90 • PART II: MINDFULNESS IN EDUCATING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND ENGAGEMENT CHAPTER 5: THE MINDFUL CLASSROOM • 91
Use Imagination, Metaphor, and Story
We are all captivated by imagination, metaphor, and story. You can create a fun and accepting
context for mindfulness practice by integrating the students’ imagination and sense of story
(Olson, 2014; Willard, 2016). Willard (2016) tells a story of Lev Vygotsky, the child develop-
ment expert, who asked two little boys to stand as long as they could. He explains that the
children lost focus and were off doing the next thing within a few minutes. However, when
he asked the boys to first imagine they were factory guards, the boys were able to stand still
for nearly four times as long (Willard, 2016). I recall being in swim team practice, putting
in the thousands of yards required for competitive swimming. I imagined swimming to
Alcatraz with fish and turtles swimming under me. The hours would pass by as I imagined
the press interview and photographs that would be taken once I finished my historic swim.
When teaching poses, you can ask students to sit like a mountain, breathe like a bellow, and
lengthen their necks like a giraffe (Willard, 2016). While mindfully walking, you can take
them through the journey of a great explorer noticing the stones, leaves, and wildlife along
the path. As great explorers who need to document their observations for the university
when they return, their mindful awareness flourishes. Harnessing the power of the imagi-
nation is a powerful way to invite students into the world of mindfulness.Connect to the Senses
Connecting to your sensory experiences is a shortcut to the present moment (Willard,
2016). Often, our thinking minds are engaged in reflections about the past or worries about
and plans for the future (Willard, 2016). The senses are connected to right here and now.
Consistent with principle 4, in Chapter 3, “I work toward presence in my physical body,”
mindfulness and mindful awareness often integrate a connection to sensory experiences. No
matter what the experience or mindfulness activity, take time to bring students’ awareness
to the present sounds, smells, touch sensations, sights, and tastes.Create a Mindful Space in Your Classroom
Create a space that enhances the practice (Willard, 2016). You might have a whole room or
dedicated space, as they do in some schools, or a corner of your classroom. You can add
secular posters on mindfulness, and photos, drawings, and artifacts that are calming and
peaceful. In the yoga studio of Yogis in Service, we have small sculptures of frogs doing yoga
poses (a secular choice) and have decorated the studio in the basic elements of nature (i.e.,
wood, plants, natural light). In your space, have sitting pillows or small benches. Provide
headphones, recordings of guided meditations, meditation jars (described later), and stones
in bowls for counting affirmations, breaths, or calming phrases. If there is no space, students
can keep a small meditation jar or set of stones in their desks. In this way, they are available
any time throughout the day.
Rechtschaffen (2014) describes the peace corner concept. This concept was pioneered
by Linda Lantieri and is said to be used in schools across the globe (Rechtschaffen, 2014).
The peace corner is a dedicated space, collaboratively created by students for students to