Learn these mindfulness strategies that may help you to reduce your stress and manage anxiety.

This class will rotate through 30 sessions that truly are mindfulness "moments," as they will take approximately ten to fifteen minutes to complete, but can be used in many different situations.

Students will be led through mindful activities that may help them to 
- feel calmer
- get to know themselves better
- soften reactivity and steady their emotions
- improve focus and increase their attention span
- let go of stress
- improve relationships 
- develop compassion
- build patience
- strengthen resilience. 

A complete list of each session is posted at the bottom of the Course Description.

As a special education and social studies educator, I have found that students are more stressed than ever. Learning mindfulness helps them to deal with the many stressors in their lives in a healthy way that will serve their mental health for a lifetime.
Attending this weekly session each Monday will provide students with strategies that may enable them to begin the week in a positive mindset. 

Students will be encouraged to end each session by writing in their "Mindful Journal"  as a way of reflecting on the strategy learned that day. They may keep to themselves or share with the teacher and the class. Feedback will be non-biased and more about gratitude for sharing. We will also discuss how or when the strategy might be used outside of class time. 

Sept 12 Session 1: Finding Peace - using an object or image to calm the mind/body.
Sept 19 Session 2: Breathe Bubble - Slowing down and taking a deep breath is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body
Sept 26 Session 3: Moving with Music- When we consciously choose to focus our attention on music versus letting it play in the background, it becomes a mindfulness activity.
October 3 Session 4: Resting with Music- we’ll focus on the music while remaining still
October 10 Session 5: The Senses- connect with the senses by looking, feeling, listening, smelling, and tasting
October 17 Session 6: Mindful Eating - fun way to be mindful when eating! (have food like raisins for this one!)
October 24 Session 7: Mental Fitness- we can benefit from exercises  to strengthen our mind’s capacity for
concentration
October 31 Session 8: Meditation - an invitation to focus on the present moment
November 7 Session 9: Morning Wake Up - Movement is a helpful entry point to mindfulness
November 14 Session 10: Squeeze and Release - Progressive Muscle Relaxation
November 21 Session 11: Walking Meditation - the steps we take, even walking can become a meditation.
November 28 Session 12: Soundscapes - Listening to nature sounds elicits the body’s relaxation response
Dec 5 Session 13: Breathing Meditation - mindfully explore the breath as a relaxation tool
Dec 12 Session 14: Gratitude- Practicing gratitude creates a sense of spaciousness by opening the heart and relaxing the body
Dec 19 Session 15: Feelings- mindfulness invites us to meet all of our emotions with openness and curiosity
Jan 2 Session 16: Reflection - reflect on the experience so far
Jan 9 Session 17: Heartbeat- With just 60 seconds of vigorous movement, we can transform our energy
Jan 16 Session 18: Afternoon Reset - pause and let go of tension in the body can improve productivity and focus
Jan 23 Session 19: Counting the Breath - learning how to count the breath can help soothe the mind
Jan 30 Session 20: Mindful Bells - Using a sound to remind us to come back to the here and now.
Feb 6 Session 21: Remembering Joy - Recalling happy memories reduces stress and builds resilience
Feb 13 Session 22: Loving Kindness - train our minds to develop feelings of care and compassion for ourselves and others
Feb  20 Session 23: Quiet Time - making space in the day to engage in a quiet activity of your choosing
Feb  27 Session 24: Sky Gazing - we explore the sky as our home base
March 6 Session 25: Focus Training- training our muscle of concentration
March 13 Session 26: Weather Report - The sky can serve as a symbol for awareness, while the weather is like our thoughts and emotions
March 20 Session 27: Body Scan- paying attention to how our body feels.
March 27 Session 28: Ocean Breathing- focusing on longer exhales reliably and significantly reduces stress and
improves decision-making
April 3 Session 29: Visualize Your Goals- make space every day to envision your success.
April 10 Session 30: Letter to Your Future Self- pause to reflect
on what we’ve learned and decide what we want to carry into the future.