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Irrit Dweck
Sharing the toolbox: Finding focus through meditation in the classroom
Part one: My experience
Part two: An Article on the science behind Meditation
Part three: Suggested practices for the classroom

It was a class of three bright, motivated, fun loving 11
th
grade young women. We had been
together since 9
th
grade Arabic. Room 606 was our comfortable space to present our personalities in
another language. Our time was precious and the atmosphere was set for a wonderful, productive year
of reading short stories by Egyptian writer Naguib Mafhouz, watching Arab Labour for Palestinian
Colloquial Arabic and listening to songs by various pop artists throughout the Middle East.
By November, my expectations had to be reset. The bright eyed enthusiasts I had come to know
in 9
th
and 10
th
grade were replaced with tight jaws, solemn faces and worried, blury eyes. Each took
their seat creating a circle with our square desks. We would face one another and each would share
their concerns in Arabic. I think we spent the first three months learning 15 different vocabulary words
for worried, stressed, concerned and preoccupied. They were experts in describing their worries. They
had a space to vent and it was happening in Arabic. I felt they needed more. They had the chance to
create healthy habits for dealing with the stresses that life so often brings. I wanted to give them a
toolbox of coping skills that they could experiment with. Perhaps they can find the best practices that
work for them today. They can build a strong foundation to hold them through the various challenges
life brings.
I had recently signed up for a yoga teacher training at the yoga studio near my home. With
three children under 4 and teaching 6 classes I always felt anxious. At the breakfast table I was planning
lunch. Rather than sitting at the dinner table and enjoying the company of my kids I was planning the
breakfast, answering student emails and addressing concerns of parents. I was never in the moment. I
was never present. I was always trying to stay one step ahead. The practice of yoga introduced me to
the present. It facilitated my awareness of the present. Of being. Of my breath. My practice enabled me
to laugh when the 5
th
cup of water fell during dinner. It allowed to me laugh with my children rather
than worry about the cost of a new couch that was full of permanent marker. It fostered a sense of love
and presence.
I introduced Rachel, Olivia and Hila to yoga and meditation in the classroom. We took the first 7
minutes of class week to focus on our breathing. Our breathing initiated our movement. The movement
of our body and the surrender of our mind. We quieted the chattering mind by inviting our focus to our
breathe. To our inhale and our exhale. This was our sacred space. Our space to practice presence. I was
shocked but after the first session we had an amazing class. Rachel was relaxed and enjoyed the
challenging grammar presented. Hila joked around that the prerequisite for teaching us more
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complicated information was a yoga class before hand. Pretty soon they asked to begin each class with
either an asana practice or a breathing practice.
We spent the remainder of the year playing with various mindfulness practices. We spoke about
which ones were more helpful and why. I encouraged them to practice before going to bed as well as
away to calm the mind to bring a restful sleep. They were finding their own path towards a calmer
sense of self. Instead of coming into class with a solemn face they entered with anticipation and
excitement for the next practice. They were up for the challenge of practicing in Arabic. They learned
the words quite quickly. It was the whole language approach working marvelously. I think Rachel
explained it best one Thursday afternoon. By focusing on my breath instead of spending an hour
worrying about my work I can actually just sit down and do my work.
The Science behind the practice
Below is an article that I found helpful in explaining the relationship between the brain and meditation
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/use-your-mind-change-your-brain/201305/is-your-brain-
meditation
I realized today that in all my posts regarding the brain and how to sculpt it with mindfulness, Ive never
actually explained how and why meditation works. Specifically, the science behind how your brain
changes the longer you meditate. I think this is important for many reasons, but one of the most salient
is that this information serves as a great motivator to keep up a daily practice (or start one).
Im sure youve heard people extol the virtues of meditation. You may be skeptical of the claims that it
helps with all aspects of life. But, the truth is, it does. Sitting every day, for at least 15-30 minutes, makes
a huge difference in how you approach life, how personally you take things and how you interact with
others. It enhances compassion, allows you to see things more clearly (including yourself) and creates a
sense of calm and centeredness that is indescribable. There really is no substitute.
For those of you who are curious as to how meditation changes the brain, this is for you. Although this
may be slightly technical, bear with me because its really interesting. The brain, and how we are able to
mold it, is fascinating and nothing short of amazing. Here are the brain areas you need to know:
Lateral prefrontal cortex: the part of the brain that allows you to look at things from a more
rational, logical and balanced perspective. In the book, we call it the Assessment Center. It is
involved in modulating emotional responses (originating from thefear center or other parts of
the brain), overriding automatic behaviors/habits and decreasing the brains tendency to take
things personally (by modulating the Me Center of the brain, see below).
