150 • PART II: MINDFULNESS IN EDUCATING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND ENGAGEMENT
Hanh (2002) explains that if you look deeply into a sheet of paper you can see the cloud.
Without the cloud, there would be no rain. Without the rain, there would be no trees. You
see the sunshine in the paper, too. Without the sunshine, the forest cannot grow. With no
forest, there is no wood. He explains how the logger who cut the tree is also in the paper.
The logger must eat and so we see the wheat that becomes the bread that the logger eats.
As with the wheat, we see the logger’s parents. And so it goes. There are clouds in every
paper. Hanh’s (2002) beautiful description can also be found at http://www.awakin.org/read/
view.php?tid=222 at Awakin.org. Associated principles of embodied growth and learning
include 3, I am mindfully aware; 6, I ask questions about my physical experiences, feelings,
and thoughts; 7, I choose my focus and actions; and 8, I do the work.
Journaling
Journaling creates an experience of reflection (Rechtschaffen, 2014). When writing about
one’s experiences, the student becomes one step removed from the experience. He or she is
the observer. Traditional journaling about the events of the day, stressful events, and emo-
tions can be helpful (e.g., Ullrich & Lutgendorf, 2002). Mindful journals are distinct from
typical journals in that they are a writing of what students have become present to, rather
than a running narrative (David, 2009). They might also take a specific tone such as mindful
awareness, compassion, gratitude, or interconnectedness. Some suggestions:
- Take the present tense documenting what you see, smell, feel, and notice (David, 2009).
- Write three things for which you are grateful and make you happy.
- Document reflections upon mindfulness activities.
- Detail your feelings, where they show up in your body, how they are affected by breath,
and so on. - Document your daily intentions in the morning, before you start your day (David, 2009).
The associated principles of embodied growth and learning are 3, I am mindfully aware;
4, I work toward presence in my physical body; 6, I ask questions about my physical experi-
ences, feelings, and thoughts; 7, I choose my focus and actions; 8, I do the work; and 11, I am
kind to myself and others.
Mindful Communication
Mindful communication can build from English and language arts coursework (David, 2009).
You can begin with students reading to each other and listening to tone, pace, content, distrac-
tions, and mindfulness (David, 2009). Next, move to mindfulness conversations. Mindfulness
conversation involves awareness of how students speak, what they really say and mean, the
reciprocation of communication, eye contact, and reflective listening (David, 2009). In reflec-
tive listening, students listen carefully and reflect back the content, intention, or feeling to
the person who spoke (Cook-Cottone, Kane, & Anderson, 2014). For beginners, a reflective
statement can begin with, “It sounds like you ...,” or “I hear you saying that...,” followed by
a summary statement of what was heard (Cook-Cottone et al., 2014). Students can provide
feedback for each other. There is much to learn from both the listener and the person talking.