Good morning,
My name is Danielle Neuffer and I want to welcome you to this meditation for teachers.
As a teacher myself,
I know it's very easy to get swept up in the busyness and demands of our students while neglecting ourselves.
By nurturing your well-being and putting the oxygen mask on yourself first today,
You are creating conditions to be your best self when you interact with your students today.
So I want to invite you to get into a position that allows you to be relaxed yet alert.
This may be sitting in a chair,
On a cushion,
Or even lying down.
Begin by breathing naturally,
Feeling your body rise on the inhale and fall on the exhale.
Continue to feel your breath rise and fall,
Paying attention to what that feels like in your body.
Note where you feel your breath most vividly.
Is it at the tip of your nose,
Your throat,
Your lungs,
In your belly?
Note this place and observe sensations there.
Feel the air tickling your nose.
Observe how it is cooler on the inhale and warmer on the exhale.
Can you feel the way your chest gently rises and falls?
Gently rest your attention at this place for just a moment.
If you find you are thinking about your to-do lists or anything else pops into your mind,
It may be helpful to acknowledge that those things are there,
But to turn from the worry and turn back to focusing on the breath,
On the inhale and the exhale.
When thoughts arise,
Feel free to acknowledge them,
But then turn your attention back toward the breath.
This is the constant ebb and flow of practice.
We breathe,
Our thoughts arise,
We acknowledge them,
And then we come back to the breath.
The rhythm of your breath may change throughout the practice.
Just be with whatever is at this moment.
It may be helpful to rest your awareness in counting your breaths or even noting the gentle rising and falling of your chest,
With every inhale noting in and with each exhale noting out.
If distractions arise or you begin to feel sleepy,
Don't be too concerned.
Just acknowledge the thoughts,
The distractions,
Even the sleepiness,
And return to the feeling of the breath.
This is the practice,
The cycle of simply beginning again to find our way back to our breath each time we are distracted.
Try to be gentle with yourself during these ebbs and flows and new beginnings.
Can you see each distraction as an opportunity to try something different?
Perhaps try shifting to a new position if sleepy,
Or respond to yourself in a caring way instead of chastising yourself for becoming distracted.
Each time you acknowledge the thought or the sensation,
Then come back to the breath without judgment.
Feel where the breath begins on the inhale,
The pause,
And the gentle out-breath on the exhale.
Feel where each breath begins and ends.
This is how we show up day after day.
Just as our breath has a cycle,
So do we have a general cycle to our days.
During those moments of busy,
Stress,
Demands,
We can come back to our breath.
It's always there for us.
The more we practice returning to the breath when we are in these moments of quiet and peace,
Yet gently distracted,
The more easily we may be able to find our breath during those moments of stress and busyness.
This is the practice.
We are practicing now so that we can meet our students' needs and our classroom demands without sacrificing our own health and well-being.
We are practicing coming back to the breath so that we can take those breaths when we need it most throughout our days.
There may be times when we need to pause before responding to a sudden outburst or a schedule change or some other demand for our attention and time.
During these moments,
We can acknowledge the difficulty of the situation and come back to our breath,
Feeling the gentle rising and falling of our chest.
We return to our anchor.
It will bring us back to our present moment instead of fretting about the past or ruminating about the future.
Continue practicing this gentle noting as we spend the final few moments in quiet.
Меня doświadciono.
Now gently let go of noting your breaths and come back to the sound of my voice.
As you move into your day,
Remember that the work you are doing to care for yourself can have a ripple effect on everyone around you.
You may be your student's only example of how to work with stress and change in a healthy way.
To honor the work every day you are doing as a teacher,
We have a nice way of closing.
Repeat these words to yourself as I say them aloud.
May the actions I take toward caring for myself,
Toward understanding myself,
Toward being more peaceful with myself,
Be of benefit to all beings everywhere.
May the actions I take toward caring for myself,
Toward understanding myself,
Toward being more peaceful with myself,
Be of benefit to all beings everywhere.
Take one more inhale and exhale.
And when you feel ready,
Let your eyes open.
May you find serenity over stress and peace in your heart as you do this incredibly noble work of educating our world's children.
Thank you for sharing this time.
I wish you a wonderful day.
