Meditation for the Teacher Brain...

As the summer proceeds and we inch minute-by-minute toward a new school year, I figured I would share with you some of my adventures (though they be small steps) into the realm of meditation. It may be an opportune to time to try a few ideas before getting back into the teaching tornado. Now I hope that you are not rolling your eyes and saying “yeah, like I have time for that!”. That was me, by the way, a few years back.

Now for anyway who knows me, I tend to have many projects on the go both during and after the work day. I tried pulling back on some of these projects as a means of reducing anxiety and fatigue but found myself being ‘pulled back’ into them as they do offer value to me...’personality’ causes this situation for many of us and I find many of us teacher-types have this ‘get-‘er-done’ bug. So nothing has changed in terms of workload, but meditation did give me a few more tools to add to my relaxation toolkit when I needed it the most.

This heavily-loaded word (‘meditation’) means a lot of things to many different people. You have your global gurus, your hardcore crowd, your recreational user (so to speak), and your nay-sayers that make up your continuum.  For me, it has evolved over the last 3 or 4 years and, with many doubting moments and highlights along the way, I have seen some great value for me personally. I have come across the following points either through reading, scanning Twitter feeds, personal realizations, or stumbling upon things that work for me.

These are simply presented as a means of stimulating potential opportunities for you.

*  I have quickly realized that the philosophy behind meditation is quite rich and is strongly-rooted in the history of many cultures and religious traditions. My response?  There must be something to this...

* Meditation can be what you need it to be, for YOU; bottom-line, it is being ‘present’ in the moment. Found this extremely beneficial while travelling in Gros Morne National Park this summer. Found myself in ‘the zone’ while standing with one leg on the railing of a boat heading back from a tour of Western Brook Pond. Think this will be my new ‘happy place’!

* I read somewhere that each and every responsibility that we have is part of our journey on this planet in spite of how menial or frustrating (e.g. meditation and a few choice words helped me survive a mini-flooding of my kitchen while installing my dishwasher). Accepting these tasks in this manner can certainly help with frustration and lack of motivation.

*  Breathing – this is a key one. Controlled, deep breathing can do wonders at any part of the day. Mid-day is great or especially after an anxious episode.

* One technique that works for me is a body scan...visualize various parts of your body, how they feel and make conscious efforts to stretch or relax those areas.

* Starting your day with purposeful waking strategies such as stretching (while still lying in bed), drinking a glass of water, avoiding your cell phone (that is calling your name on your nightstand...), not allowing your mind to wander into those infamous danger zones, etc.

* Tried the yoga thing, found it good, but didn’t stick with it...hope to pick it up again soon.

* Hoping one day, to do an experiential retreat..hear there is one in Banff!

* Plan on adding a waterfall to my office...hope it doesn’t cause an incessant need to head to the washroom.

* Your space, at any given time, can be a source of relaxation if you allow it to be so.

* With kids, need to find quiet time for this...always a challenge.

So, three things to sum this up:

#1. I have posted this blog at the risk of being teased by my hockey buddies and those ‘nay-sayers’ I referenced above. May have to throw the old yoga mat in the hockey bag.

#2. To you seasoned meditators, please bear with me in my amateur journey.

#3. Our classrooms and schools will pretty much re-introduce us to the regular stressors that we left in June. Why not take control of your response to them?