5. Moving Mindfully Teachers’ Notes © Mindfulness in Schools Project

Lesson 5 – Moving Mindfully Objectives For pupils to understand that: Mindfulness is not just about being still, as in the FOFBOC or Beditation. It is also about movement. We spend a great deal of time doing actions ‘mindlessly’… on autopilot One such activity is walking. We are rarely ‘present’ when we walk Learning to move mindfully can also be used as a resource for peak performance in sport, music and the performing arts Lesson Flow Standing mindfully at start of lesson Students become aware that even when standing the body makes tiny movements ‘automatically’ to maintain balance Explain ‘Flow’ or being ‘In the Zone’ Mindfulness is not just about sitting still or lying down. It is also used to great effect in sport and the performing arts Show the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of The Last Samurai The Tom Cruise character has “too many minds” to begin with. He learns the benefits of ‘no mind’ – or sensing rather than thinking Mindful Walking When we walk from A to B we are rarely in the present moment. We are usually either thinking about what happened in A, or what might happen at B. Can you walk in ‘sensing mode’ rather than ‘thinking mode’? Home Practice Resources Walk 10-20m stretch mindfully every day Do one daily action mindfully Film clip A space to do the mindful walking

Moverse con atención plena Lección Cinco Last week we looked at how we can practise stepping out of autopilot and being more present for in our lives, learning to savour them more fully.   [Enquiry into Home Practice] How did your practices of .b, Mindful Mouthful and Sitting like a Statue go this week? What did you notice? So far our main formal mindfulness practices have been the FOFBOC (sitting down) and the Beditation (lying down). These are practices where we are very still. However mindfulness is something we can we can also bring to movement, including things like sport, music and dance. That is very much the theme of today’s lesson. [Invite the class to stand] Begin by making yourself comfortable, sliding off your shoes, loosening your ties etc., relaxing your shoulders, and putting your feet about shoulder width apart, with your arms by your sides or hands gathered in front of you. Last week we talked about being on ‘autopilot’, and one reason for doing this next practice is for you to experience just how automatic a lot of our basic movements are. Let’s begin by dropping our attention into the lower half of the body…. in Aikido they describe this as “dropping out of the coconut of the head and into the body”. Moverse con atención plena

[Standing practice.] We’re going to practise standing and noticing how the body is constantly adjusting itself in every moment so that we don’t fall over. See if you can notice all the tiny corrections that your body makes to its balance when you are just standing still. If you feel comfortable, closing your eyes for 60 seconds, feeling your feet on the floor, rooted like a tree, but noticing how the trunk, how the rest of your body very gently shifts all the time to stay upright. Zooming in now on all the tiny movements in your lower body, perhaps tiny adjustments in your feet and your toes, that are being made, moment by moment, to keep your body upright. Now gently and slowly start shifting your weight onto your left foot, until all of the weight is on your left foot and the right foot is raised ever so slightly off the ground. No theatrics – keep the right foot only one inch above the floor, and noticing now all of the movements happening in the left foot and left leg to keep you upright. [Then repeat, shifting weight onto the other foot.] And now, coming onto both feet again, and slowly moving up onto the tips of your toes, bringing your hands over your head and reaching up towards the sky, but not so far that you lose your balance. Making yourself as tall as you can be, but just playing with that edge of where you are comfortable and where you are likely to lose your balance, and holding your attention primarily in the lower half of the body. And also becoming aware of your breathing. How is your breath in this moment? And then, as slowly and quietly as you can, bringing yourself to sit down again on your chair. So, how was it to do that ‘standing’ practice? What did you notice?   Notice how when we slow things down, we notice things that we might previously have taken for granted. Last week we talked about autopilot, these are all tiny movements that the body is making in every moment. 