Medial prefrontal cortex: the part of the brain that constantly references back to you, your
perspective and experiences. Many people call this the Me Center of the brain because it
processes information related to you, including when you are daydreaming, thinking about the
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future, reflecting on yourself, engaging in social interactions, inferring other peoples state of
mind or feelingempathy for others. We call it the Self-Referencing Center.
Whats interesting about the Medial PreFrontal Cortex (mPFC) is that it actually has two sections:
Ventromedial medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) involved in processing information
related to you and people that you view as similar to you. This is the part of the brain
that can cause you to end up taking things too personally, which is why we referred to it
as the unhelpful aspect of the Self-Referencing Center in the book. (In reality, this brain
area has many important and helpful functions since we were focusing on overcoming
anxiety, depression and habits you want to change, we referred to it as unhelpful
because it often causes increases in rumination/worry and exacerbates anxious or
depressive thoughts/states/feelings.)
Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex (dmPFC) involved in processing information related to
people who you perceive as being dissimilar from you. This very important part of the
brain is involved in feeling empathy (especially for people who we perceive of as not
being like us) and maintaining social connections.
Insula: the part of the brain that monitors bodily sensations and is involved in experiencing
gut-level feelings. Along with other brain areas, it helps guide how strongly you will respond
to what you sense in your body (i.e., is this sensation something dangerous or benign?). It is also
heavily involved in experiencing/feeling empathy.
Amygdala: the alarm system of the brain, what most refer to as the Fear Center. It's a part of
the brain that is responsible for many of our initial emotional responses and reactions, including
the fight-or-flight response. (Along with the Insula, this is what we referred to as the Uh Oh
Center.)
The Brain Without Meditation Stuck on Me
If you were to look at peoples brains before they began a meditation practice, you would likely see
strong neural connections within the Me Center and between the Me Center and the bodily
sensation/fear centers of the brain. This means that whenever you feel anxious, scared or have a
sensation in your body (e.g., a tingling, pain, itching, whatever), you are far more likely to assume that
there is a problem (related to you or your safety). This is precisely because the Me Center is processing
the bulk of the information. What's more, this over-reliance on the Me Center explains how it is that we
often get stuck in repeating loops of thought about our life, mistakes we made, how people feel about
us, our bodies (e.g., Ive had this pain before, does this mean something serious is going on?) and so on.
Why is the Me Center allowed to process information this way, essentially unabated? The reason this
happens, in part, is because the Assessment Centers connection to the Me Center is relatively weak. If
the Assessment Center was working at a higher capacity, it would modulate the excessive activity of the
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vmPFC (the part that takes things personally) and enhance the activity of the dmPFC (the part involved
in understanding others thoughts and feelings). This would lead us to take in all the relevant
information, discard erroneous data (that the Me Center might want to focus on exclusively) and view
whatever is happening from a more balanced perspective essentially decreasing the overthinking,
ruminating and worrying that the Me Center is famous for promulgating. One helpful way to think of the
Assessment Center is as a sort of brake for the unhelpful parts of the Me Center.
The Brain on Meditation I Can See Clearly Now
In contrast, if you meditate on a regular basis, several positive things happen. First, the strong, tightly
held connection between the Me Center (specifically the unhelpful vmPFC) and the bodily
sensation/fear centers begins to break down. As this connection withers, you will no longer assume that
a bodily sensation or momentary feeling of fear means something is wrong with you or that you are the
problem! This explains, in part, why anxiety decreases the more you meditate its because the neural
paths that link those upsetting sensations to the Me Center are decreasing. Said another way, your
ability to ignore sensations of anxiety is enhanced as you begin to break that connection between the
unhelpful parts of the Me Center and the bodily sensation/fear centers. As a result, you are more readily
able to see those sensations for what they are and not respond as strongly to them (thanks to your
strengthened Assessment Center).
Second, a heftier, healthier connection forms between the Assessment Center and bodily sensation/fear
centers. This means that when you experience a bodily sensation or something potentially dangerous or
upsetting, you are able to look at it from a more rational perspective (rather than automatically reacting
and assuming it has something to do with you). For example, when you experience pain, rather than
becoming anxious and assuming it means something is wrong with you, you can watch the pain rise and
fall without becoming ensnared in a story about what it might mean.
Finally, an added bonus of meditating is that the connection between the helpful aspects of the Me
Center (i.e. dorsomedial prefrontal cortex) the part involved in processing information related to
people we perceive as being not like us and the bodily sensation center involved in empathy
becomes stronger. This healthy connection enhances your capacity to understand where another person
is coming from, especially those who you cannot intuitively understand because you think or perceive
things differently from them (i.e., dissimilar others). This increased connection explains why meditation
enhances empathy it helps us use the part of the brain that infers other peoples states of mind, their
motivations, desires, dreams and so on, while simultaneously activating the part of the brain involved in
the actual experience of empathy (insula). The end result is that we are more able to put ourselves in
another persons shoes (especially those not like us), thereby increasing our ability to feel empathy and
compassion for everyone.
