Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Tune In

Practice deep listening

Find Out

The benefits of mindfulness

Take Action

Expanding your mindfulness practice

Tune In: Practice deep listening

Preparation

Use this activity as a ‘mindful entry point’ for focused attention in your classroom. It can be used at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a lesson. Where possible, share these practices outside.

For this activity, you could source simple instruments from your school to provide basic sounds, such as drums, cymbals, rattles, chimes, singing bowls, triangles, rainsticks, beat sticks, etc.

Step 1

Take students outdoors to a natural setting and discuss how nature provides opportunities for focused attention and being fully present in the moment.

Explain to students the purpose of mindfulness: Mindfulness is a method for nurturing our minds, understanding their current state, and making thoughtful decisions about how to engage with them.

Also, explain that the senses - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch -are the pathways through which information reaches the brain. When our attention is scattered, easily diverted, or divided among tasks, the connections between neurons, the brain's cells, are weakened. This means that information isn't effectively processed by the brain. Engaging in the practice of concentrating on singular tasks strengthens neural pathways, leading to a more efficient brain. Deliberately working on the act of observation and noticing builds knowledge and reinforces memory.

Step 2

Encourage students to take notice of any sensations they feel while outside.

Ask them to observe how their bodies feel without the constraints of walls, roofs, heating or air conditioning, artificial lighting, furniture, or carpeting. Prompt them to tune into the sensations in their brains, bodies, and hearts as they immerse themselves in the outdoor environment.

Step 3

Lead your students through a guided mindfulness exercise using the audio recording below.

Cool Australia · Nature of Mindfulness: Guided Meditation 2 - Secondary

Audio recording: The Nature of Mindfulness: Guided Meditation 2 (https://on.soundcloud.com/inXzukGv5mG7a8eP6)

You may like to simply play this recording for your students, or if you would like to run the guided mindfulness exercise yourself, you could listen to the audio in preparation for this activity, as it provides a model for how you can run the session yourself using the script provided below. You can modify this activity to suit your students and local environment.

Ask your students to sit in a circle.

Take up your place in your space and let your body naturally settle into sitting.

Let your attention shift now from looking to listening.

To help you do this, let your eyes have a break, becoming still, resting on just one thing, and then, when you are ready, let your eyes gently, softly close.

Begin with your choice of instrumental sound and move around the circle as you play it. Ask students to register and notice where the sound is coming from.

Pausing now just to notice the sound of the bowl, noticing the beginning, middle and end of this sound

-STRIKE BOWL AND PAUSE-

Letting your sense of listening become clearer and sharper, as the body and mind settle,

Change the sound and volume depending on the number of instruments you have, continuing to walk around the circle. Fade out the introduced sounds and begin to invite students to sharpen their sense of hearing …

Begin to expand your sense of listening and start to notice far-off, distant sounds that are clear to you now.

Man-made sounds, people, engines, machinery, and even balls bouncing.

All these sounds randomly coming and going.

Became aware of the sounds of nature.

The Wind, moving through the leaves and branches of trees
Noticing the sound of birds, perhaps dogs barking and even insects, letting your listening be so sharp that you can hear micro sounds that you normally wouldn't notice.

-PAUSE-

Finally, bring your listening skills back home to your body. Notice the sound of your own breath as it softly goes in and out, back and forth.

Resting your awareness on the soft, faint sound of your own breathing, connecting you always to the natural world.

As the air moves like a gentle breeze, back and forth, through the space in your nostrils.

Pause now to rest your attention on the natural flow of the breath.

-PAUSE-

When you are ready, let your breath deepen, take some long, full deep breaths and let your attention return and your eyes open.

Find Out: The benefits of mindfulness

Step 1

Conduct a class discussion about how students felt before, during and after the meditation.

Did their attention wander? Were they able to bring their attention back to the meditation practice?
How did they feel emotionally? What did they think?
What did they see, touch, smell, feel and hear?
Have they noticed any changes within themselves, in others or in the class as a whole?
Would the activity feel different if it was conducted inside the classroom?

Mindfulness is a way of life that involves paying attention to the present moment, non-judgmentally. It is a state of awareness that provides an opportunity to tune in to your thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, the environment and other people. Research has shown mindfulness can help develop resilience, kindness, empathy and compassion. You may like to check out this factsheet to learn about the benefits of mindfulness and the importance of mindfulness for young children to help guide your discussion.

Tune In: Expanding your mindfulness practice

Step 1

You might like to reinforce the mindfulness exercise through some quiet, reflective journaling for students to deepen their understanding of mindfulness by articulating their experiences in writing. It also provides an opportunity for self-awareness and introspection, which are key components of mindfulness practice.

Step 2

Provide each student with a piece of paper or a notebook and ask them to reflect on their experience during the meditation. Encourage them to write about:

How they felt before, during, and after the meditation.
Any thoughts or emotions that arose during the practice.
What they noticed in terms of their bodily sensations, surroundings, and their senses (sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste).
Any changes they observed within themselves, in others, or in the classroom environment.
Any challenges they encountered in maintaining focus and how they brought their attention back to the meditation practice.
What elements of this practice could they bring into their daily lives, and how could they manage this

Step 3

You might like to invite students to share their reflections with the class if they feel comfortable doing so, fostering a sense of community and shared learning.

Naturally Mindful: Deep Listening

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