Running Head: Mindfulness

Flourishing Minds; Integrating Mindfulness Interventions into School Settings

Toby Doyle
Seattle University

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Abstract
This group proposal is to emphasize the effects that mindfulness Interventions can have on the
success of students suffering from anxiety in the school setting. Although mindfulness can have
an enhancing effect on whole school populations, this group is going to be solely focused on
individuals struggling with anxiety and dealing with stress. The purpose of this group is to
decrease anxiety by using meditation, yoga-based physical activity, breathing techniques, and
guided mindfulness to help students self-regulate their thoughts and emotions and enter a more
relaxed state. With the chronic amount of stresses facing our youth on a day to day basis, there
needs to be more interventions that enable students to overcome these bouts with anxiety and
emotional distress that are so prevalent amongst adolescents in the school setting. Being able to
introduce mindfulness interventions to adolescence can help them better understand where their
anxiety stems. This will help them to improve their social, emotional, psychological, and
cognitive functioning while enhancing their abilities to confront the stresses in their life. A
young adult that can grow and learn about themselves internally and translate that externally can
enter the real world having the skills and abilities that are required to cope when becoming
overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted by life. This is the focus of the flourishing minds group
and is the goal of mindfulness interventions.
Keywords: support group, mindfulness, interventions, anxiety, emotional distress, adolescence,
successful students, self-regulate emotions, flourishing minds

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Rationale
It is not news that adolescence frequently suffer from stress and anxiety while
experiencing and balancing the challenges of school and their social life. This is concerning, but
what is even more concerning is the reports of increasing clinical problems amongst the youth
related to social pressure and anxiousness that arises in this time of their life. The impact that
this is having on their developing brain and their cognitions is leading to severe health issues. It
has now been reported that 21% of the 13 to 18 year old population in the U.S. are currently
suffering or have at some point in their life suffered from a severe mental disorder, with
depression and anxiety being amongst two of the most prevalent diagnosis (Zenner, Kurz, &
Walach, 2014). Students in this age range that suffer from anxiety have a hard time dealing with
distracting thoughts that hold too much power over them, while also struggling with
distinguishing between a thought that could be useful in problem solving, or a thought that is just
there to make them worry and heighten their state of anxiety. These irrational thoughts are
unproductive and can cause adolescent students to suffer socially and academically in the school
environment. Anxiety is a state of tension and apprehension towards the future, and when the
mind is constantly focused on creating hypothetical scenarios based on future events that have
not happened, it is impossible to be at your best in the present moment.
This creates a lot of challenges for students in regards to academic success and being able
to function properly and effectively in class. Test anxiety is defined as emotional, physiological,
and behavioral responses surrounding the potential outcome of an upcoming test or exam and it
has been estimated that between 10% and 40% of all students suffer from various levels of test
anxiety (Von der Embes, Barterian, & Segool, 2013). This anxiety has only been heightened in
the last few decades with the increasing amount of testing that has taken place in in the United

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States due to the emphasis on increasing student achievement scores (Wren, & Benson, 2004).
Because of the No Child Left behind Act of 2001, standardized testing has been dramatically
increased for children in elementary, middle school, and high school with scores being linked to
rewards and sanctions within schools, making this testing high stakes for teachers, students, and
communities. Possibly in response to this, it is suggested that between two and three children in
typical classrooms, or roughly 10% of children at any given school are highly test anxious and
experience impairments in test scores as a result of this anxiety (Von der Embse, 2013).
This test anxiety along with physiological changes, emotional instability, and social
pressure to fit in with ones peers, have all had effects on the anxiety that adolescents experience
in school and in life. Along with all these circumstances there are a multitude of other possible
factors such as socio-economic status, sexual identity, sports and academic performance, and
cultural and racial factors that can all contribute to the stresses that adolescences face in these
times of changing and adapting. All these components have led to rising anxiety and anxiety
disorders being more common amongst our youth.
As of today, 10%-20% of adolescent students are diagnosed with Anxiety disorders,
making it one of the top disorders diagnosed amongst children and young adults (Allan,
MacPherson, Young, Lejuez, & Schmidt, 2014). Developing an anxiety disorder as an
adolescent, increases the chances that one will develop anxiety and depression problems in the
future, so it is crucial that school counselors are equipped with skills and techniques that can be
put into action to help alleviate this trend from becoming even more prevalent in the future
(Allan, 2014). There needs to be more innovative thinking within the school paradigm to help
stop these trends and to help facilitate ways in which adolescent students can combat anxiety.

