Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes

Explore: Exploring mindfulness

20 minutes

Discover: Mindfulness techniques

10-20 minutes

Thrive: Building mindful tools

Explore: Exploring mindfulness

Step 1

Download the Mindful graphic package for this lesson.

Introduce the concept of mindfulness:

Display the Mindful graphic titled Mind Full VS Mindful.
Ask students what they think the graphic represents and discuss interpretations as a group.

Provide the following explanations to assist their thinking:

When our minds feel ‘full,’ this usually means we’re overwhelmed, anxious or overthinking (‘monkey brain’).
Mindfulness helps us be in the present moment and reconnect with ourselves. Usually, when we are anxious, it is about something that has not happened yet (the future) or something that has already happened that brings up negative memories (the past).
Mindfulness does not have to be breathing exercises; it can be anything that allows us to calm down, recentre and refocus. Mindfulness may be walking, surfing, listening to music, painting, eating, etc.

Step 2

Ask students to pair up and share what mindfulness means to them. Ask them to list activities they enjoy that could be considered a mindfulness practice. Discuss as a group.

Step 3

Play the following video:

Headspace | Meditation | Training the Monkey Mind (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxyVCjp48S4)

Once finished, ask students if they noticed how many butterflies appeared in the video.

Answer: 4

Step 4

Reiterate the benefits of mindfulness and provide an example from your own life if relevant.

Examples:

Helps you to experience the present
Reduces stress
Can help you to overcome anxiety
Helps you concentrate on what is happening
Increases the ability to recognise feelings and enjoy life as it is

Discover: Mindfulness techniques

Step 1

Explain that students will be exploring a range of mindful activities to put mindfulness into practice.

Step 2

This step looks at Box Breathing.

Display the Mindful graphic Box Breathing 1 (1 box) and ask students if they have trouble getting to sleep. Explain how this technique can help calm the mind and assist with sleep and feelings of anxiousness.

Provide the following explanation to step through box breathing:

Breathe in for 4 seconds.
Hold for 4 seconds.
Breathe out for 4 seconds.
Hold again for 4 seconds.
Repeat this as many times as you need.

Complete 4 rounds of box breathing together as a group, guiding them through the process.

Next, display the Mindful graphic Box Breathing 2 (4 boxes).

Provide the following explanation to work through the 4 rounds:

Sit with your bottom pushed to the back of your chair.
Sit up straight with shoulders back.
Feet should be shoulder-width apart, touching the floor if possible.
Hands placed on knees or wherever comfortable. They should be empty, so not holding pens, paper etc.
Follow the boxes on the screen, point to each side of the box as you guide students: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds.
Guide students through all 4 boxes, and on the last box, get them to close their eyes and visualise the final box in their ‘mind's eye’. Once the final box has finished, encourage students to return to normal breathing and ask them to keep their eyes closed for another 30-60 seconds.

Encourage students who said they have trouble sleeping to try this technique for a week to see if it helps. You could also suggest it’s useful for anyone who feels overwhelmed or anxious.

Step 3

What is mindfulness?

Play the following video:

What is mindfulness? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaRDbLWeSXE)

This informative video encourages students to consider the benefits of mindfulness and provides examples of what mindfulness could be, and builds on the knowledge presented earlier this lesson.

After watching, ask the following questions to prompt discussion:

Which of our senses can we be mindful of?
Why do you think mindfulness is beneficial?
What would mindful drawing or colouring look like? How could this help engage our minds in this practice?

Following this, explain that students will practise mindfulness through mindful drawing or doodling. Provide each student with some scrap paper or a notebook and pens and pencils. Ask them to find their own space and draw or doodle with mindfulness in mind as the music plays.

The Happy Relaxing Music video is a mindful music option to play as students complete their mindful practice.

Step 4

This step looks at a mindful balance.

Ask students to stand and see if they can hold their balance for a minute in a yoga tree pose (one foot resting on the inside of the other leg’s knee). Similar to the counting video, use this as a point of discussion.

