Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

CHAPTER 3: THE MINDFUL AND YOGIC LEARNER: 12 EMBODIED PRACTICES FOR SCHOOLS • 51

here (see Table 3.1). For ease of understanding, the 12 principles of embodied growth and
learning are further broken down into three mechanisms of action: (a) mindful embodiment,
(b) embodied self-regulation, and (c) mindful development.

Mindful Embodiment

Mindful embodiment is the skill of being aware of and inhabiting the body as you engage
in your tasks and relationships throughout the day (Cook-Cottone, 2015). In our cogni-
tive (i.e., thinking) and technology-oriented school culture, it is easy for students to lose a
sense of being connected to and aware of their bodies. Accordingly, the 12 principles begin
with tools for mindful embodiment. These include: worth, breath, awareness, presence, and
feeling.

Principle 1: Worth: “I am worth the effort”

Research suggests that engagement in mindfulness and yoga practice enhances self-efficacy
and self-esteem among students (e.g., Berger, Silver, & Stein, 2009; Case-Smith, Shupe Sines, &
Klatt, 2010). In school, students are continuously in the growth zone, a place that is out-
side of their comfort zone. By definition, things are uncomfortable, difficult there. Vygotsky
(1978) called this the zone of proximal development, the zone in which students are chal-
lenged; learning to do things they have not mastered; expected to fail to some degree as
they work; and likely to need teacher support or tools of learning. Similarly, in mindfulness
and yoga practice, the growth zone is viewed as the place where the most robust learning
occurs. To be in a growth zone and remain effective, students need to be reminded that
they are worth the effort. As well articulated by Hanson and Mendius (2009), the human
brain tends to scan for what is wrong and not working when we are challenged. To combat
this natural human tendency during mindfulness and yoga practice, students work with

TABLE 3.1 The 12 Principles for Embodied Growth and Learning

Mindful Embodiment

1. WORTH: I am worth the effort


2. BREATH: My breath is my most powerful tool


3. AWARENESS: I am mindfully aware


4. PRESENCE: I work toward presence in my physical body


5. FEELING: I feel my emotions in order to grow and learn
   Embodied Self-Regulation


6. INQUIRY: I ask questions about my physical experiences, feelings, and thoughts


7. CHOICE: I choose my focus and actions


8. SELF-DETERMINATION: I do the work


9. SUSTAINABILITY: I find balance between effort and rest
   Mindful Growth


10. COMPASSION: I honor efforts to grow and learn


11. KINDNESS: I am kind to myself and others


12. POSSIBILITY: I work toward the possibility of effectiveness and growth in my life