Mindfulness o atención plena en acción Atletas profesionales, maestros de las artes marciales y músicos practican la atención plena cuando actúan > A esto se le llama “fluir” o entrar “en trance” o “en la zona” > So, mindfulness isn’t just something that we do when we’re sitting. It’s something we can bring into every moment of our day, including when we’re in the midst of activities.   And we’re going to look first at the top-end of mindful activity – the experience of being in “flow” or “in the zone”. Hands up who has heard of this phrase before? What do you think it means? What do you understand its qualities to be? [Ease, effortlessness, calm confidence, things are easily going very well, graceful, performing at your peak without struggle.]

‘Fluir’ o ‘Estar en la zona’ [Click through as a summary of key points.] Being in the zone is a state of focus, absorption, flow, where things just naturally seem to go well. Excelencia sin esfuerzo Seguridad, calma y precisión Mejor rendimiento Sin estrés. Sin miedo Tú sólo, dejándote llevar por el momento presente It tends to come when we’re performing some skill such as sport, playing a musical instrument or some other activity, and it results from a combination of lots of practice, mindfulness, confidence and letting go of unnecessary tension.  Have any of you experienced something like this at any time? [If you describe it clearly enough, most classes will include some pupils who recognise this experience, especially in sport, but maybe also in music, dance, public speaking.] Many people have moments of this in their lives but there are greater and greater depths to which we can be in the zone. Note that the picture above is of LA Lakers player Kobe Bryant. The LA Lakers were coached by Phil Jackson, widely regarded as the most successful basketball coach in the history of the game (11 NBA championships). Jackson used to teach his teams mindfulness. Here is a quote from Jackson: “When players practice what is known as mindfulness–paying attention to what’s actually happening–not only do they play better and win more, they also become more attuned to each other.” And here is a quote about him: "He teaches calm," says Chuck Person, of his boss Phil Jackson. "He teaches you how to find your way in the maze, in the chaos. You can always go back and find yourself with that breath. I've learned during anxious moments, since I have been here with the Lakers, that breath is very important to take to center yourself. Players do it. They get together, take a breath, collect their thoughts, so they can perform.” Chuck Person, L.A. Lakers Player – ESPN Article June 10th, 2010

Para estar en el momento, sin demasiado esfuerzo… To give yourself a chance of getting into the zone, generally it’s best to do a “.b” – to pause and breathe rather than to rush in.   Many sports people deliberately do mindfulness exercises to help make zone experiences more likely. Jonny Wilkinson does an exercise a bit like a “.b” [CLICK] where you can see him concentrating before he takes a kick, but also settling into his breathing, feeling his feet on the floor, switching his attention very deliberately between the ball and the posts.

Let me give you another example of this… The martial arts have always honoured the experience of mindfulness and of being in the zone. Cultivating present moment awareness is an important part of training in all of the ancient martial arts.   Who has seen this film? We’re going to see two clips from it now.

El Último Samurai Tom Cruise desempeña el papel de valiente soldado Americano del siglo diecinueve capturado por un Samurai Japonés. Extracto 1: Aunque es un fantástico guerrero, su mente está tan centrada en odiar a su enemigo e intentar ganar, que tiene “demasiadas mentes” para poder vencer a su adversario Japonés. Cruise then spends longer with the Samurai and learns the Samurai way. That is what the opening shots are about. A different approach to life. Notice 2 things:   Firstly notice the details in the film. The shot of the drops of water from the icicle. Mindfulness is about paying attention to and savouring even the simplest of things. The samurai were taught to cherish every moment, “life in every breath” says the lead character, because they could find themselves in battle at a moment’s notice and die. Secondly, notice how just before the fight begins Tom C does a “.b”. He very deliberately turns his attention to his breath. Rather than tightening his grip on the stick and getting tense, he loosens his grip and relaxes into it. Then he is ready. Show slide description of ‘Extract 2’. See second clip: 1:00:57 - 1:04:10, Chap 18 [3:22 mins] What did you notice from the clip? What’s the effect of him doing a “.b”?