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This is where the practice of mindfulness can be applied in the school setting and be so
effective. It is a way to ignite students curiosity and allow them an opportunity to help them
develop tools and skills using mindfulness techniques and interventions. Mindfulness can be
commonly defined as the self-regulation of ones attention so that it is focused on the immediate
reality; having the ability to intentionally be aware of one stimuli, while ignoring or suppressing
the other stimuli around you either internally or externally (Felver, Doerner, Jones, Kaye, &
Merrell, 2013). It is a way of being that is rooted in paying attention to the present moment, in
order to become aware of your own conscious experience of the world (Jones, 2011). This
immediate state of mind than becomes characterized by curiosity, openness, and acceptance
(Fever, 2013). Thus in order for mindfulness to be effective for an individual, one needs to have
a calm and clear mind that is non-judgmental and accepting of ones own personal experience
without pursuing it or pushing it away, but just allowing it to be (Singh,2007).
Mindfulness-based interventions are becoming increasingly popular, and the literature
supporting the effectiveness of these interventions in respects to adolescents is growing quickly
(Greco, 2011). There are different techniques when exercising mindfulness such as yoga based
physical activity, breathing techniques, meditation, and guided mindfulness practices. All of
these techniques are aimed at slowing down the mind and relaxing the brain, helping to relieve
tension and anxiety (Gould, 2012). Mindfulness in this sense is the ideal remedy for someone
feeling anxious. This is part of the reason why school-based mindfulness interventions and
programs have become more prevalent in the last decade. It is a perfect paradigm in a group
setting to allow students to have a calm and quiet space where they can work to relieve their
anxiety.

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There is initial research, albeit with a limited number of studies, that have shown that
meditation, as a cognitive-behavioral intervention for students has been shown to improve
physical, social, emotional, psychological, and cognitive functioning while also impacting ones
coping abilities (Wisner, 2010). Its a mode of being that can be taught and increases
awareness of the contents of our mind, and provides ways to respond to our thoughts and
feelings skillfully, helping to lessen emotional distress (Jones, 2011). Meditation in a broad
sense is the attempt to focus attention in a nonanalytic way and attempting to not dwell on any
one thought that one might have. These benefits of school based meditation programs for
adolescents have proven to enhance the ability to pay attention, concentrate more thoroughly
while decreasing levels of anxiety (Wisner, 2010). Mindfulness practice enhances the goals of
education in the 21st century and helps adolescents to not only face their anxiety, but it also
teaches them empathy, compassion, ethical sensitivity, creativity and problem solving skills that
are all important life skills (Zenner,2014).
Group participants
The target population for this group is going to be students in the 8th grade that are
currently in middle school. This group is going to be gender specific, so there will be a male
group and a female group that I will meet with weekly. I think in this setting where the emphasis
will be focus and concentration, it will work more effectively and efficiently being gender
specific. The groups will consist of 10 males, and the second group will consist of 10 females.
There will be a Likert scale screening test (Appendix A) before placing students into groups to
allow myself to quantify what students would be best for this group. I will also provide some
qualitative questions to help ensure that the students that are selected are motivated and willing
to get the best experience possible. The results of the screening test will give me a good idea of

