Mindfulness in educationI was first introduced to mindfulness in education by the book Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness by Deborah Schoeberlein. One of the requirements for my practicum experience is to identify and research an area for professional growth, so with my interest in mindfulness already piqued, I decided to look further into the cultivation of mindfulness.
Next, I read Mindfulness in Plain English, a classic book on insight or vipassana meditation by Bhante Gunaratana. Insight meditation is a traditional practice of cultivating mindfulness. Insight meditation stems from the Theravada school of Buddhism and is the oldest meditation technique in the Buddhist faith. Ven. Gunaratana explains that, “Vipassana is a direct and gradual cultivation of mindfulness or awareness” and that vipassana is “an ancient and codified system of training your mind, a set of exercises dedicated to the purpose of becoming more and more aware of your own life experience” (p. 25). Ven. Gunaratana provides a clear context for vipassana meditation and breaks down the practice into easy to follow steps, and takes time to thoroughly address potential challenges. In concluding the book, he reminds the reader that meditation is practice, much like a baseball player's batting practice or a pianist's scales. Vipassana, or insight, meditation is the practice that cultivates mindfulness in everyday life. |
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Inspired by Gunaratana's and Schoeberlein's books, last December I participated in a Beginner's Workshop at Cambridge Insight Meditation Center. During this day-long insight meditation workshop, Michael Liebenson Grady and Sara Schedler introduced a series of meditation techniques included guided sitting meditations, walking meditation, concentrating on breath, touch points, or sound. The workshop also included background information about insight meditation, question and answer sessions, and a mindful speaking and listening exercise. The workshop provided practical insights and experience with vipassana meditation with the guidance of experienced teachers.
PracticeThe Way of Awareness: An Introduction to Vipassana Meditation, Cambridge Insight Meditation Center
Michael Liebenson Grady & Sara Schedler Nine-week course and practice group with a gradual and systematic introduction to the practice of insight meditation and to the teachings of the Buddha that inform that practice. Each meeting includes instruction, practice and discussion. Mindfulness: Foundation for Teaching and Learning, Cambridge, MA (March 2013) Sixth Annual Mindfulness in Education Network Conference Symposium for Educators, Counselors, and Administrators:
Beginner’s Workshop, Cambridge Insight Meditation Center Michael Liebenson Grady & Sara Schedler (Dec. 8, 2012) |
Readings
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