It’s wonderful to realize that we are all in a family, we are all children of the Earth. We should take care of each other and we should take care of our environment, and this is possible with the practice of being together as a large family. A positive change in individual awareness will bring about a positive change in the collective awareness. Protecting the planet must be given the first priority. – Thich Nhat Hanh

At the end of 7^th grade our students grapple with the issues surrounding climate change by engaging in the Culminating Integrated Assessment (CIA) which is an environmental summit project. It is designed for teachers to evaluate how groups of students work in teams, a core focus throughout the year, and demonstrate a synthesis of different content areas in a creative way. Groups of 10 students were assigned a country and they had to assess the energy situation in their country, make a proposal for the future, and design a renewable energy plan. While CIA is a fun, interactive way for students to enjoy their last few days of 7th grade it also deepens their critical thinking and problem solving skills. Most importantly it highlights the importance of taking action steps towards renewable energy. My students researched the use of kite power in Vietnam.

Students were divided up into different "expert groups" where they focused on either creating graphs to predict future energy consumption, creating models of their renewable energy source, or a PSA/spot of Ecosolutions on their energy proposal. I worked with students on their "advocacy campaign" and have placed the handout we used to guide students through the process below.

A great tool that I use is the Personal Climate Change Calculator. There are many simple things we can do to help the earth by practicing mindful consumption. My teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, stresses that mindfulness moves far beyond breath awareness and encompasses living an ecologically sound life.  A few years ago, Thich Nhat Hanh’s practice centers went from being vegetarian to vegan because of climate change. In fact, in “The World We Have: A Buddhist Approach to Peace and Ecology” my teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, shared, "By eating meat we share the responsibility of climate change, the destruction of our forests, and the poisoning of our air and water. The simple act of becoming a vegetarian will make a difference in the health of our planet."

I read a great piece this morning by Tish Jennings published on the mindful.org site summarizing the connection between mindfulness and learning. Check it out below! I will be at the Garrison Institute where she directs contemplative education initiatives in just a few weeks for the Mind & Life Summer Research Institute. If you peruse through the Student Voices on Mindfulness on this blog you will have some proof about how mindful awareness can help students and what mindfulness means to my 6th graders. Mindfulness practice has also transformed the way I teach and who I am as an educator. At a recent mindfulness in education conference in Washington DC educators spoke about the importance of bringing contemplative practice into the classroom. A few years ago my teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, held a transformative mindfulness retreat for more than 500 educators in North India.

For me, mindfulness is the foundation for a nondual approach to education--embodied Interbeing. On a more practical level it is welcoming learning not just focused on thinking and empowering educators and student with skills to manage and work with their emotions skillfully, realize the choices they have in each situation and promote greater happiness, compassion and presence in schools. I believe the goals of mindfulness in education are to transform education so students, parents and teachers are happier and can manage their lives more skillfully (resilience) and reduce stress. I also believe it will lead to an understanding of Interbeing and create compassionate caring, ethical communities. I think some indicators of success of mindfulness in education in a classroom or school are a peaceful, focused, curious, fun, energetic, supportive, honest, caring, connected classroom community where everyone learn from each other. A school that strives to promote ethics/values of interdependence, peace and harmony with all sentient beings and the environment. 

My last batch of 6th graders completed their "Mindfulness Mind Maps" where they reflect on "WHAT" mindfulness is..."WHY" anyone would would want to be mindful and..."HOW" to be mindful. I love this assignment because I get to see their different perspectives and the Mind Map gives them an opportunity to tie everything together at the end of the unit. I found the reasons for being mindful very interesting, grounded and incredibly REAL for 6th graders :) Take a look! These kids ROCK!

This morning just before my first class ended I received a message from the school counselor that one of my beautiful 6th graders went through some serious trauma last night. While she was sleeping one of her security guards broke into her home to steal valuables. She woke up as he was stealing items and he came at her with a knife, she then screamed and ran to her parents. Thankfully, she's alive but my heart goes out to her and her family. I noticed how I was initially in shock when I received the message but quickly went to my breath and grounded myself into the space I needed to be in for my students. Last period today she came to class with a bandage on her neck and arm from the knife attack. When she walked in I came over to give her hugs and she then asked to share with our small Academic Support class of 8 students (which is very much like a family) what had happened. As she spoke I could sense that she was still very much disturbed by the whole experience and I practiced Tonglen, breathing in her pain and sending her love.  I noticed how the practice of mindfulness enabled me to NOT get into drama, paranoia or hysteria surrounding the incident and instead just be there for my student and help us all stick with the facts and support her however she needs. I was also able to work with the anger I felt towards the security guard who attacked my student by looking deeply into the situation...to be driven to steal and hurt a little girl means he definitely needs compassion too...

