Welcome to Week 2

 Welcome back to school. Welcome to week 2 of a new year.

Quick Fact: Last school year, in the month of August we had 49 Inner Explorer practices utilized for a total of 160 mindful minutes. This year....last week... we had 184 practices utilized for a total of 658 mindful minutes!!! That is all of you doing your part to help our students take time to calm, reflect, and reset. Keep up the great work!

As we begin a new year we I want to take some time to reflect on what we have talked about in the past to help refresh our mindfulness practices.

We, as adults, set the tone for our students. We must lead by example and show our students what a mindful school looks like, each and every day.

In PD I shared the 4-7-8 breathing. I encourage you to use this practice to help you when you there is a challenge in front of you. As you reset your breathing, restart your outlook too. I have shared that my morning mindfulness practice starts with a reflection on gratitude. What (at least) three things am I grateful for today? Gratitude helps retrain the brain toward the positive.

Remember, the simplest definition of mindfulness is: Pay Attention, On Purpose, Without Judgement. 

Knowing that mindfulness is paying attention, on purpose, without judgment, we can understand that anything can be mindfulness. We can be mindful during announcements by paying attention and not allowing ourselves to be distracted. We can be mindful at recess, focused on students and their movement and play. We can be mindful, always.

Take time this first month of school to establish a solid daily mindfulness routine. Build it into your schedule. Train the brain to know it's mindfulness time. Be mindful and show this to your students.