Meditation Secrets Revealed

Vlad Moskovski interview with Megan Cowan, co-found and executive director of programs at Mindful Schools.

Imagine a classroom in a public inner- city elementary school. Perhaps images of loud screaming kids comes to mind. Nope, this is not the classroom we are talking about. In this mindfulness classroom the kids are quiet and contemplative. They are learning to noticing their feelings and observe their thoughts. This is happening in every classroom, spreading like wildfire across many schools, with teachers and staff learning along side the kids. Welcome to the world of Mindful Schools. A non-profit that is integrating mindfulness into education.

Vlad: How did Mindful Schools start, and what was your involvement?

In 2007, at the first Mindfulness in Education Conferences I met Laurie Grossman and Richard Shaknman who had just started a pilot program teaching mindfulness at Emerson Elementary School in Oakland. My whole background is in mindfulness meditation and kids and I have been teaching kids mindfulness in a variety of context for a while and was looking to get more into the public arena. So I went and saw Richard teach at that first school and I think the three of us knew right away, “Oh yeah, a perfect fit”. At the time teaching mindfulness in schools was new and for us it was just an experiment, but it was very evident that the impact was powerful. I taught the second school that we piloted and things just flowed from there. My involvement was from the beginning, but it evolved from us doing a program to us really starting to learn something that was going to become an organization. Since then, there has been a strong surge in the field. In a way, we caught the wave.

Vlad: What inspires you to continue going into schools?

The classroom is why I do this work. If I haven’t been in the classroom in a while then I start to get depressed. I feel like I get more from the kids then they get from me. For me it is such an honor and such a gift to be able to work with them. We work primarily with elementary schools, and I think that age group feels very healing to me. I get a tremendous amount of joy from being able to connect with them, and teach them a skill that I find valuable and see them embrace it and take in on in a way that is improving the way they relate to their life. There is a magic of seeing how they apply mindfulness on their own.

Vlad: Is there an underlying assumption underneath the work that Mindful Schools does – an ideology?

I think it is a fundamental assumption that self awareness does improve the quality of your life. I guess we could say it all comes down to a preventative mental health tool that gives young people the capacity to notice and navigate their experiences and emotions. If you teach that to them while they are young, you are giving them a much stronger foundation from which to approach challenges and difficulties and recognize and appreciate the things that are good and going well in life.

Part of what happens when you are self aware is that you don’t take yourself or your thoughts as personally or as seriously so you can rebound more quickly from being depressed or being caught in an obsessive thought pattern. You can catch it sooner, and you can see it more objectively, and are much more empowered to make choice around those thoughts and emotions.

Vlad: How do you imagine mindfulness will help and change this generation of kids?

I don’t feel like I am operating in this work with an idealized vision of how we are going to change the world. If we are building one interactions to the next then I feel like we are connecting with kids. We are embowering them, giving them a tools that help them navigate through life maybe in a way they did not have before. There is this ripple effect in how they relate to their classmates, their teacher, their families, and the challenges in their life and the decisions that they make. When you follow it out step by step, I guess theoretically we could be looking at a more peaceful world. But you know, it is a big world and there are a lot of people and it is a big jump.

Vlad: How is mindfulness being regarded in the public school system? Do teachers, staff, and principals get it?

We have been, as of this Fall, in just over 50 schools and work with about 14,000 kids all in the Bay Area. I think that I have encountered every single reaction, from incredibly supporting and engaged in the work to not interested or even objecting to the work, but the large majority are really interested and responsive. My general sense is that there is something intuitive that people recognize about the potential benefits of teaching kids mindfulness.

Living in our culture that is moving full speed ahead constantly, people don’t allow themselves any down time to stop and deliberately let their body become still and bring awareness into their physical experience to start to notice the content of their mind. There is a relief in that, just the stopping. We teach the program to the kids and the teachers. And then, over the course of the two months, or however long we are at a school we are preparing the kids to take ownership over leading mindfulness in the classroom.

Vlad: I’ve been seeing a lot of articles about meditation and the brain. Is mindfulness gaining popularity-recognition?

It is hard to say when you are in it, I think it is everywhere! Every time I’m at a staff meeting in a school I ask, “Raise your had if you’ve never heard of mindfulness and usually plenty of hands go up”. You look in any arena, mindfulness based things are popping up everywhere. Most notably in medicine and psychology.

