142 • PART II: MINDFULNESS IN EDUCATING FOR SELF-REGULATION AND ENGAGEMENT
happiness and a positive mindset (Rechtschaffen, 2014). Here is an easy one: Throughout
the day, pause and notice what you are grateful for in the moment (Cook-Cottone, 2015;
Rechtschaffen, 2014). Similarly, gratitude practice can include daily journaling in which,
at the end of each school day, you or your students record three things for which you are
grateful.
Following their review of the literature, Wood et al. (2010) identified several mech-
anisms that may be involved in the relation between gratitude and well-being. These
include: schematic biases, coping, positive affect, and broaden-and-build principles. Of
note, broaden-and-build emotions (e.g., gratitude, joy, interest, contentment, pride, and
love) broaden people’s momentary thought-action repertoires and help build enduring
resources (e.g., physical, social, and interpersonal resources; Fredrickson, 2001). The asso-
ciated principles of embodied growth and learning are 1, I am worth the effort, and 3, I am
mindfully aware.
Cultivating Thoughts, Feelings, and Actions That Serve You
Several years ago, I ran across a very simple and effective technique for being intentional
in everyday thinking. This works best for students who are in late middle school and
high school, who are of typical or higher cognitive functioning. If a student is not able to
think reflectively, this technique may not be a good fit. The technique is called the Morita
Table. Astrachan-Fletcher and Maslar (2009) describe Morita Therapy (see Morita, Morita,
Kondo, & LeVine, 1998) in which you are guided to act with purpose regardless of the
automatic thoughts, feelings, and sensations that arise. The concept is similar to Brach’s
description of nonidentification. That is, you are not your thoughts, feelings, or impulses.
Who you are is what you choose to cultivate, extend, and do. The first step in determining
which thoughts and feelings to cultivate is to work from a sense of purpose or intention
(Astrachan-Fletcher & Maslar, 2009). I like to use the purpose, or intention, “to have a life
that I want to be present in.” For older adolescents, it can be fun to explore various guiding
intentions for them to use. Some students have said things like, “to enjoy valuable friend-
ships,” “to make a difference in the field of medicine,” or “to be kind to myself and others”
(see David [2009] for more guidance on setting intentions). Once you have the purpose set,
you are ready to create a Morita Table. The table divides experiences into two types: control-
lable experiences and uncontrollable experiences (see Table 7.1).
Experiences that are considered uncontrollable include automatic thoughts, feelings,
sensations, and events (Cook-Cottone, 2015). Consistent with mindfulness teachings, stu-
dents are asked to accept their automatic thoughts, feelings, and sensations, along with the
notion that these are not within their control. I add that automatic thoughts, feelings, and
sensations are not permanent. They arise and pass away. We can experience them then let
them go. There is no need or reason to keep them (Cook-Cottone, 2015). Controllable expe-
riences, on the other hand, include conscious and deliberate thoughts (e.g., intentions and
plans) and actions. The next step is to have students consider acting in a manner that aligns
with their purpose (Cook-Cottone, 2015). In this clear and simple way, those things we can
control, those we cannot, and those we keep and cultivate are made distinct by this simple
rule of thumb: Does this serve my intention or life purpose (Astrachan-Fletcher & Maslar,
2009)? You can use Table 7.1 with your students as a tool to reflect on their experiences and
choices.