The lights are dimmed, yoga mats blanket the classroom floor, and soft piano music plays as students take a collective breath, and Brebeuf Jesuit teacher Michelle Martin begins to lead a guided meditation.
“We’re going to take a deep breath in, and slowly let it out...Focus on the space in between your in-breath, and your out-breath...I invite you to imagine a bright light above you that pushes out any tension or stress...and just for a moment, allow your body to sit in this peace.”
Michelle, who has been with Brebeuf for 13 years, boasts an inspiring 26 years as an educator. She currently serves the Brebeuf community as a French teacher, immersion trip coordinator, and most recently, mindfulness teacher.
“My absolute favorite thing about my role at Brebeuf is that my position isn’t limiting,” Michelle shared. “We are encouraged to stretch ourselves professionally.”
The teacher certainly took this encouragement to heart by completing over 200 hours of mindfulness certifications through the International Mindfulness for Teachers Association (IMTA). This rigorous accreditation process involves studies in the history, science, and secularization of mindfulness; cultural competency, i.e., diversity, equity, and inclusion; and contemporary applications of mindfulness in fields such as education, prison, medicine, and business. It also includes personal mindfulness practice, a practicum, training under the supervision of a mentor, and two one-week silent retreats.
All of this hard work informs the mindfulness initiative Michelle has brought to the Brebeuf community. But what is mindfulness?
“There is a misconception that mindfulness entails ridding yourself of all thoughts,” Michelle said. “This is not true. The best definition [of mindfulness] that I have come across is from Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., who is the founding executive director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts. He defines mindfulness as the ‘awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.’”
Numerous studies have shown that establishing mindful practices may lead to decreased stress and anxiety, better sleep, increased ability to regulate difficult emotions, deeper empathy and understanding of others, higher levels of well-being, and greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of the world. These findings carry important implications for the ways mindfulness may benefit Brebeuf students, especially given the rise of mental health challenges among American teens.
“Teenagers are under a variety of stresses that come not only from physical and cognitive changes, but also the mixed messages they receive through social media, the way they are ‘plugged in’ all the time, and the changes in the current university landscape,” Michelle explained. “Messages insisting [that students] need to do more and be more bombard them every day, and life has become a competition for them. Mindfulness teaches teenagers to set more realistic expectations for themselves, to be patient with themselves, and to feel loved and accepted.”
Michelle’s one-credit, one-semester Mindfulness 1 and Mindfulness 2 elective courses teach students how to be in the present moment and see things from more constructive perspectives. The curriculum employs meditations, games, reflections, and short readings to teach strategies for increased relaxation, improved focus and concentration, and management of difficult emotions. Lessons include “Mindful or Mind Full Living,” “Eating Meditation,” “Mindful Messaging and Social Media Use,” “Meeting and Navigating Difficult Emotions,” “Dial up the Gratitude,” and “Self-love and Appreciation.”
When asked why they love Michelle’s class so much, her Mindfulness 2 students were quick to describe her as “an advocate,” “an angel,” and “the nicest person you will ever meet in your entire life.” Many shared that her classes help them feel calmer in stressful situations and happier in their daily lives. They described a newfound ability to de-stress before tests, drown out background noise, and tune more deeply into their five senses through mindfulness. Whether it means taking three deep breaths before a presentation, practicing gratitude, or becoming aware of the way they respond to certain social situations, Michelle’s students can use these mindful practices throughout their lives to be more present, listen more actively, and manage everyday challenges with greater ease.
Not only has mindfulness impacted the lives of Brebeuf students, but it also continues to play an important role in Michelle’s own life, as it helps her to be authentically herself.
“I find that when I am being mindful, I notice a difference from within myself,” she reflected. “I feel more in tune [and] more gentle with people, nature, and the world. I am more aware that everything I say or do has an impact on the energy in the universe.”
Michelle’s initial interest in mindfulness came in response to an experience she had nine years ago sitting on her back patio.
“At the time, I had no clue as to what I was experiencing or how it happened, but for just a few moments, my mind became quiet, and a deep sense of peace washed over me,” she recounted. “It is difficult to put into words, but the best way I can describe it is to say that I felt as if my soul was one with everyone and everything in the world, and the idea of separation did not exist.”
Today, she strives to live mindfully in as many moments of the day as she can, practicing formal meditations and setting her phone to chime throughout the day to remind her to breathe and be present. Michelle recognizes, however, that mindfulness is not always easy.
“My first piece of advice for beginners is to be patient with yourselves and to not focus on achieving a goal,” she said. “That is the opposite of what a mindful practice is.”
She recommends a number of apps including Insight Timer, which features more than 28,000 free meditations for a variety of experience levels, spiritual backgrounds, and purposes from managing anxiety, to aiding sleep, to fostering creativity, to building confidence, and more.
Michelle plans to pursue further mindfulness study, specifically on the largely unexplored topic of the role mindfulness plays in equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression education. She also wants to explore whether teaching mindfulness to both educators and students could reduce the rate of educator compassion fatigue, as 40 to 50 percent of teachers leave the profession within their first five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Michelle continues to have a positive impact on her students and the larger Brebeuf community with her mindfulness initiative, and we are grateful for her dedication and hard work!