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which students would be most suitable for this experience based on the way they scored on the
test. This test will establish which students are open to mindfulness interventions along with
which students need the most help battling their anxiety. It will be important that in the
screening process, I talk with the teachers once the students have been selected to make sure
there are no foreseeable problems or concerns that they could foresee with the group that is
assembled. It is also essential that I receive the support from the staff and faculty when running
my group so that there is no ill will towards the process or any problems with students missing
some possible class time on occasion.
After selection of the members, I will send home a parent/guardian consent form
(appendix B) because all children under the age of 18 need consent to participate in a group. The
selection of the location for this group to take place will be vital to its success as well because it
will require that we meet in a place that is big enough for us to spread out but also quiet enough
and isolated from other school activities so that the participants privacy and process is respected
and nurtured.
Group goal and objectives
The overarching goal of this group is to help students have a calm place to settle their
mind and practice school-based mindfulness interventions in order to decrease anxiety. This goal
includes objectives focused on the group geared towards gaining a foundational understanding of
what is mindfulness, and putting this into practice within the group setting and outside of the
group setting. It will be vitally important to the success of the group that each member is clear in
the understanding of mindfulness at its core, and that they are diligent on working on becoming
more mindful themselves through learned techniques and homework assignments focused

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towards them understanding the process more intimately. It is crucial that the participants are
willing to spend time outside of group, implementing certain mindfulness practices to enhance
their efficacy in it and to make the group experience a richer one. Mindfulness can be practiced
through meditation and contemplation but may also be cultivated through paying attention to
ones everyday activities and practicing (Albrecht, 2014). Twenty five hundred years ago,
Aristotle observed that We are what we repeatedly do (Greenland, 2010). This remains true to
this day, and mindfulness is simple, but it is not easy so one of the objectives of this group will
be to practice consistently, and in doing so it will become more natural.
Because this is a psychoeducational group, I will be instructing them and helping guide
them on objectives that are incorporated in the group process. I will help encourage them to be
open to this new experience and teach them the basics of mindfulness. Time will be allocated
during the first part of each group to go over effective and non-effective practices that each
individual tried outside of group, and then I will help facilitate lessons on gaining a stronger
insight on helpful strategies for mindfulness, while also continuing to emphasize the importance
and impact that it can have on life skills development. These life skills will include but will not
be limited to: being able to approach experience with an open mind, calming down when angry
or upset, concentrating and ignoring distractions, developing compassion, and living gently and
in balance with the other people and their environment. Other Objectives for the students will
include promoting sensory awareness, greater cognitive control, and the capacity to regulate
emotions and attention (Jones, 2011). These life skills create a good starting point for helping to
understand the present moment allowing group members new perspectives, which can then
hopefully help to decrease stress and tension amongst them (Greenland, 2010). All these steps

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will be accomplished by educating, teaching effective interventions, and then practicing them
with the students.
Most adolescents are able to practice mindful awareness when they receive clear and
concise instructions along with being in an environment that is supportive of the process
(Greenland, 2010). My objectives as the leader of the group are to educate, be present and
accepting of the process, be involved in the process, help members with applying mindfulness
techniques into their lives, encourage them to practice these techniques as consistently and
frequently as possible, and make it fun. Mindfulness is often seen as a very serious way of
being. Although it does take a level of focus and concentration, there is no reason that we cannot
have fun with it in the process. This will be one of my objectives that I think will help translate
mindfulness into a useful tool and an effective practice for these students. Adolescents are
craving other ways to learn, and this group will allow them that opportunity. All these steps will
help to ensure that the group members will be ultimately aiming towards the overarching goal of
reducing anxiety and distress, while enhancing mindfulness in their everyday lives.
Type of Membership
The participants need to be aware that they will be selected and that this group will be a
closed group once the selections are made. It will be emphasized that this is an educational
group that will teach the fundamental basics and foundation of mindfulness in a secular fashion.
When being respectful of students cultural and/or religious beliefs, mindfulness will need to be
taught in a way that encourages the whole group connection (Albrecht, 2014). It will be
recognized that all individuals within the group, regardless of their assigned dominant or
subordinate status within larger society, are multicultural and diverse within the group (Thornton

