our breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Last term we presented you with many different mindfulness activities. Now we’d like to allow you the opportunity to choose which one suits you, or which one helps you in this particular moment. 

Now, revisit one of the mindfulness activities on the 3/4 blog and select one that you felt was a positive experience for you. What it the Mindfulness Listen, the Mindful Eating or the Mindful Drawing task. Or did you find the Power of Yet really helpful?

Then, spend some time on your chosen mindfulness activity.

Finally, don’t forget its ok if your attention begins to wander, but bring your awareness back to the task at hand and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Remember mindfulness activities don’t need to be stand-alone exercises. Below is an acronym to help give a little mindful experience throughout your day, when sometimes you just need to stop.

• S: Stop. Whatever you’re doing, just pause momentarily. 
• T: Take a breath. Re-connect with your breath. The breath is an anchor to the present moment. 
• O: Observe. Notice what is happening. What is happening inside you, and outside of you? Where has your mind gone? What do you feel? What are you doing? 
• P: Proceed. Continue doing what you were doing. Or don’t. Maybe you will use what you realised during this check-in to change course. Whatever you do, do it mindfully.

Learning Goal: I can select a mindfulness activity.

First, as discussed yesterday, there are lots of  mindfulness activities, they all have one thing in common. What they have in common is they:

• help us to center on being fully present, right now.
• help us learn to be calm when our emotions or thoughts are getting busy or “out of control.”
• are all about our breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Now, knowing we’ve gone through so many different mindfulness activities we’d like to allow you the opportunity to choose which one suits you, or which one helps you in this particular moment. Revisit one of the mindfulness activities on the 3/4 blog and select one that you felt was a positive experience for you.

Then, spend some time on your chosen mindfulness activity.

Finally, don’t forget its ok if your attention begins to wander, but bring your awareness back to the task at hand and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

These activities are there for you to use at any time, maybe you can share one with someone else?

Learning Goal: I can select a mindfulness activity.

First, we know mindfulness can help you to learn to be calm when your emotions or thoughts are getting busy or “out of control.”

Over recent months we’ve explored many mindfulness activities. Knowing so many allows you to choose which one suits you, or which one helps you in that particular moment.

Two key things to remember, regardless of the exercise, are:

• It’s all about your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.
• If your attention begins to wander, that’s ok, but bring your awareness back to the task at hand and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breathe out.

Now, select a mindfulness activity from the list below. You have seen these before, which one did you find useful, which one haven’t you tried?

Then, spend some time on your chosen mindfulness activity.

Finally, don’t forget its ok if your attention begins to wander, but bring your awareness back to the task at hand and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Learning Goal: I can select a mindfulness activity.

While this week we’ve had a focus on yoga, over recent months we’ve looked at many types of mindfulness activities.

We know they all have one thing in common. What they have in common is they:

• help us to center on being fully present, right now.
• help us learn to be calm when our emotions or thoughts are getting busy or “out of control.”
• are all about our breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Now, today we’d like to allow you the opportunity to choose which one suits you, or which one helps you in this particular moment. You may want to continue to practice some of the yoga poses explored this week, or revisit one of the mindfulness activities on the 3/4 blog and select one that you felt was a positive experience for you.

Then, spend some time on your chosen mindfulness activity.

Finally, don’t forget its ok if your attention begins to wander, but bring your awareness back to the task at hand and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

These activities are there for you to use at any time, maybe you can share one with someone else?

Remember mindfulness activities don’t need to be stand-alone exercises. Below is an acronym to help give a little mindful experience throughout your day, when sometimes you just need to stop.

• S: Stop. Whatever you’re doing, just pause momentarily. 
• T: Take a breath. Re-connect with your breath. The breath is an anchor to the present moment. 
• O: Observe. Notice what is happening. What is happening inside you, and outside of you? Where has your mind gone? What do you feel? What are you doing? 
• P: Proceed. Continue doing what you were doing. Or don’t: Use the information gained during this check-in to change course. Whatever you do, do it mindfully.

Learning Goal: I can practice some yoga positions.

As mentioned yesterday, yoga, like a lot of activities requires practice to begin to understand the poses and to appreciate the benefits. Today we are going to revisit the standing poses from Tuesday.

First, find a quite space were you can have room to stand, and stretch, and still see the computer.

Now, work your way through some of the standing yoga poses shown in the PowerPoint below. Don’t forget its ok if your attention begins to wander, but bring your awareness back to the pose and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Yoga standing poses

Finally, if yoga is not your thing, don’t forget you can always go back to one of the many mindfulness activities we have explored in recent months (mindfulness activities on the 3/4 blog) and select one that you felt was a positive experience for you.

Learning Goal: I can practice some yoga positions.

Yoga, like a lot of activities requires practice to begin to understand the poses and to appreciate the benefits. Today we are going to revisit the sitting poses from Monday.

First, find a quite space were you can have room to  stretch and still see the computer.

Now, work your way through some of the yoga poses shown in the PowerPoint below. Don’t forget its ok if your attention begins to wander, but bring your awareness back to the pose and focus on your breathing. Gentle breath in, gentle breath out.

Yoga sitting poses

Finally, if yoga is not your thing, don’t forget you can always go back to one of the many mindfulness activities we have explored in recent months (mindfulness activities on the 3/4 blog) and select one that you felt was a positive experience for you.