El Último Samurai Tom Cruise desempeña el papel de valiente soldado Americano del siglo diecinueve capturado por un Samurai Japonés. Extracto 1: Aunque es un fantástico guerrero, su mente está tan centrada en odiar a su enemigo e intentar ganar, que tiene “demasiadas mentes” para poder vencer a su adversario Japonés. Cruise then spends longer with the Samurai and learns the Samurai way. That is what the opening shots are about. A different approach to life. Notice 2 things:   Firstly notice the details in the film. The shot of the drops of water from the icicle. Mindfulness is about paying attention to and savouring even the simplest of things. The samurai were taught to cherish every moment, “life in every breath” says the lead character, because they could find themselves in battle at a moment’s notice and die. Secondly, notice how just before the fight begins Tom C does a “.b”. He very deliberately turns his attention to his breath. Rather than tightening his grip on the stick and getting tense, he loosens his grip and relaxes into it. Then he is ready. Show slide description of ‘Extract 2’. See second clip: 1:00:57 - 1:04:10, Chap 18 [3:22 mins] What did you notice from the clip? What’s the effect of him doing a “.b”? Tras meses de entrenamiento Samurai, Cruise aprende a .b en medio de su actividad. Respira, siente su cuerpo, afloja su empuñadura y se deja llevar , fluir, para conseguir una acción eficaz. Extracto 2:

“Mente en la gente mirando, Dos Modos de Mente Sentir Pensar “Mente en la gente mirando, Mente en el enemigo, Mente en la espada” In Lesson 3, after the Beditation, I showed you a slide that showed you two modes of mind: Thinking and Sensing. Can anybody remember what these were about? What sort of mental activities does thinking mode involve? The guy who runs on is saying to Tom Cruise that he is in Thinking Mode [CLICK]. “You are thinking too much about all of these different things… your mind is on the people watching, the enemy, the sword.” He says “no mind” [CLICK] which means “Tom, you need to be in Sensing mode”, [CLICK] in flow, in the zone. For 10 seconds do a FOFBOC and see if you can stay in sensing mode for that time. Now that sounds easy enough but it is actually quite hard. Every day we walk from A to B, from B to C, from C to D… and I bet that most of us walk in Thinking Mode. We’re not actually feeling our feet on the floor as we walk, or noticing what is around us. We’re thinking about what we did in the place where we came from or what we’re going to do in the place we’re heading for, or something else entirely. We are either in the past or the future, not in the present. The question for you is “Can we walk in sensing mode?”. [CLICK] And more specifically “At what pace do you find it easiest to stay connected with the sensations in your body?” ¿Podemos caminar en este modo? “Sin Mente”

Caminando como el samurái Sintiendo el movimiento y el contacto de tus pies con el suelo Levantando - Moviendo - Pisando So, now we’re going to try our own mindful movement and savouring. We’re going to do SAMURAI WALKING - simply walking, but like we’ve never walked before, slowing it down if we want and paying attention to every touch of the feet on the ground. Read through the instructions on the slide.   If you have time and would like to, you can show the clip from Baraka showing the monk walking [Clip is 00:37:54 -00:39:11] = 1:17 mins Make sure you give all the instructions about the Samurai Walking exercise before you leave the classroom, so that the space into which you move remains as quiet as possible. It’s good to let them really get into this activity if they’re amenable to doing so, and you may find that this takes much or all of the rest of the lesson. You can prepare for this by getting them to bring their Student Booklets and bags etc. to the walking location with them. You can then set up the Home Practice using the text in the Student Booklets, and reading them the script and passage below. Encourage them to walk silently. You could ask them to walk out in single file, each one a couple of meters behind the one in front, so that they are already beginning to get into their own zone. ¿Podemos caminar en este modo? Volviendo a prestar atención, cada vez que se nos va

