106 • PART II: MINDFULNESS IN EDUCATING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND ENGAGEMENT
Eyes can be open, partially closed, or closed (Stahl & Goldstein, 2010; Willard, 2016).
If open, eyes should be focused a yard or two in front of you (Hanh, 1975). If sleepiness
is present, it can be helpful to keep the eyes open or slightly open (Cook-Cottone, 2015;
Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). Maintain a soft smile (Hanh, 1975). A soft smile helps you relax
the “worry-tightening” muscles in your face (Hanh, 1975, p. 34). If you’d like, place the left
hand, palm side up, in your right palm (Hanh, 1975). You can also place your hands on your
thighs or at your heart and belly (Cook-Cottone, 2015; Stahl & Goldstein, 2010). The posi-
tion that is ultimately selected should allow for alertness and comfort (Stahl & Goldstein,
2010).
The practice script that follows should be read for each of the seated meditations. It helps
students get settled and prepared for the meditation or mindfulness practices. Accordingly,
each meditation scripted here begins with the words, “Start with the Getting Seated for
Meditation Script.”
Visualizations
Visualizations are a powerful way to help students develop meditation skills without a
need to fully understand the meditation process. Willard (2016) offers an entire chapter
on visualization for children in his text, Growing Up Mindful. In visualization, you provide
metaphors for the elements of meditation. In the following visualization, the student’s
mindful awareness and beginner’s mind is represented by the little boy. The medita-
tion anchor is the moon. The passing thoughts and feelings are reflected by the clouds
(Instructional Story 6.1).
PRACTICE SCRIPT 6.1: GETTING SEATED FOR MEDITATION
Approximate timing: 2 minutes for practice
Sit comfortably. Be sure that you are well grounded (e.g., your feet are touching the floor if in a chair,
or your body and legs provide stable support if you are seated on the floor). Roll your shoulders back,
draw your belly in, and extend and straighten your spine as you reach the very top of your head
toward the ceiling. If you would like, close your eyes. If you decide to leave your eyes open, choose a
focal point a few feet in front of you and rest your eyes there. Place your left hand, palm facing up,
within the palm of your right hand, and rest your hands on your lap or legs. Let a gentle half smile
come to your face. Take a few moments to bring your awareness to your body becoming present from
the soles of your feet to the crown of your head. [Read slowly here, taking a pause as you move
through the body.] Notice your feet, legs, body, arms, hands, chest, heart beating, lungs breathing,
and the very top of your head reaching to the ceiling. How do you feel? Notice your heart beating and
any tense places in the body. These are places in which it feels like your muscles are holding on tight.
Breathe into any tense places you may feel and exhale to release them. With each exhalation, release
tense places and soften through your whole body. Let go of everything. Hold on to nothing but your
breathing and your half smile.
Source: Cook-Cottone (2015), Hanh (1975), Kabat-Zinn (2013), McCown, Reibel, and Micozzi (2010);
Wallace (2011), and Willard (2016).