Daily Practice is Important
Essentially, the science proves what we know to be true from the actual experience of meditating.
What the data demonstrate is that meditation facilitates strengthening the Assessment Center,
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weakening the unhelpful aspects of the Me Center (that can cause you to take things personally),
strengthening the helpful parts of the Me Center (involved with empathy and understanding others) and
changing the connections to/from the bodily sensation/fear centers such that you experience sensations
in a less reactive, more balanced and holistic way. In a very real way, you literally are changing your
brain for the better when you meditate.
In the end, this means that you are able to see yourself and everyone around you from a clearer
perspective, while simultaneously being more present, compassionate and empathetic with people no
matter the situation. With time and practice, people do truly become calmer, have a greater capacity for
empathy and find they tend to respond in a more balanced way to things, people or events in their lives.
However, to maintain your gains, you have to keep meditating. Why? Because the brain can very easily
revert back to its old ways if you are not vigilant (Im referencing the idea of neuroplasticity here). This
means you have to keep meditating to ensure that the new neural pathways you worked so hard to
form stay strong.
To me, this amazing brain science and the very real rewards gained from meditation combine to form a
compelling argument for developing and/or maintaining a daily practice. It definitely motivates me on
those days I dont feel like sitting. So, try to remind yourself that meditating every day, even if its only
15 minutes, will keep those newly formed connections strong and those unhelpful ones of the past at
bay.
Suggested Practices
Square breathing
I have practiced this with students when they are incredibly stressed and anxious

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http://asdresources.wordpress.com/strategies/relaxation-techniques-for-the-classroom/
Four-square breathing, sometimes referred to as the box breathing technique, is a simple technique that
you can do at any time that you feel stressed. Controlled breathing is an integral part of meditation and
can be utilized independently to calm nerves and relieve stress by helping to regulate the autonomic
nervous system, report researchers at the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine.
Square breathing emphasizes control through counts of four, which allows your body to make full use of
the air. You also will work the chest and abdominal muscles slightly as you practice the box breathing
technique.
Step 1
Sit straight up in a comfortable chair. Put your feet flat on the floor and relax your hands in your lap. You
may overlap your hands or let them lie separately with palms facing up. The important factor is to
maintain an aligned posture and to be at ease.
Step 2
Close your eyes or dim the lights in the room. Find a quiet space where the telephone or other people
won't interrupt you for at least four minutes.
Step 3
Close your mouth and breath in slowly through your nose. Count to four as you inhale. Hold your breath
for four seconds. You are not trying to deprive your body of oxygen, but need to allow a few seconds for
the air to fill your lungs. Concentrate on your belly and notice how it also moves when you inhale
deeply.
Step 4
Open your mouth slightly and slowly exhale to a count of four. Hold the exhale to another count of four.
Ideally, you should repeat the exercise for four minutes, but two or three times will help you to achieve
a more relaxed state, relieve tension and settle your nerves.
Step 5
Allow the air to fill your belly and notice how it passes over your chest. One of the goals of boxed square
breathing is to bring the respiratory system back into alignment and end the shallow breathing that
results from the fight or flight response mode the body enters when feeling stressed. Researchers with
the National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine report that in addition to reducing
stress, controlled breathing is used to treat insomnia, anxiety, depression and pain control.
Warnings
While the environment can help to add to your relaxed state, it is not imperative. If there are other
people around and you cannot find a private, quiet place, this exercise can be performed quietly with
your eyes open. Repeat your mantra and counting to yourself and no one will even notice that you are
performing a stress-reduction exercise.
Tips
If you find it difficult to slow down your thinking, say a mantra over in your head, advise doctors at the
Mayo Clinic. Repeat a calming phrase or sound such as "ohm" as you breathe. For example, as you
inhale, say "ohm," two, three four and repeat on the exhale. Your concentration surely will begin to
narrow as you continue with the exercise.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/74944-box-breathing-technique/
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The Long Exhale
I have practiced this with students in class so they can use it as a tool to help them fall asleep at
night.
This 1:2 breathing practice, which involves gradually increasing your exhalation until it is twice the
length of your inhalation, relaxes the nervous system.
Benefits: Can reduce insomnia, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.
Try it: Before bedtime to help support sleep, in the middle of the night when you're struggling with
insomnia, or at any time of the day to calm stress or anxiety. (In general, it's best to avoid practicing 1:2
breathing first thing in the morning unless you're experiencing anxiety. The relaxing effects of the
practice tend to make it more difficult to get up and go on with your day.)
