Session 23: Brain House

Time allocation:
1. a. Mindful check-in: 3-5 minutes
b. Discussion on Mindfulness:10 minutes
2. a. Brain House: 5 minutes
b. Discussion on Brain House: 15 minutes
3. Silent check out: 1-2 minutes

1. a. Mindful check-in: 3-5 minutes

Learning outcome: Through this activity, the teacher will prepare the students for the mindfulness class.

The steps of the activity

Teachers should tell students that through this activity we will take our attention off the work we were doing before this and bring it to the present. This exercise can be done by the students anywhere and at any time.
Tell the students to sit comfortably and, if they want, they can straighten their backs, close their eyes. If someone is finding it difficult to close their eyes then they can lower their eyes and look downwards.
Tell the students to keep their hands on the desk or on their lap.
Tell the students that we will begin the class with the mindful check-in activity. We will do this for 3 minutes.
Tell the students to focus first on the sounds they can hear around them and then take their attention to their own breathing.
Tell the students that the other sounds can reduce … or increase, they can be heard at intervals … or heard continuously.

(Wait for 20 seconds.)

Tell the students to become aware of these sounds, however they might sound. Ask them to listen to where they are coming from.

(Wait for 30 seconds.)

Tell the students that now they should focus on their breath. Focus on inhaling and exhaling.
Ask the students not to change the rhythm of their breath. Just be aware and focus on them.

(Wait for 10 seconds.)

Ask the students to focus on when they are inhaling and when they are exhaling. Is there a difference between the breath they are taking in and the one they are giving out? Are these breaths cool or warm … fast or slow … light or deep?
Tell the students to be aware of each breath.

(Wait for 20 seconds.)

Now ask the students to slowly focus on how they are sitting and whenever they are ready, they may open their eyes.

Dos and Don’ts:

Before beginning with check-in, give time to the students to sit comfortably.
During the activity, if you see a student getting distracted, without naming him/her, ask the whole class to pay attention.

1. b. Discussion on Mindfulness: 10 minutes

Learning outcome: To know the students’ experience on the process of mindfulness and its benefits.

Proposed points of discussion:

Ask the students to think about the changes they experienced within themselves during the process for 2-3 minutes. Ask them to think about the experience and the practice of the previous week’s activity. Ask them to think also about where and when they used this activity other than the happiness period.
After this, teachers can discuss with the students about the learnings and benefits of mindfulness and how it has improved their lives in ways like –

Reduction of stress within
More focus in the classroom
Realising what is going on within them (happiness, sadness, anger etc.)

Tell the students that they may write their thoughts in their notebook. After this, some of them can share their experiences.
In this period, a discussion can be held on the particular experiences, challenges or questions that arose during the mindfulness activity.
A discussion can be held on the articles on mindfulness brought by the students.

Dos and Don’ts

Every week, ask the students to bring a few articles on mindfulness to the class so that a discussion could be held on them.
Encourage all students to give answers.
The students who hesitate in speaking up, may write their thoughts somewhere.
Accept all answers given by students, don’t contest them.

2. Brain House & Discussion: 15 minutes

Learning outcome: To make the students aware of their feelings and thoughts.

Steps of the activity

Teachers should draw the following diagram on the blackboard:

Feelings	Thoughts

Teachers should tell the students, “We can think of our minds as a house. It has two storeys. Many kinds of feelings live on the ground floor. Feelings are those sentiments generated by our experiences and memory. On the first floor, our thoughts live. There are many kinds of thoughts that live here along with our ability to focus, remember, think and decision making power.”
Tell the students when we face problems/difficulties in life, we decide in a haste, get anxious, and get easily annoyed with ourselves or others around us. Because of this anxiety we either run away from difficulties or get upset with ourselves or others. Our thoughts and feelings get mixed up and we are not able to decide the right thing.
Ask the students, “What can we do to evade this?”
After getting answers from a few students, the discussion can be taken forward like this – “Can we get our feelings and thoughts to become friends?”
“Our mind works well when the ground floor and first floor work in unison and when we are aware of our feelings and thoughts. Through Mindfulness, we can get these two floors to become friends.”
“We can think of Mindfulness as a staircase that connects the two floors of thoughts and feelings.”

Proposed points of discussion:

Now draw the following table on the blackboard –

Feelings	Thoughts

Now tell all the students that they should write five such feelings and thoughts in their notebook that they have experienced at some point of time or have come to their mind.
Now ask the students –

How are feelings and thoughts different?
How do we benefit from knowing the difference between feelings and thoughts?
What was the most useful/good aspect you learnt about feelings and thoughts in this class?

3. Silent check out: 1-2 minutes

Learning outcome: The purpose of this activity is to get the students to reflect on the thoughts and feelings generated while doing the activities in the happiness class.

Steps of the activity

The mindfulness class should be ended sitting quietly.
During this, a reflection should be made by the students on the thoughts and feelings generated by today’s activities.
Do not give any other instructions to the students.
Whether the students want to close their eyes and reflect, or would want to lower them – this should be left on them.

Dos and Don’ts:

The teachers should not ask any questions after the silent check out.
If a student wants to share his/her experience, the teacher may give them a chance to do so.

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Session 23: Brain House

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