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II, 1995). The participants will engage in this group in a safe and quiet location that is approved
by myself and faculty, and provides a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere.
The characteristics that I am looking for in this group are going to be individuals that are
willing to take advantage of a unique opportunity to help alleviate some stress and anxiety while
learning some life skills through mindfulness practice. Each participant will be screened using a
pre-group screening questionnaire (appendix A) developed and adapted from an on-line source
(Cesultra.com) and will also be assessed on their qualitative responses in regards to the
understanding and interest in the group concept. It is important that participants come into the
group having a general expectation of being committed and willing to keep an open mind.
Role as a Leader
My role as a leader in this group format will be essential to its success. Because this
group is focused more on a new concepts and internal aspects of learning, I will be applying a
couple styles of leadership. I will be adapting the role of the Theory Y leader in the sense that I
will be trying to promote self-awareness in order to help individuals get the most out of the
experience and develop and channel their guru within (Gladding, 2012). I also realize that I will
most definitely have to be directive in my approach in this particular group due to the nature of
what I am teaching. There will be mindfulness practices and meditations that I will guide my
students through by speaking and helping them to visualize, and this kind of direction does not
generally fall under the Theory Y leader model or what it encompasses.
So because of this, I will be using more of an eclectic leadership style that consists of
parts of Theory Y, with democratic style being at the forefront. Democratic in the fact that the
objectives and goals of this group are very group centered and the success of the group is based

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just as much on the group as it is on me leading the group. This style supports the trust in the
group participants to develop their own potential and that of other group members
(Gladding,2012).
I will use the trait approach to group leadership as explained by Slavson, (1962) and
Corey et al (2010) that highlights imagination, intuition, empathy, and poise among a long list of
leadership traits that are necessary to being an effective leader (Gladding,2012). It is valuable
for the success of the group for me to be multicultural competent and by adhering to the qualities
that describes a persons traits; meaning all persons can claim ethnicities, genders, orientations,
and cultural that are different and no single group member sets the standard to which all others
are compared or expected to assimilate (Thornton, 1995). There will be a lot of dialogue as we
experience different mindfulness techniques so that everyone has a voice and feels like a part of
the group. There will be feedback in each session by the students as well in regards to what is
working for them and what did not work for them within group techniques as well as on the
homework assignments outside of the group.
It is imperative that as the leader, I have the time to teach the lessons so that we are able
to move onto the practice and application in the allocated time that we are afforded during
school. Because of this, organization will be at the forefront of being an effective and reliable
leader for the group. It will be necessary that each session is put together and I am able to be
versatile in my leadership according to the needs of my participants. The role of the leader is
pivotal to not only the overall functions of the group, but for also the dynamics of the group and
the overall outcomes and achievements of the group members (Greenland, 2010).
Format

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This group is going to be set up to be a 45 minute session for 9 sessions within a three
week span. The group will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the three week format and it
will be held at a time that is agreed upon by the teachers, in order to not effect important class
time. As stated before, there will be two groups in this format, one including just female
students, and one including just male students. Because I think it is initially important to get a
foundational understanding of mindfulness before mixing the genders, at the beginning I will be
doubling the amount of time spent running mindfulness groups, which is not preferable in
regards to time, but allows the possibility for both groups to be more effective with less
distractions.
The group will be arranged in a circle formation sitting in chairs, giving all members
access to one another and emphasizing the feeling of equality amongst all group participants
(Gladding, 2012). Group members in the first session will be given an icebreaker (Appendix B)
exercise that will help them all become acquainted with one another and will give them a small
glimpse into what it looks like to experience mindfulness. I will then explain expectations of
group involvement and participation including expectations for outside of group in regards to
homework assignments (Appendix C). Each session will start with any feedback or insights from
homework assignments from the previous group session. From there I will give a short lesson
involving mindfulness and then there we will be a mindfulness activity. After the activity is done
we will have open dialogue where we will have time to discuss ideas and feelings around the
activity that we just performed. Once we have debriefed, I will give out the homework to do for
the following class and answer any specific questions regarding it.
Group Rules

