Mindfulness and Yoga in Schools A Guide for Teachers and Practitioners

CHAPTER 12: YogA PRACTiCE To CulTiVATE THE SElf off THE mAT • 287

the horse does not tell us of the feelings and thoughts the farmer experienced. I am sure
the farmer worried about his horse and was saddened when his son was hurt. Yet, the
farmer stayed centered. I am sure he was happy when many horses returned with his
horse, as well as when his son was spared from battle. The farmer likely used his breath,
awareness, presence, and allowed his feelings rather than reacting to them. His yoga skills
likely served him well as these skills can help all of us when fortunate and unfortunate
things happen. The process of cultivating equanimity into daily life involves acceptance,
nonjudgment, and a focus on speaking and behaving in service of effectiveness and not in
service of reaction (Linehan, 1993).

Emotional Restriction(Over

-reliance on thought)

(Over-Abandoned Reasoning

reliance on emotions)

Equanimity

(Integration of

thinking and feeling)

Allowing for

presence,

connection, and

intentional

action

figuRE 12.6 Equanimity within challenge.

Source: Cook-Cottone (2015).

Cultivating equanimity can bring a sense of peace and contentment into the lives
of our students (Hanson & Mendius, 2009). Stahl and Goldstein (2010) suggest that
equanimity allows for a deep understanding of the nature of change and how to be with
change. As the practice of equanimity dampens the stress-response system, we need not
overthink or get lost in our emotional reaction (Hanson & Mendius, 2009). When faced
with emotional challenge, we want integration. We do not want to respond with con-
stricted emotional control or abandonment of reason (see Figure 12.6). We are looking
for the center path. When experiencing the integration and presence that can be found
in the center (see Figure 12.6), Siegel (2010) suggests that these five qualities are pres-
ent: flexibility, adaptability, coherence, energy, and stability (i.e., FACES). That is, your
students will be able to show more (F) flexibility in response to challenge, they will be
(A) adaptive to new situations, their response will reflect a central (C) coherence and
organization, they will have (E) energy, and they will show more (S) stability over time
(Siegel, 2010).
You can use your Language Arts curriculum to process this concept (e.g., Romeo and
Juliet). Work with Figure  12.6 as you walk your students through a literature story. Ask
them to identify times when the character abandoned reason and let emotions take over,
and times when he or she shut down the emotional self and allowed reason to run the show.
Ask students to consider what could happen if the character used both sources of wisdom
to guide action during times of change.