Welcome to MindUp.
Before we can fully embrace mindfulness in all its many facets,
Let's learn a few key facts about the human brain by becoming familiar with the key structures involved in thinking,
Learning,
And feeling that can positively affect our emotional well-being.
In the MindUp brain,
We focus on three areas.
We start with the amygdala.
It is there to sense danger.
An example is like when we jump away from a speeding car.
We need the amygdala for our safety.
However,
Our amygdala are also activated by fear,
Anger,
Sadness,
Uncertainty,
And other negative emotions.
This can be when things can go sideways because when we are stressed,
The amygdala can overreact.
It may feel like we're receiving red alert signals.
With our children,
We refer to this reaction as our barking dog.
This reaction can hijack our ability to think and regulate emotionally.
Some of our students think about the reaction when they're about to take a test or present in front of a big group.
They feel like they're in great danger even though they aren't.
This reaction shuts down our ability to access our prefrontal cortex,
The biggest part of our brain.
This is the part in charge of analyzing things,
Critical thinking,
It helps us to problem solve,
Learn new things,
Connect with others,
And participate in relationship building.
We like to call this part of our brain the wise old owl.
The prefrontal cortex also sends information to our hippocampus,
Which helps us to store our memories.
When working with children,
We often refer to our hippocampus as our elephant who is able to recall our past memories.
When we are stressed,
It is more challenging to learn,
To access our hippocampus,
And to store these new memories.
What is amazing is that research has shown us we can use simple strategies such as mindful breathing to activate the prefrontal cortex and calm the amygdala.
This helps us to make better choices in those stressful moments.
It also helps us to retain new information.
I'm a teacher and have worked with such wonderful students,
Many who did need extra supports due to anxiety.
These children shared that they often had challenges with impulse control,
And this affected their relationships and how they felt about themselves.
At times they felt sad,
Angry,
And are fearful.
Understanding their brains and learning strategies to calm their amygdala was a gift.
I watched students move from reacting through sometimes hitting,
Yelling,
Or shutting down and not wanting to learn,
To being able to take a breath and respond to stressful situations in more regulated ways.
They could tell me when they felt their amygdala trigger.
They would use one of the mind-up strategies to activate their prefrontal cortex and make a better choice.
They made real friendships and their learning improved.
It was so exciting to see them become happier and more confident.
I would like to invite you to participate in one of these calming activities right now.
It's an activity called mindful breathing.
By participating in mindful breathing,
We can actually affect and change our neural pathways.
Mindful breathing can calm and quiet our amygdala when it's triggered.
I'd like to start by inviting you to find a comfortable position for your body.
You can sit in a chair or lie down somewhere comfortable.
Please just take a moment to get settled.
If you like,
You can close your eyes.
I'll begin by ringing a chime,
And I'd like you to please listen to the sound as long as you can.
Please take a moment to focus on your breath.
Feel your belly rising and falling.
If your mind wanders,
That's okay.
Just bring it back to your breath.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
When you hear the chime again,
Listen as long as you can,
And when you can't hear any more,
Slowly,
Gently open your eyes.
Thank you very much for participating.
Now,
I'd just like you to take a moment to think about how you're feeling.
Whatever you feel is fine.
The tip about mindful breathing is to practice it daily.
Researchers share that even five minutes a day can help change the structure of our brain.
This can help all of us to keep our minds up and to respond in more meaningful ways.
We may also increase our happiness and well-being.
