Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness in and out of the Classroom

by Meena Srinivasan

Overview

In Teach, Breathe, Learn, Meena Srinivasan highlights how mindfulness can be an effective tool in the classroom. What makes this book truly unique is her perspective as a classroom teacher, wrestling daily with the conditions about which she writes.

"Teach, Breathe, Learn provides accessible, practical application of mindfulness to overcome challenges faced during the school day." Testimonials from students and colleagues are woven throughout the book. Teach, Breathe, Learn is designed for educators at all levels, parents interested in sharing mindfulness with their children, and anyone curious about how to cultivate their own mindfulness practice and eventually teach mindfulness to others.

Part 1 helps teachers develop compassion and shift from "reacting" to "responding" to demands.

Part 2 offers techniques for cultivating loving-kindness, gratitude and seeing students, colleagues, and parents as oneself.

The last section of the book introduces a curriculum teachers can use to incorporate mindfulness into their classroom, replete with lesson plans, handouts, and homework assignments.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781937006747
Publisher:	Parallax Press
Publication date:	09/09/2014
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,090,361
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Meena Srinivasan, MA, NBCT, is a seasoned educational leader, celebrated speaker, accomplished author, and visionary edupreneur. With over two decades of dedicated service, she’s always been an educator-activist at heart, consistently championing the fusion of Mindfulness and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). In 2022, she was featured as one of Mindful Magazine's "Ten Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement," while also gaining recognition in Educational Leadership Magazine for her insights into Mindful Leadership and Wellbeing.

As a prominent voice in the field, Meena focuses her speaking and writing on Emotional Intelligence and Belonging. She spoke on Unlocking the Secret Powers of Tenderness in a TEDx event and she is the creative force behind the SEL Every Day online courses, author of Teach, Breathe, Learn: Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom, SEL Every Day: Integrating SEL with Instruction in Secondary Classrooms which was chosen as one of 2019’s Favorite Books for Educators by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley and Integrating SEL into Every Classroom Quick Reference Guide. She lives in Southern California on the traditional territory of the Luiseño/Payómkawichum people.

Table of Contents

Contents
Preface
Introduction: What Is Mindfulness?

Part 1 How Do I Implement Mindfulness in My Life?
Chapter 1 Mindful Breathing
Chapter 2 Mindful Walking
Chapter 3 Deep Relaxation
Chapter 4 Mindful Eating
Chapter 5 Doing Everyday Activities Mindfully
Chapter 6 Watering Helpful Seeds

Part 2 Sharing Mindfulness
Chapter 7 The Mindfulness You Already Practice
Chapter 8 Loving Kindness Practice
Chapter 9 Seeing Students, Colleagues, and Parents as Yourself
Chapter 10 Interbeing
Chapter 11 Starting an Educators’ Mindful Practice Group

Part 3 A Curriculum for Mindfulness Educators
Chapter 12 Lesson 1: Being Present through Breath Awareness
Chapter 14 Lesson 2: Being Present through Body Awareness
Chapter 15 Lesson 3: Interconnection, Kindness, and Gratitude
Chapter 16 Lesson 4: Working with Emotions
Chapter 17 Lesson 5: Making Healthy Decisions and Mindful Speech
Chapter 18 Lesson 6: Mindful Use of Technology
Chapter 19 Lesson 7: Peace

Final Reflections

Notes
Index
Acknowledgments
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Completely inspiring. Meena Srinivasan addresses what mindfulness training is, why it matters, and how to bring it to the classroom. What a smart, compelling read! I want to run out and buy Teach, Breathe, Learn for every teacher I know.”—Kathryn Lee, Project Director of RULER for Families, Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence

“Teach, Breathe, Learn provides valuable insights and practical tips for educators. It is a wonderful toolbox, ideal for both professional and personal development.”—Lilian Cheung, D.Sc., R.D., Lecturer, Dept. of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health; Co-author, Savor

“A must-have for mindful teachers. Teach, Breathe, Learn is chock full of useful resources. It shows why and how mental fitness enhances teaching and increases learning. Srinivasan is a teachers’ teacher, and her authentic and authoritative voice communicates practical wisdom with gentleness and grace.”—Deborah Schoeberlein David, M.Ed., Mindful Teaching and Teaching Mindfulness

"Now is the time to transform our Educational system for the sake of our children. We need to think outside the box and embrace new approaches that can draw out our deep inner resources. Mindfulness offers a way for us to tap into the inner resilience, focus and wellbeing that are already inside us. Teach, Breathe, Learn is a key that unlocks this inner potential. This book makes mindfulness accessible for teachers everywhere and is a great resource for sharing mindfulness with young people. It is a helpful tool for parents and educators of all backgrounds. As an accomplished international educator and dedicated mindfulness practitioner, Meena Srinivasan brings these two worlds together in this compelling book, showing how to embed mindfulness into teaching and life. Meena’s current work implementing Social Emotional Learning in the Oakland public school district embodies her commitment to transforming our nation’s education system from the inside out."—Congressman Tim Ryan, A Mindful Nation

"Teach, Breathe, Learn is a very readable, insightful book, filled with wisdom, that makes crystal clear the power of mindfulness in the classroom and how it can transform students’ lives.”—Theo Koffler, Founder, Mindfulness Without Borders

“Meena Srinivasan's authentic teacher's voice narrates her journey into mindfulness both in and out of the classroom. Teach, Breathe, Learn is a delicious masala of recipes for any educator interested in mapping their own journey into mindfulness.”—Lauren Alderfer, Ph.D., Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda

“Meena Srinivasan's experienced and kind voice, her respect for her colleagues, and her inclusion of the voices of her students demonstrates a lived understanding of the interconnection that mindfulness reveals. This is a careful and comprehensive guide to mindful teaching and learning."—Mirabai Bush, Contemplative Practices in Higher Education

"Teach, Breathe, Learn provides an intimate look into the life and teaching of an experienced mindfulness practitioner. Meena Srinivasan beautifully describes developing and sharing mindfulness lessons with students and teachers and using these same mindfulness practices in her own life. —Richard Brady, President, Mindfulness in Education Network

“This truly is authentic social and emotional learning in action! Srinivasan combines personal mindfulness practice with her skills as a gifted classroom teacher to produce a model for all who seek to explore and develop mindfulness in education.“—Kevin Hawkins, Middle School Principal, International School of Prague

“Meena Srinivasan offers an inspiring vision of what a truly mindful education can look like. Her eloquent personal anecdotes and lesson plans are a guide into a new and transformative educational paradigm.”—Daniel Rechtschaffen, MFT, The Way of Mindful Education

“Clear, honest, and heartfelt. Teach, Breathe, Learn is a book by a truly exceptional teacher. It addresses the day-to-day realities of classroom teaching and offers teachers very practical ways to share specific skills to help students cultivate inner and outer peace throughout their school day, and in their lives beyond the classroom.”—Amy Saltzman M.D., A Still Quiet Place

“This book offers a model of teaching that can be embraced by any teacher ready to commit to a journey of self-awareness, mindfulness, and authenticity. Meena’s students demonstrate, in their own words, what it means to be human and to live with gratitude and compassion.” –Prajna Hallstrom, Founder of the Karuna School: A High School for Peace

From the Publisher