Attention and Direction

Attention leads the direction we  head.  Attention takes what we value and mixing is up with what we are conditioned, and like a ping-pong match struggling between the heart and the head,  finally leads the way to the direction attention points.

The funny thing though about attention is though there can be a truth deep in the heart, a conditioned head can overrule… pointing us further and further away from where we want to head.  The results?  Awareness… awareness of what we are used to, what is truly in our heart, and which direction the “rubber hits the road” and we follow. .. no matter how crazy it may seem.

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Getting Attention Through Awareness

Getting Children’s Attention

Through Awareness

By Catherine Rosasco-Mitchell

2/7/12

After he stabbed his high school teacher with a butcher knife over a low grade, Jason Haffizulla pleaded “temporary insanity.”   The judge ruled him innocent.  It struck me how two years later the Gainsville Sun focused on how Jason “Climbing to the top after Setback” becoming valedictorian. Jason never apologized to the teacher and his obsession for academic excellence wasn’t just from the pressure he put on himself.  When asked what happen Jason said, “My mind just went bananas.”  The mental health of Jason and many struggling children is related to our cultural values.  Today child suicide, depression, violence in schools and obesity cases are higher than ever before and congress is starting to ask why?

Attention is a hot topic in schools because teachers (and schools) are judged according to grades. However congress is re-evaluating the laws of “no child left behind.” Leaders of schools are being introduced to research in brain and behavioral sciences recognizing emotional and social health crucial for peoples’ success (Goleman, 2006).

“Reading and math, reading and math,” vibrates in the hallways of a school atmosphere. As these values hum beneath the minds of teachers stress rises… and so does the need for new doors to open up in what we teach as important.  Essential to getting attention, is Read More

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Compassion and Balance Inside and Out

There’s a paradigm shift happening today.  More and more people are realizing we “think” with our bodies.  This shift recognizes the differences of learning from the head compared to from the body. The two paradigms, though very different, are related.  Education for over 100 years has focused on teaching from our heads.  Now a revolutionary look of how the body acts as a mirror to perception is showing us how we learn.  In other worlds our bodies are the filter systems to what information is taking in and “made sense.”

Katie, a 2nd grader got a glimpse of what her body did to her brain.  The good news is even with only a glimpse the choices she makes in the future can further the unfolding of this powerful insight.

Life holds a mirror up of our history.  The mirror is traced in the shape and function of Read More

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Spontaneous Behavior Can Show Why Children Aren’t Paying Attention

Teachers often ask how to get children to stop goofing around and pay attention. Take a moment and watch their spontaneous behavior. Wonder, could this behavior be “unintentionally” trying to listen?  Our first reaction may think “no,”  but watch their movements.  Their behavior could be giving clues as to why they are not paying attention.

Samantha, a fourth grader, was not following the directions.  Her attention was on something else.  To teach children attention we first have to help children turn attention inside.  To pull Samantha’s attention inside we did the Home Breath lesson (a lesson to center a child’s mind in their heart).  But it was futile.  Each time Samantha was giggling so loud she was disturbing the rest of the class.  Instead of listening   she was trying to Read More

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Half Hearted

Sixth Day Kohala Winter Camp

By Catherine Rosasco Mitchell

Some people think it is impossible to teach children to feel and understand what goes on inside them, yet alone put their attention to the feelings inside while simultaneously having attention with others.  Earl proved he could do even more.

“No one will play with me. I asked Simon if he would play with me and he’s not paying attention,” Earl complained as he reached for his lunch box.

“Earl we aren’t having snacks now.  Please go get Simon and come here,” I replied.  Earl continued to fiddle with a baggie of carrots.

“Simon, could you please come here a minute,” I called across the playground.  Simon, a five year old with a sticky blond Mohawk haircut and angel blue eyes came toddling across the field.

“Simon, Earl wants to share something with you but first I want you both to find home.”  Both boys closed their eyes and did the Home Breath lesson.

“When you find Home put your hand where you feel it in your body and see if you can still feel it when you open your eyes?” I asked.  Earl and Simon repeated the Home Breath three or four times. Earl placed his hand on his heart. Simon placed his hand on his upper chest.

“What does it feel like inside when you find Home Earl?”  I asked seeing his attention inward with closed eyes.

“It feels warm,” he replied.

“What about you Simon, what does your Home feel like inside?”

Simon said, “It feels happy”.

“Ok, now we are going to let own Homes talk about what upset us. Keep your hand on your body where you feel Home so you can remember your Home is the one that is going to talk.  Earl, you share first.   What did you feel out on the playground?”

Earl’s eyes opened and the minute he did his attitude shifting to blaming and complaining… “Simon is mean.”

Simon jumped in, letting go of his upper chest and mindlessly pulling at the top of his Mohawk pointing the tips of his hair straight up like a cat ready to brawl.  He shouted, “I just want to play!”

I stopped them both, “Oh wait, look what just happen!  Can either of you still feel Home?”  I looked at Earl.

Read More

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Free Movement Lessons for Behavior and Academics

Yes it is true, feel free to email us and get FREE lessons: info@wellnessthroughmovement.com

Lesson will include:

  • Why we do the Movements
  • Science behind the Movements
  • Other Areas the Movements Can Help
  • Age and Time Lessons will Take

In Your Email:

  • Tell us what ages you are working with? (we have lessons f0r 5 years and older)
  • What behaviors and/or academic studies you want support?