Today was the first of many "farewells" from my colleagues/community at the American Embassy School in New Delhi. After 3 years in the high school I joined the Middle School in August of 2009 and for the past 2 years have been a member of the 7th grade team which I absolutely love! My wonderful colleagues gave me some lovely gifts including the "There's No Place Like Om" mug pictured above which I though was just perfect! I feel so blessed to have spent five years in such a supportive, nurturing school with warm, compassionate, stellar educators--I've learned A LOT from the people I work with and I am very grateful :) Sometimes when my mind is racing I chant "om" three times before I sit for meditation. Now, whenever I drink my tea using this mug I can breathe in and out "om" and remind myself to "mindfully" sip :)

 

As I was cleaning out my apartment I came across a program from a Children's Program I ran at a Delhi Day of Mindfulness back in 2008! I've placed the program below which includes all of the directions for the activities I did with the children. The activities drew from a book featured above that Sr. Chau Nghiem put together when Thich Nhat Hanh ran a retreat for Educators in India. Sr. Chau Nghiem has shaped the material into a book that will be out in June published by Parallax Press called, Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness With Children. I was involved in the creation of this book along with countless others in the Global Plum Village Community :)

I hold my heart in the hands of this moment. This moment, just as it is, holds me, just as I am. We hold our hearts in the hands of this moment. This moment, just as it us, hold us, just as we are. We hold our hearts in the hands of this moment. This moment, just as it us, holds all, just as it is.

A month before 9/11 a group of teachers gathered at my school to start what has now evolved into a very well known Educator Sangha in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. During my past 5 years in India this Sangha has been a very important part of my life. In fact, in my job interview back in February of 2006 I shared with my Director that I was a Dharma practitioner and when he told me that a group of teachers at his school had a Sangha I knew it was where I needed to be! In many ways, the Sangha is my refuge, especially after a chaotic school day! My Sangha colleagues serve as mindfulness bells throughout the day and I feel blessed to work with other practitioners.

In September of 2008 we traveled to Dehradun to go on retreat with our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. He requested that we write about our experiences from the retreat to share with other educators and this "Mindfulness Report" can be found below. Today, I led this Sangha for the last time and presented them with a framed leaf from the Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, A few years ago, after a trip to Bodh Gaya I presented my Sangha with a framed leaf from there as well.  I guided my Sangha in a meditation on "looking deeply" from Blooming of a Lotus found below. This meditation is inspired by the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra. Before we began I gave everyone a leaf, first led a short meditation on our hands and then had everyone look at and feel their leaf.

After the meditation, during our Dharma Discussion, one of my beautiful colleagues shared a song that came to her: "I hold my heart in the hands of this moment. This moment, just as it is, holds me, just as I am." When we shared the fruits of our practice during our closing "metta" we sang her song and she added the following lines: "We hold our hearts in the hands of this moment. This moment, just as it us, hold us, just as we are. We hold our hearts in the hands of this moment. This moment, just as it us, holds all, just as it is."

Before our closing one of my dear Sangha brothers stood up and had our Sangha gather around me in a circle. As everyone held me he said the most beautiful things but what I remember most is when he told me "I am the leaf." As tears rolled down our faces I hugged everyone..."No coming. No going. No After. No Before. I hold you close to me. I release you to be so free. Because I am in you. And you are in me." 

As I was leaving Sangha one of my dear friends asked when I was packing out and I told her the shippers were coming in less than 11 days. She shared with me that she has a large, beautiful Buddha painting that she got in Thailand and a few days ago after her meditation she looked at the painting and she saw my eyes and lips in the Buddha painting! She thinks she is supposed to give me the painting! A few weeks ago another Sangha friend had a dream that I was having a really big party in my new home...I guess that means my move back to California is a good thing :) I still can't believe that after 5 years I am leaving India in about 22 days! This time in India has been such a gift but I know in my heart it is just time for the next "avatar." As I drove home after Sangha I followed my breath and listened to one of my favorite closing practices in the Plum Village/Thich Nhat Hanh tradition which you can listen to below :)

Looking Deeply

Aware of myself picking up a leaf, I breathe in.

Touching the wonderful interdepenendent nature of that leaf, I breathe out.

Picking up leaf

Interdependent nature

Aware of myself alive here and now, I breathe in.

Touching the wonderful interdependent nature of life in me and around me, I breathe out.

Alive here, now

Interdependent life in and around me

Aware of the leaf returning to the earth and arising as a new leaf, I breathe in

Seeing the leaf in ten thousand different forms of birth and death, I breathe out.