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The group rules are to be established prior to the first group session by sending each member a
list of rules that are to be accepted and abided by at all times during group (appendix D). These
group rules will be established and emphasized in the first initial meeting, and will be discussed
in every group session prior to me giving my lesson on mindfulness. Respecting others and
respecting the process of mindfulness will be the main foundation of the rules put into place
along with having fun with this group and really allowing everyone the space and the freedom to
get the most out of this group experience. It will be emphasized that what you put into to the
process and the level of commitment you invest will be directly related to what you get out of it.
Confidentiality is not as much an issue in this setting as in other group formats but it will be
important to allow group members to share and feel comfortable that what they share will stay in
the group, and not be discussed outside of group amongst non-group members. Confidentiality
is the valued component of any group and their ability to develop group trust, cohesion, and
productive work (Gladding, 2012).
Group session plan
Within the 9 sessions allocated for this group, the frequency in which we meet and the
duration for how long we meet will be predetermined prior to starting the group. Plans for this
group will include but will not be limited to focusing on attention, being aware of thoughts,
staying in the present moment, improving physical, social, emotional, psychological, and
cognitive awareness and providing coping strategies for anxiety by focusing on the present. Part
of the emphasis on this group and its outcomes are teaching students life skills such as
approaching experience with curiosity, seeing what is happening inside, to them, and around
them as well as other people and the environment clearly and objectively, and developing
patience, and happiness from the idiosyncrasies that life offers (Greenland, 2010). Examples of

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the first 4 group sessions planned are outlined in the Group session plan (Appendix E) and a copy
of the parental consent form that is mandatory for any student selected to be a part of the group
can be found in (appendix F).
Appropriate Forms and Materials
Information forms on mindfulness, Group Session plans 1-9, pre-group screening test,
post group test, parent guardian consent forms, ice-breaker activitys, group rules form,
homework assignments for group sessions 1-9, other appropriate handouts and information to be
determined as the group progresses.
Practical considerations
This group is intended to help students be more successful in their academic and social
settings while helping to relieve them of their anxiety. While running this group, I will be
adhering to the ASCA national model and will be focused on feedback and data that can further
advance the use of mindfulness practices in the future. It is imminent for student success that
they are afforded all the possible resources and interventions necessary. It is our role as a leader
and as a student advocate to help seek out these alternative interventions and bring them to the
masses with data and research supporting them. This allows us the ability to be a facilitator of
change within our system and enables us the credibility to help implement new and effective
interventions to help our students succeed. Mindfulness has shown results in the past, and by
promoting it in the future and continuing to show successful results, we can help change certain
paradigms, and in doing so we can effect great change in students ability to be mindful and
present within the school setting.
Evaluation of the group

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There will be a pre-test which is part of the pre-group screening test, and then there will be a
post-test (appendix G) after the group has ended. This will give me an idea of the effectiveness
that this group had on alleviating stress and anxiety, and the qualitative parts will help me to
better understand what can be done in the future to make the group more effective. These tests
will also allow me a better understanding of what the group members got out of the experience,
and can hopefully provide me with some positive data that allows me to extend this group to
more students within the school in the future.

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Appendix A
Pretest for flourishing mind group

(Adapted from cesultra.com)

Instructions: Read each of the symptoms below and mark with a number on the line the most
intense you have ever felt that symptom from 0-10, and then add a consistent rating next to it for
how consistently you are feeling that symptom. The intensity and consistency of feelings goes
from 0, meaning none, to 10, meaning extreme.
Symptom 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Consistently 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tense ____________
Panicky __________
Uneasy ___________
Nervous __________
Anxious __________
_
Shaky ____________
On edge __________
Restless ___________
Insecure __________
Score:_____
Date______ student name___________________
1. Are you open to working in a group setting during your advisory time or other times
throughout the day?

