We are learning about what it means to be mindful, which is to be aware and notice what is going on, at first, around ourselves, and then inside ourselves. We are learning to use our senses to notice the world around us, and really focus and pay attention. We have learned that by being mindful, we can stay safe, and be the best learners and friends that we can be. We are learning about our brains, and how our brains control our bodies. We are also learning that we can control our brains, by using breathing techniques.
We are practicing to close our eyes, take deep breaths, listen to a ringing a bell and take some time to be totally silent. We are experiencing and learning what it means to be calm and focused. We will be practicing mindful breathing, mindful listening and mindful movements, such as balancing and stretching exercises.
We learned about three parts of the brain. The amygdala reacts to fear, danger and threat, and regulates our emotional state by acting as the brain’s “guard dog,” protecting us from threats. But when a child is in a negative emotional state (stressed, fearful,) the amygdala prevents input from being passed along, essentially blocking higher level thinking and learning.
The hippocampus is our “memory keeper,” and also helps to manage our response to fear and stress.
The prefrontal cortex is the thinking, learning and reasoning center of the brain- our “wise old owl.” This part of the brain controls our decision making, focuses our attention and allows us to learn to read, write, compute, analyze, predict, comprehend and interpret.
Learning how these parts of the brain help children to understand how their brains respond to stress and prepares them for creating a calm mindset set for thoughtful decision making, led by the prefrontal cortex.
Here is a video we watched together in class. We talked about how breathing can help us to be in control of our emotions.
We also listened to a song about breathing:
A great resource for parents, if you want to learn more:
What is Mindfulness?