[Walking mindfulness practice] If possible, go outside. Get them to take shoes off to savour the feel of the concrete or the grass on their feet.   If outside is not possible, find a space such as a gym, and get them to line up along one wall, at least two arms’ lengths apart [if possible]. First get them doing a standing meditation – feeling all the sensations of their bodies as they stand, as they did in the classroom. Explain how they should simply pay attention to the weight on their feet, the shifting of the balance from heel to ball to toe, the lifting, the moving, the placing etc. No talking at all. They could even close their eyes if they find it easier, but open them now and again so that they keep their bearings and don’t bump into anyone. Stress that they will almost certainly notice how often their attention is pulled away by other people in the room, by what they are doing and how they are walking. Firmly encourage them to let go of that (as if one person starts to get silly it can easily infect a few others). Give the same instructions as above about feeling the body, the sensations of feet and legs as they stand and walk.  When you ring the bell, they should then walk slowly across the width of the room, at their own pace. Make the point that it’s absolutely not a race either to be fastest or slowest. The aim is to be as fully present as they can be to the sensations of walking. They can try walking really fast if they want, but they might notice that this winds the mind up. Or they can try walking super slowly, but perhaps this feels too strange? Stress again, at what pace do they feel most connected? We are experimenting here to discover the answer. When they reach the far side of the room they should stop, do some moments of standing meditation, then slowly turn around as mindfully as they can. Do some more standing meditation and only when they are ready, begin to walk again.

Realiza la actividad lentamente Siente las sensaciones físicas Revisita una rutina Realiza la actividad lentamente Siente las sensaciones físicas ¡Disfruta! Use these slides if you have time to go back into the classroom after the Samurai Walking. So, as we’ve seen, we can bring mindfulness to all the activities of our day. It’s really good to work with routine activities that we tend to do every day, such as brushing our teeth, washing, showering, getting dressed / undressed, making cups of tea, washing up. Any of these activities can be enhanced if we practise slowing and savouring. There are three steps to this, as listed on the slide. Here’s what one great mindfulness teacher says about slowing and savouring the experience of washing up: “To my mind, the idea that doing the dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you are not doing them. Once you are standing in front of the sink with your sleeves rolled up and your hands in warm water, it really is not so bad. I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands. I know that if I hurry in order to go and have a cup of tea, the time will be unpleasant and not worth living. That would be a pity, for each minute, each second of life is a miracle. If I am incapable of washing dishes joyfully, if I want to finish them quickly so I can go and have a cup of tea, I will be equally incapable of drinking the tea joyfully. With the cup in my hands I will be thinking about what to do next, and the fragrance and the flavour of the tea, together with the pleasure of drinking it, will be lost. I will always be dragged into the future, never able to live in the present moment. [from Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Miracle of Mindfulness]”

Practica en casa:“Mindfulness en Acción” Escoge un itinerario de unos 10-20 metros que andes todos los días, y elige andarlo en atención plena durante esta semana. Centra tu atención en las sensaciones físicas de tus pies y piernas. El itinerario ideal debe ser un camino poco transitado. Caminar como un samurái 1 You may like to do this with them sitting in a circle where you’ve done the walking meditation.   Read through description of Home Practice on slide or in Student Booklet. SAMURAI WALKING: Ask each to think of a 10-20m stretch, preferably one outside, that they walk every day that they will try to walk mindfully. Go round the circle and get each to name their stretch. ROUTINE REVISITED: Ask them to choose one activity that they do every day (e.g. having a shower, making a cup of coffee) and do it more slowly, savouring all the sensations, smells etc. Again, quickly go round the group asking them to tell you what that is: “Brushing teeth”, “Combing hair”, “Having shower””etc. It doesn’t take long to do this but it encourages them to vocalise their intention. If there is time, you could try letting them go one at a time, on their own, so that they carry the spirit of mindful walking to the next lesson. Escoge una actividad física (ej. ducharse o hacerte el desayuno) que requiere movimiento. Experimenta realizarla lentamente y saboreando cada sensación. Revisitar una rutina 2

© Mindfulness in Schools Project