2. What do you know about mindfulness practices?

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3. Would you be willing to work in a group setting to help alleviate your anxiety? If yes
why?

4. Can you make a commitment to 9 sessions (3 times a week for 3 weeks)?

5. What if any past experiences do you have in group?

6. Are there any students that you would have a problem being in a group with? If so why?

7. Would your parents be okay with you participating in a group on mindfulness techniques?

8. Are you willing to work on mindfulness practices outside of the group for short periods
of time throughout your week?

9. Do you like chocolate?

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Appendix B
Icebreaker Activity
The Hello Game:
This game is good initial lessons into mindfulness by having each student in the group go
around the circle taking turns to say hello to the person next to them and making eye contact,
saying what their name is and then describing what color the eye of the person they are saying
hello to appears to be. It is important for me to model this game first by explaining the
wording around it: for example, your eyes look blue, being the appropriate way versus your
eyes are blue. This helps to reinforce objective observing rather than analyzing. The objective
to the game is to notice and say out loud what the other persons eyes look like to you, which
may or may not be what they look like to someone else or even the person that the student is
describing.
This game is adapted from the book The Mindful Child, by Susan Greenland and its
intentions are to teach awareness of the present experience, while instilling confidence, respect,
and a sense of teamwork, that will all be important moving forward in the group process.
This is an activity that I will use to start our first group session and will probably include
it in one of our last sessions. There may be a lot of awkwardness and embarrassment during this
first experience, but towards the end of the group, it is my hope that looking at each other,
maintaining eye contact for the most part without any embarrassment, and being confident while
really listening to each other and focusing on the present moment will be something that they
will have learned from this exercise and group experienc (Greenland, 2010).

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Appendix C
Homework Assignment Example:
Breathing Prompts:
Every day we as people engage in routine tasks that we dont think much about such as brushing
our teeth or putting on our clothes. For this assignment, I want you to choose one of these
normal activities and use it as an opportunity to practice breathing. Breathing exercises help you
to be more aware of all the things you do throughout a day that you are not really focusing on or
paying attention to. A lot of the things we do in our day to day routine we do in a state of autopilot. By interrupting your automatic behavior, you have the ability to understand better what
youre doing, what youre thinking, and how you are feeling.

Some prompting questions to consider throughout your day regarding your breathing:

How does your breath feel just before going to sleep and just after waking up each day?

How does your breath feel when you are active throughout your day

How does your breath feel when you are riding in a car or bus to school

How does your breath feel during laughing or after laughing

Pay attention to these feelings and experiences throughout the next few days and we will discuss
what came up for you in our next session

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Appendix D
Group Rules
1. Respect yourself and the members of your group and respect the process of mindfulness
2. What we talk about in group stays in group and should not be discussed with outside
students
3. Be open-minded and approach mindfulness with an eager curiosity and willingness to
explore your feelings, emotions, and experiences openly with the group
4. Respect the leader and realize that they are working in your best interest at all times
5. If you have any concerns or problems, bring these issues up with the leader, and the
leader will address them within the group setting.
6. Be on time and ready to work and learn
7. Be committed to the process and if for some reason you cannot make a session, please
contact the leader as soon as you are aware of this information.
8. Your homework assignments are for your learning, so the more you put in the more you
will get out of it.
9. Have fun and realize that these tools can help you immensely if you are open to them.

These rules can be added to during the course of our group if something comes up or if
there are other concerns from either myself or other group members that need to be
addressed.

Appendix E
Group Session Plan

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1. Session 1: What is Mindfulness?

