State Facilities Use Mindful Awareness Techniques
by Sarah Wood Vallely
Donna Messina is hopeful that she will be leading meditations regularly this summer with a state residential program for girls in Massachusetts, beginning June 15. The girls are between the ages of 13 and 18 years old and are placed there by the courts for a variety of reasons. Messina lead guided meditations this past winter for two programs at a residential hospital. In one she journeyed a group of teenagers from a behavioral residential program through a forest with animals that gave the students positive affirmations. “The teacher had already implemented mindful awareness practices and I simply gave her a few more tools to use with them,” said Donna.
On a return trip to the program, the director introduced himself to Donna and told her of the positive impacts of mindfulness techniques. She also received a beautiful book of thanks filled with great feedback from the teens in the facility about Donna and the meditation tools they learned. “I feel confident in myself that I will be able to succeed in meditation. I felt really relaxed when I had a lot of issues on my mind. The meditation slowed down my thoughts and helped me focus on the good and not the bad,” wrote Alex. Shawn shared, “I felt like I was in heaven. I felt like I was drifting on a cloud.” And Joaquin wrote this note, “I will use relaxation when I’m angry, sad and lonely, and mostly in the morning when I’m a little grumpy.”
After the guided meditation, the students asked Donna what she listened to when she meditated. She played “Angel’s Touch” for them, a CD of flute music. The students sat still, listening, for forty-five minutes. “It was pretty powerful,” recalled Donna. Their teacher is also using on a daily basis a CD Donna recorded for them called Positive Affirmations from the Forest Animals. This, Donna says, is her goal. She hopes she can leave programs with tools they can use with their kids every day. Then her work can have the greatest impact.
Donna learned that state facilities are trying to create rooms that will offer a relaxing environment utilizing mindful awareness instead of using restraints when children have behavioral problems. “We are definitely in a time of transformation!” said Donna.
Connect with Donna: heavenlycomforts@charter.net
School Board Meeting leads to Volunteer Position
Sandi Smith, Child Meditation Facilitator, shared an article about the benefits of teaching meditation to children in schools at a school based council meeting and volunteered to help. A member of the council for three years, Sandi was asked to share meditation activities at Roosevelt High School, Des Moines, Iowa, with a group of girls frequently referred for disciplinary action.
Sandi presented a “45 minute sprint” through mandala coloring, tips for dealing with adrenaline charges, releasing energy without getting into trouble, and led them through a grounding cord meditation. (www.sarahwood.com/SampleMeditation.htm) Sandi recognized the need to trust herself and move forward boldly and confidently with these challenging students. “I quickly went into high-speed teaching, letting go of any inhibitions I had about not being cool,” she said.
Also, a Mandalas for Health and Healing Facilitator, Sandi used the tranquilizing affect of the mandalas and encouraged the girls to color throughout the session, except during the meditation. Sandi settled on the “simplicity of the grounding meditation.” She said, “I originally though it would be too primary for them but it was perfect in the end.” Sandi could tell by their body language that all the students were affected by the meditation. Four of the seven girl shared what they saw and let go of while meditating, despite strong peer pressure to remain silent. “The counselor who was present throughout raved about the unbelievable calm behavior of the girls during the 45 minutes; something she had never seen,” said Sandi.
With schools “scrambling for methods to help their students within their budget demands,” Sandi believes relaxation activities are becoming acceptable within the public school community. Sandi’s first session has had a lasting impact on the students; the principal of Roosevelt High School has asked her to come back.
Connect with Sandi: smithrob2@earthlink.net
Donna Messina is hopeful that she will be leading meditations regularly this summer with a state residential program for girls in Massachusetts, beginning June 15. The girls are between the ages of 13 and 18 years old and are placed there by the courts for a variety of reasons. Messina lead guided meditations this past winter for two programs at a residential hospital. In one she journeyed a group of teenagers from a behavioral residential program through a forest with animals that gave the students positive affirmations. “The teacher had already implemented mindful awareness practices and I simply gave her a few more tools to use with them,” said Donna.
On a return trip to the program, the director introduced himself to Donna and told her of the positive impacts of mindfulness techniques. She also received a beautiful book of thanks filled with great feedback from the teens in the facility about Donna and the meditation tools they learned. “I feel confident in myself that I will be able to succeed in meditation. I felt really relaxed when I had a lot of issues on my mind. The meditation slowed down my thoughts and helped me focus on the good and not the bad,” wrote Alex. Shawn shared, “I felt like I was in heaven. I felt like I was drifting on a cloud.” And Joaquin wrote this note, “I will use relaxation when I’m angry, sad and lonely, and mostly in the morning when I’m a little grumpy.”
After the guided meditation, the students asked Donna what she listened to when she meditated. She played “Angel’s Touch” for them, a CD of flute music. The students sat still, listening, for forty-five minutes. “It was pretty powerful,” recalled Donna. Their teacher is also using on a daily basis a CD Donna recorded for them called Positive Affirmations from the Forest Animals. This, Donna says, is her goal. She hopes she can leave programs with tools they can use with their kids every day. Then her work can have the greatest impact.
Donna learned that state facilities are trying to create rooms that will offer a relaxing environment utilizing mindful awareness instead of using restraints when children have behavioral problems. “We are definitely in a time of transformation!” said Donna.
Connect with Donna: heavenlycomforts@charter.net
School Board Meeting leads to Volunteer Position
Sandi Smith, Child Meditation Facilitator, shared an article about the benefits of teaching meditation to children in schools at a school based council meeting and volunteered to help. A member of the council for three years, Sandi was asked to share meditation activities at Roosevelt High School, Des Moines, Iowa, with a group of girls frequently referred for disciplinary action.
Sandi presented a “45 minute sprint” through mandala coloring, tips for dealing with adrenaline charges, releasing energy without getting into trouble, and led them through a grounding cord meditation. (www.sarahwood.com/SampleMeditation.htm) Sandi recognized the need to trust herself and move forward boldly and confidently with these challenging students. “I quickly went into high-speed teaching, letting go of any inhibitions I had about not being cool,” she said.
Also, a Mandalas for Health and Healing Facilitator, Sandi used the tranquilizing affect of the mandalas and encouraged the girls to color throughout the session, except during the meditation. Sandi settled on the “simplicity of the grounding meditation.” She said, “I originally though it would be too primary for them but it was perfect in the end.” Sandi could tell by their body language that all the students were affected by the meditation. Four of the seven girl shared what they saw and let go of while meditating, despite strong peer pressure to remain silent. “The counselor who was present throughout raved about the unbelievable calm behavior of the girls during the 45 minutes; something she had never seen,” said Sandi.
With schools “scrambling for methods to help their students within their budget demands,” Sandi believes relaxation activities are becoming acceptable within the public school community. Sandi’s first session has had a lasting impact on the students; the principal of Roosevelt High School has asked her to come back.
Connect with Sandi: smithrob2@earthlink.net