Vlad: Is mindfulness a set of skills or can it also be part of a spiritual path? In other words, what is the relationship between learning mindfulness and spirituality?

I think that ultimately mindfulness still holds a place in both of those worlds. That mindfulness is used as a spiritual practice in deepening ones own understanding and wisdom in a spiritual context, and it will continue to be utilized as a life skills or a mental health tool. When you pull it apart, mindfulness is a universal human capacity to pay attention. It just so happens that certain contemplative traditions have utilized that capacity with spiritual means. And it is found most obviously in Buddhism, but looking at oneself in a contemplative way is found within all contemplative traditions. I think we are really fortunate that it got such a methodical laid out structure in Buddhism. That is what makes it really accessible.

Vlad: Do you think anything is lost in taking it out of the Buddhist or spiritual context?

I think it depends on what your intention is. I think there is this concern that Buddhists are co-opting education, they are trying to sneak in the back door or something. For Mindful Schools, our intention is to give kids tools that help them navigate their world more easily and that is really sincere. And in that way, I absolute do not think anything is lost. You don’t need a religious context for that at all.

And then I can say for people, for myself, that learning mindfulness when I was young as a life skills would not have been enough for me. I wanted something more out of it and I like that there is a place to pursue that.

For more info and to get involved check out: http://mindfulschools.org/

New research coming shows that even 8 weeks of meditation can create changes in brain chemistry and structure. Excerpt from Science Daily published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging

ScienceDaily (Jan. 21, 2011) — Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain’s grey matter. To read full article click here.

We have some exciting updates and announcements here at Meditation Secrets Revealed. Our first workshop in the Bay Area titled: Following the Footsteps of Ancient Yogis will be held on September 25 in Berkeley California, hosted in the fabulous 7th Heaven Yoga studio. It is being co-sponsored by Yoga on the Bay, a new organization dedicated to bringing yoga and meditation to all people by offering donation based classes outdoors. For details about the workshop visit Yoga on the Bay.

Also, Meditation Secrets Revealed is now listing locations and times of yoga and meditation classes in Berkeley, CA lead by Vlad Moskovski – founder of Meditation Secrets Revealed. If you live in the Bay Area and would like to take a class with Vlad click Class Schedule.

In the next few months, we will be unveiling a meditation Web-Course. The course will be a series of lessons focused on learning meditation techniques and taking students step by step through a journey of self discovery and exploration. Plenty of guidance will be provided and all questions will be answered via e-mail, forum, or chat room. The Web-Course will begin with basic understanding of meditation practices and will evolve into more difficult and advanced practices as the lessons progress. More information to come soon.

As I look around me at a classroom of over 20 eager and curious 6th graders sitting on pillows in a carpeted room with colorful paintings, famous quotes, and a picture of social change leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr, I can’t help but think how far we have come.

At this West Oakland School, every youth is taught mindfulness meditation, yoga, and mindful listening. This under-funded inner city school is taking a radical step towards preventing further violence in it’s community by teaching  students to seek more peaceful and harmonious ways to live.  Growing Up Mindful, is a program designed to teach students mindfulness, open and honest communication, yoga, and other consciousness raising activities. Knowing that this class is now integrated into the school curriculum with the approval and encouragement of the staff and principal is a dream come true.

This program is no singularity, similar programs are sprouting in many elementary, middle, and high schools all over the country. Yoga and Mindfulness are also being taken into jails, juvenile halls, and hospitals. With so much research to back up the claims that Mindfulness meditation and yoga improve concentration, memory, attention, reduce stress, and improve overall health, its no wonder that these ancient practices are finally making their way to public schools.

In addition to the benefits already mentioned, in a school setting students experience a radical boost to their self esteem and improved self image and confidence. By practicing yoga students are able to gain confidence in their own abilities to overcome physically and mentally challenging poses with a peaceful mind. The curriculum also focuses on establish mutual respect, kindness, and understanding- crucial to students facing inner city violence and oppression in their own communities.

