Select Mindfulness Curriculum Modules for Adolescents Table of Contents 1 Basic Structure for Group Mindfulness Interventions for At-Risk Youth 5 Sample “Introduction to Mindfulness” Module 12 Sample “Mindfulness of the Body” Module 19 Sample “Mindfulness of the Emotions/Emotional Intelligence” Module 24 Sample “Mindful Listening” Module 30 Sample “Transforming Negative Core Beliefs” Module © Copyright 2011, The Mind Body Awareness Project. All rights reserved. Basic Structure for Group Mindfulness Interventions for At-Risk Youth Pre-Requisites & Set-up Pay attention to creating a good container. If you’re working in an institutional environment such as a juvenile call or a foster care facility, your first challenge is often going to be securing room-space that is quiet. While we encourage flexibility, our experience suggests that it’s wise to push for the following: UÊ Ê/ iÊV>ÃÃÊë>ViÊà Õ`ÊÌÊLiÊÊÌ iʺ«ÕLV»Ê«>ÀÌÊvÊÌ iÊv>VÌÞÊÞÕÊ>ÀiÊÊÜ iÀiÊÃÌ>vv]ÊÌi>V iÀÃ]ÊÀÊ visitors can walk through. Ideally you should push for a dedicated classroom space with some natu- ral light. UÊ Ê >ÃÃiÃÊà Õ`ÊÌ>iÊ«>ViÊÜÌ ÕÌÊ«ÀL>ÌÊvwViÀÃÊÀÊ>}iVÞÊÃÌ>vvÊÊÌ iÊÀ°Ê9ÕÌ Ê>ÞÊV ÃiÊ to collectively invite staff to participate as the program progresses, but initially it should be clarified that this space is completely separate from everything else happening in the agency/school/institution. UÊ Ê iÃÃ]ÊV >ÀÃÊÀÊVÕà ÃÊà Õ`ÊLiÊ>ÀÀ>}i`ÊÊ>ÊVÀVi°Ê/ iÊVÀViÊà Õ`ÊLiÊÌ} ÌÊÜÌ ÕÌÊLi}Ê cramped; there should be no empty chairs or desks. UÊ Ê>iÊ>Ê>}ÀiiiÌÊÜÌ ÊÌ iÊv>VÌÞÊÌ >ÌÊÃÌ>vvÊÜÊÌÊÌiÀÀÕ«ÌÊÌ iÊV>ÃÃÊViÊ̽ÃÊLi}Õ°ÊÊÞÕÌ É family or probation facilities, this can take some doing, as the class may occur during a time that youth are regularly administered medication or are called in for some other mandated activity. Hosting Facilitators have the responsibility to ‘host the party.’ It is your class, your party, your jam, and you are welcoming youth to Ì°Ê9ÕÊ>ÀiÊ>}Ê>ÊVi>ÀÊ`ÃÌVÌÊLiÌÜiiÊÌ iÊë>ViÊvÊÌ iÊ class, and the ‘ordinary’ space of the school/agency/juvie unit. Shake everybody’s hand when they come in, make eye contact with them, say ‘what’s up?’. Acknowledge each of them. Norms & Agreements When you’re first initiating mindfulness and council practice with the youth, it’s critical to have the group agree to norms and agreements up front. Discussion Points for Agreements: UÊ ,iëiVÌÊÞÕÀÃivÊ>`ÊÌ iÀÊiLiÀÃÊvÊÌ iÊ}ÀÕ« UÊ "iÊ«iÀÃÊÌ>}Ê>ÌÊ>ÊÌi UÊ Êà ÌÌ>}ÉÃ>à }ÊÊvÃÉVÀÃÃÊÌ>} UÊ 7 >ÌÊ >««iÃÊÊÌ iÊÀÃÊÃÌ>ÞÃÊÊÌ iÊÀ Script “Allright y’all… before we jump into the content of what we’re gonna be doing together, I want to take a step back and talk about the kind of space we’re making for ourselves here in this circle—in “Teaching Mindfulness & Emotional Literacy to At-Risk Youth” 1 this room. Most classes we take in our lives are about us learning an external skill. This class is an exception to that. What we’re doing here is looking is taking ourselves—what we think, feel and do—as the main subject. Not in some wack after-school special kind of way—but just in a straight- up human way. This class is basically a response to the fact that most of us—me included—spend a lot of our lives stressed out, playing games, and fronting. This space is an invitation to put down all the shit going through your head and get real with your- selves and each other. It’s a ritual that will allow you to see how you’re living more clearly and to shift shit that previously may have been hard or impossible to shift. To really have that work—to have everyone really show up and for this not turn into just another lame-ass activity on your list—we gotta throw down some rules for what this container is gonna be. The central agreement around which all others revolve is respect. Respect yourself and respect others in the group. There’s going to be times during these sessions when somebody is sharing their story, or something deep, and when they’re talking, let’s just let them talk and not interrupt them. We spend so much of our lives competing and positioning ourselves in a group; these sessions are really an experiment in taking a break from that shit. For just a short chunk of time, we’re going to experi- ence the relief of talking and listening without an agenda. If we all agree to this and abide by it, then when we’re all talking everyone else will respect us. Is that