How to: Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
Place a palm on the abdomen and take a few relaxed breaths, feeling the abdomen expand on the
inhalation and gently contract on the exhalation. With your palm on your abdomen, mentally count the
length of each inhalation and exhalation for several more breaths. If the inhalation is longer than the
exhalation, you can begin to make them the same length over the next few breaths.
Once your inhalation and exhalation are equal, gradually increase the length of your exhalation by 1 to 2
seconds by gently contracting the abdomen. As long as the breath feels smooth and relaxed, continue to
gradually increase the exhalation by 1 to 2 seconds once every few breaths. Make sure you experience
no strain as the exhalation increases and keep going until your exhalation is up to twice the length of the
inhalation, but not beyond. For example, if your inhalation is comfortably 4 seconds, do not increase the
length of your exhalation to more than 8 seconds.
Keep in mind that even an exhalation that is only slightly longer than the inhalation can induce a calming
effect, so take care that you don't push yourself beyond your capacity. (If you do, you'll likely activate
the sympathetic nervous system, or stress response, and feel agitated rather than calm.)
If your breath feels uncomfortable or short, or if you're gasping on the next inhalation, back off to a ratio
that is more comfortable for 8 to 12 breaths. Then finish your practice with 6 to 8 natural, relaxed
breaths.
http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/2844

Loving kindness meditation
When students are insecure and down on themselves I have practiced this meditation with
them. I have offered a list of sentences that the students can choose from for this meditation or
have asked the students to write four sentences that resonate for them. I personally use
May I be safe
May I be happy
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May I be healthy
May I be live with ease
Meditation On Lovingkindness
May I be filled with lovingkindness
I am larger and better than I thought. I did not know I held so much goodness.
- Walt Whitman
This meditation uses words, images, and feelings to evoke a lovingkindness and friendliness
toward oneself and others. With each recitation of the phrases, we are expressing an intention,
planting the seeds of loving wishes over and over in our heart.
With a loving heart as the background, all that we attempt, all that we encounter will open and
flow more easily. You can begin the practice of lovingkindness by meditating for fifteen or
twenty minutes in a quiet place. Let yourself sit in a comfortable fashion. Let your body rest and
be relaxed. Let your heart be soft. Let go of any plans or preoccupations.
Begin with yourself. Breathe gently, and recite inwardly the following traditional phrases
directed toward our own well-being. You being with yourself because without loving yourself it
is almost impossible to love others.
May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May I be well in body and mind.
May I be at ease and happy.
As you repeat these phrases, picture yourself as you are now, and hold that image in a heart of
lovingkindness. Or perhaps you will find it easier to picture yourself as a young and beloved
child. Adjust the words and images in any way you wish. Create the exact phrases that best
open your heart of kindness. Repeat these phrases over and over again, letting the feelings
permeate your body and mind. Practice this meditation for a number of weeks, until the sense
of lovingkindness for yourself grows.
Be aware that this meditation may at times feel mechanical or awkward. It can also bring up
feelings contrary to lovingkindness, feelings of irritation and anger. If this happens, it is
especially important to be patient and kind toward yourself, allowing whatever arises to be
received in a spirit of friendliness and kind affection. When you feel you have established some
stronger sense of lovingkindness for yourself, you can then expand your meditation to include
others. After focusing on yourself for five or ten minutes, choose a benefactor, someone in your
life who has loved and truly cared for you. Picture this person and carefully recite the same
phrases:
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be safe from inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
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Let the image and feelings you have for your benefactor support the meditation. Whether the
image or feelings are clear or not does not matter. In meditation they will be subject to change.
Simply continue to plant the seeds of loving wishes, repeating the phrases gently no matter
what arises.
Expressing gratitude to our benefactors is a natural form of love. In fact, some people find
lovingkindness for themselves so hard, they begin their practice with a benefactor. This too is
fine. The rule in lovingkindness practice is to follow the way that most easily opens your heart.
When lovingkindness for your benefactor has developed, you can gradually begin to include
other people in your meditation. Picturing each beloved person, recite inwardly the same
phrases, evoking a sense of lovingkindness for each person in turn.
After this you can include others: Spend some time wishing well to a wider circle of friends.
Then gradually extend your meditation to picture and include community members, neighbors,
people everywhere, animals, all beings, the whole earth.
Finally, include the difficult people in your life, even your enemies, wishing that they too may
be filled with lovingkindness and peace. This will take practice. But as your heart opens, first to
loved ones and friends, you will find that in the end you wont want to close it anymore.
Lovingkindness can be practiced anywhere. You can use this meditation in traffic jams, in buses,
and on airplanes. As you silently practice this meditation among people, you will come to feel a
wonderful connection with them the power of lovingkindness. It will calm your mind and keep
you connected to your heart.
http://www.jackkornfield.com/2011/02/meditation-on-lovingkindness/