Before Dr. Brain arrived, we reviewed the executive function of time management by competing in two different "Minute to Win it" challenges. Tables selected one team member to participate in each challenge. The first challenge was called "Breakfast Scramble" and students had to put the front of a cereal box "puzzle" together in one minute. No one was able to successfully meet the challenge, but we will definitely be revisiting this challenge! The second challenge was called "Cookie Face" and students had to attempt to get a cookie from their forehead to their mouth without using their hands. The video footage below provides pure entertainment! Jacob Harmon was able to successfully meet and conquer this "Cookie Face" challenge! Congratulations Jacob!
QR [Quieting Response]
Dr. Brain started off by reviewing the function of our amygdala (the emotion center of our brain). He explained how our amygdala wants to make sure everything is okay with our brain and body (AKA recognizes when stress is present). If there is stress in our body, our amygdala does not allow new information to come into the brain. When our bodies are stressed we have physical reactions (breathing rate changes, sweaty palms, etc.). We have to learn to relax our bodies and control our stress. The first thing we do when we have stress in our body is change our breathing patterns. Dr. Brain taught us how to do a QR (or "Quieting Response") to teach the body the opposite of stress. A QR is a simple breathing technique that takes only six seconds and changes breathing, therefore relaxing muscles in our body. The video footage covers Dr. Brain leading students through a couple of QR practices. The basic QR flow is: inhale, hold, hold, exhale, relax your forehead, your jaw, and your shoulders. The benefits of being stress free are wonderful, and when our body is relaxed we are better able to learn.
Progressive Relaxation
In today's world we have more stress than in the past. Our fast-paced society, rush from carpool, to soccer practice, to dance, and never-ending "to do" lists add stress to our lives, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Dr. Brain transitioned students from a "QR" to a whole body progressive relaxation exercise.
Meditation
Our brains never really get rest...we go from thinking all day to dreaming at night. Dr. Brain gave us a visual demonstration of the three different types of waves that are typically received on an EEG. Our goal is to create Alpha waves for just 8-10 minutes...that is the equivalent of 24 hours of sleep for our brains! Crazy! We learned about how some artists/athletes are able to create Alpha waves when they are "in the zone", also known as an altered state of consciousness. We practiced using "modules" (one-syllable words/sounds) in order to quiet our minds during meditation.
Wrapping it Up
To end the lesson on mindfulness, Dr. Brain led students through a relaxation exercise, combining all three strategies we learned about. We started with a QR (to change our breathing patterns), then led into Progressive Relaxation (to relax all of our muscles), and ended with some Meditation. The connection between this whole process and practicing yoga on a weekly basis is setting our students here at Bradford up for success in the future! I have just recently learned about meditation and relaxation through the practice of yoga and from sessions with Dr. Brain. If only I had learned these things 20 years ago!
You can see some snippets from Lesson 6 by visiting the following link: https://youtu.be/hsn9xV1yy9k
