Pause for Exam Anxiety

A meditation you can do as you are preparing for an exam or as you are about to go into it. It will help you calm down and remind you that the worry and anxiety are here right now, but you do not have to be completely taken over by them.

Guided by Berit Lewis

Time: 9 min

3 Step Breathing Space

This short 5 minute meditation from the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction curriculum is an opportunity to pause in the middle of your life and notice what is going on with yourself and then allow yourself to find calmness through your breath.

Guided by Tuire Niinimaki

Time: 5 min

Just Sitting

This meditation is for people who have been meditating for a while. There will be some relative long pauses, which might be difficult for you if you are new to meditating. The purpose of this meditation is to remind ourselves about the simplicity of what meditation is really about; is to simply sit still and observe.

Guided by Berit Lewis

Time: 20 min

Links to other resources about mindfulness

Generally, about mindfulness

• Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) gives his definition of what mindfulness is in this short video: https://youtu.be/HmEo6RI4Wvs
• Why Mindfulness Is a Superpower. A short fun animation narrated by Dan Harris https://youtu.be/w6T02g5hnT4
• What is Mindfulness explained by Melly O’Brian – also known as Mrs Mindfulness https://youtu.be/iQn8Vuz_wCQ

About Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

• MBSR described where it all started at UMASS Medical school: https://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/mindfulness-based-programs/mbsr-courses/about-mbsr/
• Interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder about MBSB https://www.mindful.org/content/uploads/Mindful_freemium.pdf

Guided meditations

• Insight Timer: Home to more than 1,500,000 meditators – as app and on website: https://insighttimer.com
• Buddhifyover 80 guided customised mediations for wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.
• Calm: a website which gives you nice nature sounds and pictures to use for meditation. https://www.calm.com
• Tara Brachhas some basic guided meditations: https://www.tarabrach.com/new-to-meditation/tarabrach.com/new-to-meditation/
• Some guided meditations used in the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)course can be found here https://palousemindfulness.com/guidedmeditations.html

Apps

• Insight Timer:Free mobile app with virtual “bells” to time and support your meditations
• Buddhify: over 80 guided customised mediations for wherever you are, whatever you’re doing.
• Headspace: “Meditation made simple.” This app has a free introductory period, after which it requires a paid subscription to continue to use.
• Sleepify appmakes falling asleep and waking up an enjoyable experience.
• com:Free website and mobile app with guided meditation and relaxation exercises

Resources for mindfulness at workplace

• “How to practice mindfulness at work” article in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2017/09/14/how-to-practice-mindfulness-at-work/#1707a5ae4d57
• The Mind of the Leaderby Haugaard & Carter;
• Finding the space to lead by Janice Marturano;
• Sample chapter from The Mindful Workplaceby Michael Chaskalson
• How to Bring Mindfulness to Your Company’s LeadershipHarvard Business Review: Megan Reitz and Michael Chaskalson
• Mindfulness Works but Only if You Work at ItHarvard Business Review: Megan Reitz and Michael Chaskalson
• Making the Mindful Leaderby Jeremy Hunter and Michael Chaskalson

Resources for teachers

• Mindfulness in schools: see the film “Room to Breathe” (1 hour) which explores the personal transformations that happen for students, their families, and educators as mindfulness is introduced in a truly challenging public school environment. By providing a raw and realistic look at the experience, it shows how integrating mindfulness, along with patience, skill, collaboration and more, can transform even the most difficult classrooms. http://www.mindfulschools.org/resources/room-to-breathe/
• Healthy Habits of Mindis a 42 min movie that shows how kindergarteners at Oxford Elementary School in Berkeley, California are introduced to mindfulness during their school day. The students are taught mindful listening, mindful eating, mindful movement, and yoga by their classroom teacher. The film peeks into this course, taught by Mindful Schools Program Directors Megan Cowan and Chris McKenna. The movie also features leading neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson explaining how mindfulness affects brain function, and Megan explaining how mindfulness helps in schools.
• ‘Happy Teachers Will Change the World’is a film about teachers learning mindfulness, true transformation and happiness. From an initiative of Thich Nhat Hanh and his Plum Village community.
• A Google Talkby Program Director Chris McKenna specifically on mindful parenting. Includes some biology and neuroscience and practical techniques and strategies. (1 hr)
• Mindfulness pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinndescribes his vision for mindfulness in education at a benefit for Mindful Schools at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, 2012. (1 hr 40 min

Resources for parents and teenagers

• Mindful Tips for parents of teenagers https://www.stressedteens.com/stress-and-mindfulness

Apps

• MindShift:Free mobile app for teens developed by AnxietyBC, with mindfulness and other coping skills for anxiety
• Smiling Mind:Free mobile mindfulness app for young people, from Australia

Guided meditations

• com’s free guided meditations
• Gina Biegel, LMFT, Mindfulness for Teens: Meditation Practices to Reduce Stress and Promote Well-Being(CD, MP3)
• Larry Rosen, MD. “The Buddha and the Fig Tree.”(CD, MP3)
• org’s “Audio Resources for Guided Meditations” collection: Online, free guided meditations.

Social Networking

• Facebook:Like “The Mindful Teen” on Facebook to receive regular inspirational quotes, poems, and articles to help you keep your mindfulness practice fresh and alive.
• Twitter:Follow The Mindful Teen(@TheMindfulTeen) for mindful tweets.