The teacher’s voice is like a soft whispering hum filling the room, it tickles the skin and nourishes just the right place within. To be in the presence of such a brilliant, loving, and soulful teacher is a rare opportunity. As we move from pose to pose, sweat dripping from our faces, there is an internal smile that awakens with gratitude and joy at the awesomeness of such a class. This is no regular yoga class, here, we are a community, we are loved, and we feel at home. We are at the Ojai Yoga Crib.

Having been to many festivals, workshops, and gatherings, few events feel so deliciously good, so inspiring, and refreshing. Maybe it is because the crib takes place in the small town town of Ojai, nestled into a beautiful and lush valley just one and a half hours north of the busy concrete jungle of Los Angeles. Perhaps it is the amazing venues where classes are held. A class in the geodesic dome reveals the stunning acoustical properties of its geometric shape, where the musical voice of the teacher’s singing arcs and leaps with a whispers right into your ear. We pack into a school bus, bringing back memories of school days, and with giddy excitement we head for the stunning meditation center. Up there, as I move from downward dog into cobra, my gaze travels far ahead looking at the distant mountains surrounding us and the lush oaks covering the hills like millions of broccoli heads. Ojai is infused with the energy of spiritual wisdom and radiant beauty, it is where the famous spiritual leader Krishnamurti settled down and spent much of his time.

The crib is hosted by Lulubandhas – a yoga studio in Ojai. It is the brainchild of Kira and Eric Ryder and is made possible by the joint effort of a loving community of yogis. From the moment one arrives at headquarters, there is a sense of joy and togetherness that is unlike anything else I have experienced. Every detail has been thought through to make this three day yoga retreat exciting and accessible. Starting from the butterfly engraved outfits of the friendly team of volunteers to the simple and colorful schedule, every detail is an expression of the care and love that went into this event. Participants are able to choose from some of the best and most diverse teachers, each one bringing a unique perspective, years of experience, and a deep reverence for the science and art of yoga. The biggest challenge for me was to choose between the teachers for the five classes that are offered. Two classes the first and second day, one class on the last.

Meditation is held every morning. At 9 am, the first two and a half hour class begins. Afterwards, a vegetarian lunch is offered at headquarters or participants can choose from any of the wonderful restaurants around town. After lunch, allowing for some time for digestion, contemplation, and possibly a mid-afternoon nap, the second two and a half hour class begins. In the evenings, inspirational dharma talks, kirtan, music, and dancing provide entertainment and bring all the yogis together for a celebration of the spirit, mind, and heart.

As hard as it was to leave the crib, I am left with a deep sense of fulfillment and love. Rejuvenated and re-inspired, I already can’t wait for next year to come soon enough. Thank you Eric, Kira, Lulubanhdas, and everyone that helped make this such a masterful and blissful event.

The Ojai Yoga Crib Website
Lulubandhas Website

Here is something new. A rather interesting technique that people are calling super brain yoga.

The exercise in itself is very simple and involves the use of breath retention combined with crossing the left and right arm. This is very similar to the eagle pose in yoga where the left arm is crossed over right as right leg is crossed over left. The idea is to mismatch and break the natural synchronized patterning of body motion in order to create new patterns and awareness. Using breathing and an up and down motion also help retrain the brain and makes the movement more memorable. The video below mentions that the effectiveness of the technique is due in part to the placement of the fingers on the earl lobes that are related to acupressure points.

Supposedly, doing this exercise 15 times daily in the morning makes children and adults smarter by synchronizing the two brain hemispheres. I wanted to bring this technique to your attention with the hopes that some of my readers will try it out and comment back on this post what they thought of it. I will try this technique out for the next two week doing 15 repetitions every morning and will send out an update on the effects based on my own self observations.

Here is the short video from CBS2 News about it and a link to the specific instruction on how to do it. As the video points out, this is especially powerful for kids with learning or emotional disabilities.

Video, Instructions.

Hi everyone, I just completed an extensive FAQ the responds to common concerns raised by people interested in learning more about meditation and those that have just begun to meditate. In this meditation guide, I cover burning questions such as: What is mediation, what are the benefits, different types, do I need a guru, how do I know I am doing well, how long should I meditation for, and much more. Not to mention some really cool pix!

If someone you know is interested or could benefit from this information, feel free to pass the link along. You can navigate there by clicking the Meditation FAQ tab above, next to About Me.