Mornings with Hine

 PLD what is Te Reo Tuatahi? How it will work and how it is delivered. Reminder that we have TAAM document.  Te Aho Arataki Marau mō te  Ako  i Te Reo Māori - Kura Auraki

 Taught the lesson around breathing circles. The class I relieve in regularly often includes meditation as part of their prayer in the morning. They are used to listening to the ring of a bell, meditating for about 4 minutes and then returning to the class program on the ring of the bell for the second time.  Later in the day we did some of lesson four in the Pause, breathe, smile programme. I worked through the feeling sound track and the follow up in their student booklets. As a group we reflected and talked about noticing our feelings at different times of the day for example as we come home from school, before w ego to sleep, and when we wake up. We thought about how we might feel during these check in times. The class was encouraged to come back to class to share their findings and feelings.  I could see the value in this lesson. It took me on my own journey of feelings, being grateful to collect my young child from daycare after he has had a few days of being very c...

Feedback for my final assessment of the course. I will continue to practice what I have learned. Tēnā koe Hineata. Kua tutuki koe i tēnei aromatawai. Ka mau te wehi! You have successfully passed this assessment. Great effort e hoa, your pronunciation improved as your kōrero progressed. Keep listening to as much reo Māori as you can and put your language to practice whenever the chance arises. With time & practice you will only get better. Mā te whakaharatau e tika ai Practice makes perfect. Kia kaha rā. Noho ora mai i ngā tini āhuatanga o te wā. Kavahna Cooper-Ruri.

  The rise and fall of thinking In practicing mindfulness, we look to train in a certain set of skills that help us become more open, loving, and attentive in a moment-by-moment basis. Pause right now. Notice your thoughts.  What are you reflecting on as you move through this module? Are you taking in what you’re reading? Are various thoughts about other things, judgements, worries, daydreaming bubbling up?  By checking in with your thoughts you can become familiar with the natural tendency of the mind to jump from subject to subject almost like a monkey in a tree! When we practice regularly bringing our attention back to our breathing, we strengthen our attention muscles. Even just realising and remembering that  thoughts are not facts  can help free us from just going along with whatever thought is presenting itself at any given moment.

  Making space for emotions Just like our breathing, emotions rise and fall. When something happens that triggers a certain emotional response (excitement, anger, anxiety, sadness, etc.), we feel whatever emotion it is throughout our body. The main techniques to regulate emotions are broken into four steps. 1. Notice the feeling. Label it, and validate that it is ok to feel this way. 2. Make space for the feeling. Accept, this is how I'm feeling. I won't always feel this way.  3. Drop an anchor with mindful breathing. Allow yourself to feel the sensations in the body. Breathing helps refocus the breathing instead of getting stuck in the dialogue.  4. Remind yourself that all feelings pass.  Stay with the breathing until the feeling fades. I can see the benefits of teaching these skills to students as a whole class mindfulness lesson. Being able to identify feelings and working through the four steps to bring back to calmness. These skills w...

  Curiosity Practicing mindfulness is, like almost anything, something that gets easier with time. One key aspect of mindfulness that helps bring about this shift is to be curious about our experience, both internally and externally. The lesson asked us to check in with our breathing, feel our breath in and give it as much time as feels natural. A check-in to see how our breathing is and feels.  Next, drop your attention to your feet, and press down gently with your left foot to connect with what is under it. Pause, then try it with your right foot.  When ready, pause and feel your breathing again. Finish by doing this regularly.  This activity encourages us to slow down, and connect our bodies to our minds allowing our minds to calm.