Mindfulness in the West Wing

December 9, 2010

The West Wing has been incorporating mindfulness exercises into their daily schedule with a wide range of activities.  Some of their favorites are sitting in a circle and saying something nice about the person that is sitting to their left. This has helped boost self-esteem and helps them practice giving and receiving compliments. 

Another preferred mindfulness activity is taking the 5 senses and telling the group what makes them happy for each sense…”The smell of fresh cut grass makes me happy. The taste of goldfish makes me happy. The feel of fuzzy pajamas makes me happy” A more hands on activity the group enjoys is doing yoga stretches or touching an item in a bag and describing it to the group so they can guess what it is.

Mindfulness has been helping the group to calm and center themselves after a hard day at school, as well as opening doors to get to know one another.  Having the students do these mindfulness activities before and after transitions assists with a smoother flow to everyone’s day.