Season 8 Episode 116

Check out this episode as we recap our take aways from episode 115 Mindfulness is Magic with Molly Shreiber. We talk about resilience, breathing, core values and much more!

Show Notes: 

Episode Summary:

Have you ever had a good conversation with someone and really wanted to talk to someone else about it?

Last week we talked with Molly Schreiber of Challenge to Change, Inc. about mindful education. There were so many good ideas, that today we are extending our conversation and sharing our take aways and key insights.

In this episode we discuss the power of resilience, breathing, aligning to core values, presence, transformation and teacher impact. If you’re looking for less stress and more calmness in your life, this episode is for you.

Whether or not you’ve listed to last week’s episode yet, please join us today because we are exploring mindfulness education, something that can help every teacher both in the classroom and at home.

In this episode:

This is not a word for word transcript. Here we share some highlights. For the best experience, please listen to the show where we tell stories and give more examples.

Recap of last week’s episode: 

Last week our guest on the podcast was Molly Schreiber, CEO of Challenge to Change, Incorporated.

Challenge to Change is an organization dedicated to teaching Mindful Education. Molly shared her personal journey, which is an inspiring story of resilience. She also shared strategies for teachers to incorporate mindfulness in classrooms. There is a growing awareness to mindfulness in education, which aligns with other current areas of focus such as trauma informed education and social and emotional learning.

Today, we are extending that conversation by adding in our own insights and examples.

Podcast discussion topics: 

The Power of Resilience

Molly’s story as an example of the power of resilience. Left with three young children after the death of her young husband, she had a choice, roll over and cry and just give up or turn her experience into something powerful.

It’s a reminder of the power of resilience. It is easy to give up. It is easy to close your eyes and shut out the negative things in the world. It is easy to look for excuses for why something isn’t working out for you or why something can’t happen.

Molly’s pain led to her movement to bring mindful education to schools. It is a powerful example of experiencing something horrific, and being able to deal with it and move on in a positive way. It is the definition of resilience.

What Molly was doing was setting the tone. We’ve often talked about how it is in our power to set the tone. Molly’s action set the tone for her children and eventually for hundreds of other teachers and students. She was leading by example and teaching others to lead by example.

The Power of Breathing

Molly spoke of breathing as a free and resourceful tool. So often we forget what a resource our breath is for us.

Molly started going to yoga, just for an hour break from her three babies and discovered the breathing in yoga was calming her and ultimately changing her, helping her feel more in control.

When we become unregulated, which is another topic she discussed, our bodies are in such a fight or flight mode we aren’t even considering the power of deep breathing. For example, imagine yourself in a dark scary alley. What happens to your breathing?

When we are dysregulated, even if the threat is perceived and not real, our breathing changes. Staying in that hyperalert bodily change for too long is how we get into chronic stress.

When we become unregulated, and our bodies are in a flight or flight mode, we can get back into control by breathing.

Molly also gave examples of how she discusses breathing with students and teaches them to breathe intentionally.

Raising Happy, Healthy, Safe Kids

Molly said her noble goal is “raising happy, healthy, safe kids who make the world around them better than they found it.”

Many teachers can relate to that idea. Most of us went into education to help students and that is usually what is keeping us in the field.

We want to acknowledge some of the things teachers are doing that align with that goal.

• Seeing kids for who they are and helping them grow
• Recognizing individual potential and helping students seeing it
• Being a sounding board for students who need a safe place to talk
• Helping students to deal with big emotions in positive ways
• Service learning projects
• Helping students to understand people of all different backgrounds so that there is more understanding and less fear in the world
• Teaching them to love learning so they will continue to grow throughout their life

All of these are things good teachers do; they are integral to good teaching. It is part of a teacher’s integrity- what is integral to you and the things that you value.

When Your Core Values are Rocked, You Feel Unregulated

Molly talked about the KCG model (know yourself, choose yourself and give of your yourself). She talked about bringing it back to your core values.

This is a discussion we have had on the podcast. We’ve read and followed noted educator Parker Palmer for years. We can connect the discussion of core values with Parker Palmer, whom we admire greatly in his work on teacher integrity- staying true to what is “integral” to you. He is essentially saying that as teachers we need to stick to our core values. When we feel things are “off” it is usually because we are compromising something that is “integral” to us,  one of our core values is compromised.

We’ve done core values exercises at our workshops. There is a relationship between feeling stress and being out of alignment with things you feel are important. When your purpose is compromised, you will feel uncomfortable and likely, stressed.

Here is a challenge, if you have not identified your core values (which are likely the same across your work and home life) take the time to do it. It will explain a lot about what in your work and home life make you comfortable or uncomfortable.

Being Inside Your Body

Molly realizing that parents and teachers were busier and busier in anxious and stressed and that their feelings would trickle down to children.

When you feel that stress in your body, you need a way to let it out. You need to get back into your body and learn to release that stress. If you don’t release the stress, you will feel more and more hurt or stress in your body. Your body will eventually yell at you!

How can we be more present in our own bodies? And how can we be more present in this world that we live in? You need to pay attention to your body. That’s where mindfulness comes in.

Mindfulness is Magic 

“Mindfulness is magic.” This was a direct quote from Molly. She talked about mindfulness being transformative. We agree which is why we have given it so much attention, directly or indirectly, on this podcast. Transformation and magic are something we all want in our life. By being more mindful and by teaching kids to be more mindful, we can transform.

One common response is, ” I don’t have time for mindfulness. I’m too busy.”  The more that you say that, the more that you probably need it!  The idea of being centered is good for you both mentally and physically.

When you think you don’t have time for mindfulness, think about a few minutes rather than hours. You can find a few minutes in your day to stop and breathe deeply. You can have a mantra, such as ” I am calm, I am at peace” and allow yourself to say it in the car after school before you drive home. You can find a few minutes to listen to a relaxation meditation for five minutes before you fall asleep.

You can find free resources on Molly’s website, https://www.challengetochangeinc.com/

Conclusion: 

Mindfulness is a great practice for students and teachers. If you haven’t already listened to last week’s episode, it’s not too late, the link is below.

Quote:

You often feel tired, not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks light in you.”

  Alexander den Hejer

 Resources mentioned in this episode:

Molly has many resources for teachers on her website www.challengetochangeinc.com

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Episode 115 Mindfulness is Magic with Molly Schreiber

Episode  9 You Set the Tone

Episode 7 Prevent, Eliminate and Reduce Stress

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