cool?” Scan the circle, make eye contact… “Let’s also not agree to smash people or talk shit about people in the group. Some of you may have all sorts of shit you are playing out outside of class. For this to work, you must experiment with put- ting all of that down to the best of your ability. I know you’re human—some days you’re gonna slip and that’s built into the plan. The key thing is, if some beef get’s started, can you stay open to chill- ing out and resolving it? Can you let me and the other folks in the group bring you back to neutral?? What I’m asking for now is your commitment to that intention. I am never going to disrespect you, but part of being here means being open to being asked to take a breath and re-focus when shit has gotten off track. Cool?” “The final agreement is confidentiality. Say it out loud with me—“what happens in this room stays in this room.” As we move forward in this work, people are going to be sharing deep, which will in-turn encourage others to throw down. For this to work the way it’s supposed to work, we can’t be sitting around wondering whether my PO, parents or crew is going to hear about the shit I’m saying. We need to know that the confidentiality agreement is rock solid. So I ask everyone in the room to take that on now.” “Some of you may be processing this as just another list of limitations, of things you have to remem- ber to do and not do. But the reality is that we’re building a space where we can really get down with each other—we are definitely not “restricting” ourselves. The initial agreements set the stage for a kind of freedom that is rare in the culture we live in. We get to take off our armor and put down our defenses here, and the best part is that I won’t have to argue you with you about how valuable that is—just keep showing up a few more times and you will get a taste for it. To get real with the causes of suffering, and to learn some practices that address those causes, is a natural human appetite.” 2 “Teaching Mindfulness & Emotional Literacy to At-Risk Youth” Names Always start out with introductions, getting everyone’s name in the room. This can be just the name, or the name and a quick check-in about how they’re doing in the present moment. ,iiLiÀ}Ê«i«i½ÃÊ>iÃÊÃÊvÕ`>Ì>ÊÌÊ>VÜi`}}ÊÌ i°ÊvÊÞÕÊ >ÛiÊÌ]Ê}À>LÊ>Ê«iViÊvÊ paper, make a diagram of the circle, and fill in names during check-in so you have something to refer back to later. Deliver Class Content Five sample focus topics are covered in this manual. The sessions are designed to cover the basics of mindfulness with at-risk youth. Signature Meditation Most of the sessions/modules included here have distinct meditations related to the skills being taught Ê>Ê}ÛiÊ`Õi°Ê ½ÃʺÃ}>ÌÕÀiÊi`Ì>Ì»ÊÃÊÕÀÊÃÌÊL>ÃVÊ`vÕiÃÃÊiÝiÀVÃi°ÊÌÊ}i̽ÃÊÕÃi`ÊÌÊ begin classes, to transition between topics within a class, and to close things out. Wherever it’s placed, the main point is that it shows up in almost every session we teach. Let’s begin by noticing the posture in the body. Sit with the dignity of a king/queen—sitting up but relaxed. Feet solid on the ground, that’s our foundation. Let’s take a few deep breaths to land in the body. (instructor takes two deep breaths) Let’s check out how the body feels right now. What’s happening right now. We’re gonna move through the body and I want you to breathe into it and let any tension go. Let’s start at the base with our feet, noticing the feeling in the feet, and the contact with the floor, and slowly, like it’s an x-ray, move our attention up the legs. Starting at the ankles, the lower legs, knees, upper legs. Feel the pressure of the body against the chair. Up into the stomach. Softening any obvious places of tension. Up through the back. Into the shoulders, relaxing. The chest. Down the arms and into the hands, let your arms hang from your shoulders with gravity. And finally the jaw and all the muscles in the face. The eyebrows. Keep relaxing any tension you come to. Now notice the whole body. This is how the body feels right now. Whether the body is relaxed or not, there’s no wrong way to feel right now. Now, just allow your breath to find its natural rhythm. Let the breath breathe you. Notice where you feel the breath the most. Where you feel it coming in and out, or the rising and falling of the belly and post your attention there.