We are, all of us, in a situation few of us, maybe none of us, have ever faced before. It is frightening, because of that newness and because it poses a threat to our health, the health of people we know and care about, and the schools and society that we know and care about.
But how we respond to it is extremely important. We can’t control the situation. But we can control how we respond.
If we take control, plan our days and our time and our actions, then we can feel more powerful. We can do something. We grow stronger.
And as teachers, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility not only to stay healthy, develop our own practice and maintain as clear a mind as we can, but help our students and their families do the same.
Due to the school closings throughout our nation and world, we may have more time on our hands and have to decide how we’ll use that time. Or we may be expected to continue ‘business as usual’ by suddenly coming up with ways to teach online.
When we wake up every morning, although we aren’t usually aware of it, we have a choice. Every morning we can choose how to greet the day.
We can decide what we must do or could do and the best time to do it. We can tie activities that are more unusual or difficult with things we already do, like waking up, going to sleep, and hopefully, eating meals. We can use the activities we do daily already as the basic structure to add the new to the old.
[Teachers, please note: As with any guided meditation or visualization, please try these practices yourself before sharing them with your students. Imagine how your students might respond and make adjustments to fit their needs and history.]
If You Want to Practice in the Morning
When you wake up, you might feel fresh and ready to go, or feel tired, lethargic, or stiff. In any case, your mind is probably clearer in the morning than later in the day. Your body also needs gentle stimulation and stretching. So, it’s one of the best times to do a little exercise and then a mindfulness practice.
Mindful Practices to Use Throughout the Day, To Help Us Face the Coronavirus Crisis
We are, all of us, in a situation few of us, maybe none of us, have ever faced before. It is frightening, because of that newness and because it poses a threat to our health, the health of people we know and care about, and the schools and society that we know and care about.
But how we respond to it is extremely important. We can’t control the situation. But we can control how we respond.
If we take control, plan our days and our time and our actions, then we can feel more powerful. We can do something. We grow stronger.
And as teachers, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility not only to stay healthy, develop our own practice and maintain as clear a mind as we can, but help our students and their families do the same.
Due to the school closings throughout our nation and world, we may have more time on our hands and have to decide how we’ll use that time. Or we may be expected to continue ‘business as usual’ by suddenly coming up with ways to teach online.
When we wake up every morning, although we aren’t usually aware of it, we have a choice. Every morning we can choose how to greet the day.
We can decide what we must do or could do and the best time to do it. We can tie activities that are more unusual or difficult with things we already do, like waking up, going to sleep, and hopefully, eating meals. We can use the activities we do daily already as the basic structure to add the new to the old.
[Teachers, please note: As with any guided meditation or visualization, please try these practices yourself before sharing them with your students. Imagine how your students might respond and make adjustments to fit their needs and history.]If You Want to Practice in the Morning
When you wake up, you might feel fresh and ready to go, or feel tired, lethargic, or stiff. In any case, your mind is probably clearer in the morning than later in the day. Your body also needs gentle stimulation and stretching. So, it’s one of the best times to do a little exercise and then a mindfulness practice.
To read the whole post, please god to MindfulTeachers.org.
You might also like
No More Hate: We Have A Choice About What Kind of Person We Will Be
Like Do you know the term ‘grok’? It was invented by author Robert Heinlein, and made its first appearance in 1961 in his science fiction novel, A Stranger In A Strange Land. If you don’t know the word, maybe add it to your vocabulary. It means to really understand something or someone, to empathize, merge…
Treating Each Chance to Vote as Our Only Chance to Vote: When to Remember, When to Forget
Like We want to forget the painful, the frightening, the disturbing, or usually we do. Sometimes, we hold on to what hurts as if the immediate pain could stave off what lies deeper. Sometimes, we just don’t know what to do. And sometimes, we can’t forget for other reasons. It has seeped too far…
Living with the Unknown in Ourselves
Like I was watching the Ken Burns documentary on Ernest Hemingway last night. In the second hour of the program, the narrator was describing the difficulties Hemingway had beginning his first novel, The Sun Also Rises. He had already published a critically acclaimed book of short stories, where each sentence was a work of art.…
The Joy of a Tango in the Morning: Even Our Shadow Can Surprise Us
Like Despite the recent horrendous killings in Boulder and Atlanta, there were two moments this week when somehow I broke out into a deep smile and dance. Somehow, we must find joy between the sadness. There have been so many large scale downs and ups in recent years. January 6th was an historic down,…
Next ArticleCorona Shock: Getting Perspective and Taking Action to Protect Ourselves and Our Nation