Mindfulness Matters: Can We All Just Take a Deep Breath?
Before you read any further…
Sit up nice and tall.
Relax your shoulders.
Unclench your jaw.
Take a deep breath, in through your nose.
Hold.
Let out a nice big exhale through your mouth.
Pause and notice.
Repeat 1-7, two more times.
How do you feel?
Maybe a sense of calm? Perhaps a sense of clarity? Each time I take a moment to pause and breathe, I am in awe of how even a few seconds of mindful breathing can affect the brain and the body. Sometimes it feels like it’s magic, but really it’s science.
Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, our “rest and digest” system, and signals to our brain that everything is okay. Those intentional breaths get us out of “fight or flight” mode and get oxygen to our thinking brain.
Why wasn’t this a major part of my toolkit both as a student and as a teacher?
I think back to when I was a 7th grade math teacher, and how overwhelmed some of my students got as they were learning how to add and subtract rational numbers. I would find myself flustered, wondering what wasn’t clicking. We should have paused and taken a deep breath.
I think about my time as an instructional coach, working with that first-year teacher in tears who was doing their absolute best, but still learning how to effectively engage their students, how I tried my best to reassure them and keep our meeting on track. We should have paused and taken a deep breath.
I think about my role as assistant principal, attempting to mediate a conversation between two adrenalized students after a disagreement; them raising their voices at each other, and me subsequently raising my voice at them. We should have paused and taken a deep breath.
I think about my original teacher training, and subsequent years of professional development, how mindfulness practices as simple as deep breathing were not part of my world.
I think about how it took practicing and becoming a trained yoga teacher many years later to gain the knowledge and exposure to the tools that were within me all along.
I think about the past, and then, as mindfulness asks, I think about the present. What a unique opportunity schools have to teach and practice mindfulness. We can cultivate mindful moments, any time, any place, and without any additional resources.
Incorporating mindfulness practices like deep breathing into our daily routines can transform how we navigate the world, bringing us closer to a state of calm and clarity. Let’s seize the opportunity to breathe deeply, to pause, and to foster a more mindful and peaceful existence in our schools and beyond.