2. Theme or focus: This will be an introduction to mindfulness along with a mindfulness
handout that helps elaborate on the foundational principles incorporated in mindfulness
practices and how it can help them. I will provide a clear focus along with a vision
statement and goals for the group to achieve that corresponds with the ASCA national
model of foundation, management, delivery, and accountability (ASCA National Model).
3. Goal: To help students understand at a basic level the principles of mindfulness and its
practices and how it can work to help alleviate stress and anxiety in their lives.
4. Description of the Activities:
a. Introduction: group rules and questions or concerns regarding group format
b. Icebreaker- The Hello Game (Appendix C )
c. Mindfulness overview
d. Mindfulness breathing exercise adopted from The Mindful Child (p. 6)
Keep your mind on the feeling of your breath as it moves from the tip of your
nostrils into your chest and back out again. If your mind wanders, which it
usually does, thats okay. When you see that its wandered, bring it back to the
feeling of the movement of your breath. Breathe in, breathe out. Let everything
else drop away for the length of one breath and feel what its like to be alive right
now, in the present moment (Greenland, 2010).
e. Debrief on what it was like for the group to focus on their breath. How did it
make them feel or what were their feelings during the exercise, what did they like
or dislike, and was it hard, easy or so-so.
f. Homework is given out and explained, questions, comments and/or concerns are
addressed and then the meeting is closed.
Session 2: Understanding time and space
Theme or Focus: Will be understanding how much time we are unaware of throughout our daily
lives and focus on paying attention to this more thoroughly, and not looking ahead into the
future.
Goal: To help students focus on the now and help to alleviate pressures and stresses that compile
when they are constantly focusing or worrying on the future.

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Description of Activity: I havent got a minute! (Adopted from NYCI bouncing back, adapted
from ECO-UNESCO and the Sanctuary)
Standing up from their chairs while remaining in a circle, everyone is asked to
close their eyes and remain silent. Their task is to count to one minute and
then quietly sit down. My task is to time the minute and note how many
seconds went by before the first and last student sat, and also who sat down
closest to the minute mark.
a. When the last person has sat down, ask how easy/difficult it was to guess a
minute? What could they feel? What could they hear? Did other peoples
movement influence them?
b. Then I read the following quote: Time is what we want most, but what we use
worst (William Penn). Then I ask them if they agree? Do we have too much or
too little time? Do we use time well? Do they think their lives are fast paced?
What affects does this time have on our lives?
After discussion on these questions, homework is given (appendix D) question,
comments and/or concerns are addressed, and then the meeting is over.
Session 3: Involving your senses in the moment

Theme or Focus: Focusing on mindfulness by being vigilant towards your senses and being
aware of the pieces that make a whole.
Goal: To teach awareness of your senses and appreciation for all the details that are involved in
being mindful to your experiences within each moment and not taking them for granted or
looking past them. This exercise in this session is to really focus on embracing the moment, and
is crucial to helping students with anxiety based on events that are not taking place in the
moment.
Description of Activity: Mind your Chocolate! (Adopted from NYCI bouncing back, adapted
from ECO-UNESCO and the Sanctuary)

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Exercise Part 1: Have everyone sit comfortably and show them a large bar of chocolate. Ask the
group if they know where chocolate comes from? Do they know the ingredients in it? Do they
know how many people were involved in the process of bringing it here?
Part 2: Read aloud: The tasty secret of the cacao tree was discovered 2,000 years ago in the
tropical rainforests of Mexico and Central America. Ancient people mixed ground cacao seeds
with chili peppers and cornmeal to make a spicy, frothy drink. It wasnt until the 1500s that
Europeans tasted chocolate brought back to Spain from the Americas. A cacao pod contains
about 30-50 almond-sized seeds-enough to make about seven milk chocolate bars
(http://fieldmuseum.org/).
Part 3: Give each student a piece of chocolate and read the following: Feel the weight and
shape of your chocolate. Bring it to your nose. Smell the chocolate. How does it smell? How
does your body respond to its smell? Is your mouth watering? Now, with your eyes still closed,
place the chocolate in your mouth and let it rest on your tongue. Can you taste the chocolate? If
so where can you taste it- tongue, cheeks, palate, throat?
As the chocolate rest in your mouth, think of the cocoa bean it was. Can you imagine what the
bean looks like? What it feels like? Again notice your chocolate. Is it still on your tongue?
Can you still taste it? And smell it? With your eyes closed, swallow it. Can you follow the
chocolate as it travels down your throat and into your stomach? When youre ready open your
eyes.
Part 4: Debrief about how this was different than how they would normally eat chocolate. How
was it different? Ask what did they learn from eating the chocolate mindfully? What other
things can they do mindfully? What difference would it make to life if we all did things
mindfully?
After the group is done discussing these questions, questions comments and/or concerns are
addressed and the session is ended and homework is given out for the next sessions discussion
time.
Session 4: Awareness
Theme or Focus: Acceptance of moments in life and appreciation for life
Goal: To help the students understand that accepting the moment and having appreciation for
life and gratitude for the things that modern civilization provides for them will help them to
become more fulfilled and less anxious or stressed in their everyday life. This lesson will help
provide perspective towards mindfulness.