Leaf to earth, earth to leaf

Ten thousand different forms

Aware of myself as a part of the wonderful, interdependent existence, I breathe in.

Seeing that I become manifest under many different forms, I breathe out.

Part of wonderful, interdependent existence

Many different forms

Seeing that the leaf is not really born, does not really die, but only appears to be born and die, I breathe in.

Seeing that I do not really pass through birth and death but only appear to, I breathe out.

Leaf only appears to be born and to die

I only appear to be born and to die

Seeing that the leaf has a nirmanakaya and functions everywhere, I breathe in.

Seeing that I have a nirmanakaya and function everywhere, I breathe out.

Leaf functions everywhere

I function everywhere

Seeing that the leaf has accomplished its work from beginningless time,I breathe in.

Seeing that I have accomplished my work from beginningless time, I breathe out.

Leaf's work beginningless

My work beginningless

Seeing that the leaf is already what it wants to become, I breathe in.

Seeing that I am already what I want to become, I breathe out.

Leaf already is

I already am

Seeing that the leaf can call up all its nirmanakayas from beginningless time, I breathe in.

Seeing that I can call up all my nirmanakayas from beginningless time, I breathe out.

Leaf's beginningless transformation

My beginningless transformation.

Well, we've come to the end of the mindfulness unit for the last batch of 6th graders this year. I always love reading their thoughts on what mindfulness means to them! I find it amazing how each child takes something unique and different away from the same curriculum--if anything this is proof that all I am doing is bringing out what is already there in each child. I was inspired by what some of my students wrote! These 11 year olds are far ahead of me in so many ways! One student wrote: "Mindfulness means that you are aware of being the inner, true, self that you are. Thinking of the internal calm inside of you, and the external power that we have." WOW! Another wrote, "complete harmony between mind body in the present state." Keep in mind that many of these students are English Language Learners when you read their responses :) Reading their responses reminded me of when my Educator Sangha listened to voices of the students I followed in my research study. Below are responses from my colleagues/Sangha friends and a transcript!

 

 

You cannot transmit wisdom and insight to another person. The seed is already there. A good teacher touches the seed, allowing it to wake up, to sprout, and to grow. (Thich Nhat Hanh)

 Last week I led my students through an adaptation of the pebble meditation that we do in the Thich Nhat Hanh community and today at the end of class one of my students told me that she's created more pebbles for the bag I gave each of my kids. She also shared how having something to hold as she breathes helps her. In a ways the pebbles help students embody the practice and take abstract concepts and make them more concrete. Having students first reflect on moments when they feel fresh, solid etc. helps prep them for the meditation (I actually call it a reflection).

Here is one student sharing about the practice: 

Being a classroom teacher and more specifically my work as a "mindful educator" actively bringing mindfulness into my classroom has made me realize that all I'm doing is watering seeds. Each child is going to receive and respond to what I do in a different way. A few days ago a former student came to visit me and gave me a print out of a cute story called "The law of the garbage truck" which you can download and read below. This child also had a very deep understanding of mindfulness and at the end of the unit she sent me a very touching email which included a recording of her thoughts on mindfulness. My work with children has made me realize that all I do is bring out what is already there. On Sunday when I was going through the interview transcripts of one of the student subjects in my research study I noticed that when he was asked how to teach someone mindfulness he said, "You don’t learn it it is always in your body." Wow, these kids are totally my teachers!

 

My last official class in our mindfulness unit focuses on the mindful use of technology. Material for this lesson draws from a great book I read last summer, Wisdom 2.0: Ancient Secrets for the Creative and Constantly Connected by Soren Gordhamer. I also teach students "telephone meditation" which is something we do in the Thich Nhat Hanh community. My beloved teacher says, "And when you hear the telephone ringing you can consider it to be the sound of the mindfulness bell. You practice telephone meditation. Every time you hear the telephone ringing you stay exactly where you are. You breathe in and breathe out and enjoy your breathing. Listen, listen-this wonderful sound brings you back to your true home. Then when you hear the second ring you stand up and you go to the telephone with dignity. That means in the style of walking meditation. You know that you can afford to do that, because if the other person has something really important to tell you, she will not hang up before the third ring. That is what we call telephone meditation. We use the sound as the bell of mindfulness." Above you can hear one of my 6th graders speaking to the his guidance counselor about telephone meditation. I'm not a neo-Luddite but I do think it is very important for us to teach children how to use technology mindfully, especially since our lives are only going to become more connected. Power point and handouts below. If you'd like a lesson plan e-mail me at: mesrinivasan@aes.ac.in.