Here’s our list of Areas we cover for Movement Lessons:

Movements Lessons Helping:

Attention

Focus

Listening

Read More

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Email Questions from Elementary Teachers: Attention and ADHD

Hi Renee,

ADHD causes are on an individual basis… the foundation of causes in ADHD  I believe most often is missing some developmental movement (see research on psycho-physiology) that helps orchestrate feelings with thinking, thinking with action and action with the immediate environment.

Please recommend to the parents to have the children join the camp break sessions at school where we go through developmental movements to help catch these children up.

Every special needs child I’ve seen are missing some primary movements,… the affects throw coordination off thus their sense of self (as well as the synergy of all senses) off… unable to be totally present with what is happening around them for a very long period of time…

ATTENTION:

Let’s try to create some attention inside first with the Home Breath and Personal Bubbles lesson .  First we have to teach spatial orientation so they physical sense where Read More

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Email Questions from Elementary Teachers: Anxiety, Listening, & Focus

Aloha Rebecca,

Thank you for your interest.  Enclose are three lessons for your special education class to calm anxiety, attention and focus…to begin.

Please remember if children are hyper and have been sitting or not active for more than 30 minutes they may need to get some of this energy out…Hopping in place with “Magic Zippers” (their mouth closed), Running as fast as you can (with magic zippers)… or getting outside are some options.

For:

Calming

Home Breath Lesson on bellies, with knees bend rocking side to side will help calm anxiety.  The rocking motion with long exhalations helps relax Read More

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Free Lessons Available

To Join our Mailing List ….and get free lessons including Home Breath, Pancake Body, and Personal Bubbles Freeze Dance lessons.

Send us an email at:: info@wellnessthroughmovement.com.

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Creating Patience: Half Hearted

Sixth Day (continued with Earl) Kohala Winter Camp

Half Hearted

Some people think it is impossible to teach children to put their attention to feelings inside while they put their attention outside onto others.  Earl proved he could do even more.

“No one will play with me. I asked Simon if he would play with me and he’s not paying attention,” Earl complained as he reached for his lunch box.

“Earl we aren’t having snacks now.  Please go get Simon and come here,” I replied.  Earl continued to fiddle with a baggie of carrots.

“Simon, could you please come here a minute,” I called across the playground.  Simon, a five year old with a sticky blond Mohawk haircut and angel blue eyes came toddling across the field.

“Simon, Earl wants to share something with you but first I want you both to find home.”  Both boys closed their eyes and did the Home Breath lesson.

“When you find Home put your hand where you feel it in your body and see if you can still feel it when you open your eyes?” I asked.  Earl and Simon repeated the Home Breath three or four times. Earl placed his hand on his heart. Simon placed his hand on his upper chest.

“What does it feel like inside when you find Home Earl?”  I asked seeing his attention inward with closed eyes.

“It feels warm,” he replied.

“What about you Simon, what does your Home feel like inside?”

Simon said, “It feels happy”.

“Ok, now we are going to let own Homes talk about what upset us. Keep your hand on your body where you feel Home so you can remember your Home is the one that is going to talk.  Earl, you share first.   What did you feel out on the playground?”

Earl’s eyes opened and the minute he did his attitude shifting  to blaming and complaining… “Simon is mean.”

Simon jumped in, letting go of his upper chest and mindlessly pulling at the top of his Mohawk pointing the tips of his hair straight up like a cat ready to brawl.  He shouted, “I just want to play!”

I stopped them both, “Oh wait, look what just happen!  Can either of you still feel Home?”  I looked at Earl.

“No,” Earl innocently replied.

“What does your Home feel like now?” I asked.

Earl flashed big sad eyes and said, “It feels cold.”

I asked Simon, “What does it feel like when you went out of Home? ”

“My Home feels empty,” Simon curiously responded.

Both boys went inside to find Home again.

This time they tried to talk from their hearts.  They were calmer but still upset.  It turned out Simon didn’t mind playing together with Earl, he just didn’t want Earl to keep asking, “Will you play with me? Will you play with me?  Will you play with me?”

Simon repeated more gently,  “I just wanted to play.”

After the boys talked and both understood each other’s position I asked Earl, “What does Home feel now?”

To my surprise Earl lifted his index finger to his heart region and outlined half his heart and replied in a half-hearted manner, “This half feels warm, but this side still feels cold.”  I just wanted to hug him… then I noticed the region of his chest that “felt cold” looked more protruded and tight.

End?

Background of Earl at the Camp

Earl missed the movement games to soften the ribcage and improve the posture for sitting.  If our bodies hold tension in a familiar character of behavior, it can feel like a magnet sucking us back into the very action we don’t want to go into.

We reviewed a little of the past movement lessons with the whole class later that morning, to help change Earl’s posture.  However he also had difficulty breathing through is nose.  The tension of ribs and sinuses affect each other.

Later that afternoon I noticed Earl’s way of listening and sharing seemed separate from the content of the discussion.  Earl seemed to be again in his own little world.  I wondered if it had to do with the discomfort of his stuffy sinuses.

Where we left off and how I would proceed if Earl were my son is to practice the feeling of Home with him and in myself.

The Home Breath lesson isn’t a breathing technique to change how we feel inside and than forget.  It is a feeling that needs to be recalled through our day and applied. Just as those who meditate or pray and feel powerful insights but forget to apply to their day.

Finding Home for a second can be really exciting.  When the children do they want to jump back into the game forgetting the feeling. However if they for the state of mind of Home they are missing the whole point of the game. Attention must be balanced inside with the outside.    The mastery we all strive for is to enjoy life but the tricky part is the joy like aloha starts from inside.

The last day the children made a beautiful card thanking us for the program.  As I opened my card Earl pushed through the crowd of smiling faces and pointing to his note on the paper.

It said, “I love you.”

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