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Description of Activity:
a. Play a different version of the Hello Game, that is focused on how individuals are
feeling in the moment.
b. Debrief
c. Watch a short YouTube video titled Gratitude and Happiness by Louie Schwartzberg
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqCT2aP4pSM).
d. Discuss how they felt watching the movie and what it brought up for them in regards to
being more mindful to the world around them.
e. Give out homework and go over last sessions homework
f. Close group with any questions concerns or comments.

Appendix F
Parent/Guardian Consent Form
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Our school staff is dedicated to ensuring that your child is getting the best and most
effective social and academic experience that we can provide. Your child has been selected to
participate in a group on mindfulness and mindfulness school-based practices within the school
environment for a 3 week time period, meeting every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. These
sessions will take place at a predetermined time during the school day that will not affect your
childs academic obligations. This is a group that will focus on helping to alleviate anxiety and
stress in adolescents in order to allow them to be as successful as they can be both academically
and socially. Studies have shown that mindfulness practices in schools can help students
regulate emotions and attention, helping them to focus and alleviate outside stressors. There is
growing research that shows that academic achievement is based on social and emotional
competence making mindfulness a very relevant practice to further explore within the school
environment.

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Your permission is requested for your child___________________________ to

participate in this group. This group will allow the 10 students selected to receive a foundational
understanding of mindfulness and how they can incorporate it into their daily routines to help
them continue to have the most successful and enlightening experience possible in school.
By signing this form, I am giving my consent for my child to participate in group
guidance counseling activities.

Parent/Guardian__________________________________ Date________________________
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me personally by e-mail:
toby.doyle@hotmail.com. During school hours, Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. and I
will get back to you as soon as possible. If you want to leave a number where I could reach you
I would be more than happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
All the best,
School Counseling Staff
Taken from:
http://www.badyhs.org/uploads/group consent form 2013-2014.doc.
Revised by, Toby Doyle (2014)
Appendix G
Post-Test for flourishing minds group

(Adapted from cesultra.com/Post Test)

Revised by Toby Doyle (2014)

Instructions: Read each of the symptoms below and mark with a number on the line the most
intense you have ever felt each symptom from 0-10, and then add a consistent number next to it
for how consistently you are feeling that symptom. The intensity and consistency of feeling goes
from 0, meaning none, to 10, meaning extreme.
Symptom 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Consistently 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Tense ____________
Panicky __________
Uneasy ___________

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Nervous __________
Anxious __________
_
Shaky ____________
On edge __________
Restless ___________
Insecure __________
Score:_____
Date______ student name___________________
1. What did you find useful in this group?

2. What did you find ineffective in this group?

3. If you were given another opportunity to be involved in a group about mindfulness would
you? Why or why not?

4. What was the most important thing you took out of this group?

5. Do you think that mindfulness practices helped you with your anxiety and/or stress?

6. Would you recommend this group to other students? Why or why not?

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Felver, J. C., Doerner, E., Jones, J., Kaye, N. C., & Merrell, K. W. (2013). MINDFULNESS IN
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