After balancing for 1 minute, ask the following questions to prompt discussion:

Were you able to balance for the full minute?
Did anyone wobble or lose balance? If so, what did you do when this happened?
Were you able to bring yourself back?

Provide the following explanation to assist students’ thinking:

This is a lot like life. There are distractions around us all the time. Sometimes we lose focus or simply lose our balance. That’s ok. That’s part of life and what it means to be human.
It’s important to notice what we do in those moments, try to regain focus, and bring ourselves back to the present moment as best we can.

Step 5

Encourage students to summarise the concepts taught by asking the following questions as a group discussion:

What are 3 benefits of practising mindfulness?
What is 1 benefit you could gain by practising mindfulness?
What would it take for you to achieve this?

Ask students to set a short-term (eg one week) mindful intention/goal and share this with a partner. If time permits, explore responses as a group.

Thrive: Building mindful tools

Step 1

Play the following video:

Headspace | Meditation Tips | Elephant: Slow and Steady (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpJYACy8ZoI)

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

The elephant was slow and steady regardless of its surroundings; it was able to keep moving forward.
In life, there will be times when it feels busy, and there will be many distractions; mindfulness can help to keep you grounded and focused in those moments.

Step 2

Explain that students will work together to create a deck of cards they can use to exercise their imagination and practise mindfulness.

Use the below explanation to highlight the purpose of the activity:

Each student will create a card featuring a fantastical or everyday scenario.

Everyday settings and scenarios (such as sitting an exam or walking into a room full of new people) will encourage students to reflect on how they would typically react to a stressful situation and practise mindfulness techniques to help them stay calm.
Fantastical settings and scenarios (such as scrolling through a zoo or night market) will encourage students to use their imagination to transport themselves to a calming or enjoyable environment. This technique can help them destress, focus or become energised.

Step 3

Show students the Mindfulness Card example and explain that each card should focus on a single place or setting. There should be a mix of everyday and fantastical settings. Students could choose from the following options or come up with their own:

Everyday:

Walking into a room full of new people
The morning of a swimming carnival
Moments before sitting an exam
Attending school the day after an argument with friends
Waiting to be picked for a sports team or game
On the way to a school camp or excursion
Moments after hearing bad/sad news
Moments before giving someone bad/sad news
Finding out you’re not invited to a party

Fantastical:

Going to a fete or carnival
Visiting a night market
Strolling around the zoo
Swimming at a deserted beach
Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef
Watching a beautiful sunset
Overlooking a paddock in the countryside
Visiting an aquarium
Wandering through botanical gardens
Watching your favourite team play sport
Hiking a mountain trail

Step 4

Invite students to select their setting and begin designing their card. They can draw or print pictures of their choosing to represent the setting on one side. However, on the flip slide, they must include the following prompts (handwritten or printed):

Prompts to be included on each card:

How do you feel?
Notice your physical and emotional response.
What can you see?
What can you hear?
What can you smell?
What can you touch?
What can you taste?
Focus on your breathing.

Step 5

After compiling the cards to create a deck, select a card at random and demonstrate how to use it. Announce the setting and encourage students to visualise it in as much detail as possible. Invite them to practise their breathing while imagining how the setting would impact their emotions and senses. After 1-2 minutes, ask students to return to the present and debrief their experience using the prompts featured on the card.

Example: The Zoo

Feel. Excited to be in such close proximity to wild animals.
See. Animals in their enclosures, people walking around, children in prams pointing at animals.
Hear. People talking about the animals, the roar of a lion, the birds singing.
Taste. The icecream you purchased to eat while walking around.
Touch. The glass between you and the enclosure, is cool to the touch.
Smell. The fresh fairy floss being made, the saltwater of the penguin enclosure.

Teacher note: Model how to use the cards enough times so that students gain the skills and confidence to facilitate the activity themselves. Doing so will help empower them to take ownership of their mindful practice.

Health: Mindfulness

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