Mindfulness

 As I write this, I'm taking a break from grading the mindfulness collages my positive psychology students created as part of a project on what mindfulness means to them. On Sunday, I began the final course in a three-course online certificate program on mindfulness.

You can see why it was easy for me to find a word of the day today. 

It's not unusual for the subjects I'm teaching to find their way into my blog posts. Not only am I interested in these topics, which makes writing about them enjoyable, but I also have a tendency to immerse myself in them when I'm creating lessons about them. 

This is especially true when I'm teaching a class I teach only occasionally. Because the material in these courses is less "old hat" than the child development content that's been a part of my career one way or another for decades, I find myself seeking out books and articles (or, in some cases, entire course sequences) that will enrich the material I'm covering. I want to freshen my perspective, deepen my understanding, and make sure I'm up to date. 

I had no idea when I was preparing for this class that I'd end up becoming a student of mindfulness myself but, when the information on the online course sequence popped up in my inbox as I was preparing a course that covered that topic (AI is scary -- but that's another post), I was immediately interested. 

The first course was largely familiar to me, thanks to several years spent planning, preparing, and teaching courses on positive psychology, but the various practices introduced in each module have kept me engaged. Some I liked, some I didn't; one I liked so much that I used it with my class. As the course sequence proceeds, I find myself going deeper into the material, enriching my understanding and, therefore, the knowledge I can share with my students.

Being mindful of our strengths and limitations helps us to keep growing regardless of how old we are, and learning mindfulness techniques helps us to be open to that growth. Whether we choose to pursue new avenues or not, well, that's a different story. 

Some days, I still run from place to place with my to-do list scrolling through my head, the world around me a blur. But, increasingly, I'm learning to call on the techniques I'm learning, whether it's to really notice the newly blossoming trees or to take a deep breath and slow myself down. What started out as a task-oriented pursuit meant to improve my instruction has turned into a set of practices that help me to appreciate the world around me.

And, to be honest, it's kind of nice.