Hello families!
My sons both go out on the deck to start their school days in the morning light, breathing in that morning mountain air. I suppose it’s their “coffee”. Friday morning, Ollin was having his morning class meeting and the class got a glimpse of me as I walked behind him (in my PJs with my actual coffee!). Ms. Hope said, “hey! There’s Mrs. Bates!”. So, I joined in the meeting for a bit. Seeing all of those sweet and smiling faces on my son’s laptop screen brought up such an overwhelming feeling of pride in me.
Throughout these years - all of the circle check-ins, field trips, overnights, beach days, charter plays, craft fairs and events, lunch bunches, celebrations, -all the work we’ve put in to creating this tight-knit charter community has really paid off. We work hard on these relationship connections so that we can still hold each other up through the most difficult circumstances, and why we always feel attached to our Charter family, no matter how physically distant we may be. During a pandemic emergency, we get a glimpse of just how connected we all are. This is why community building and social-emotional learning is truly woven into the core of what we all believe is best for our children to support their growth and learning. I believe our collective Charter Wise Mind is working!
In DBT, the part of our mind that is able to calm and connect our emotions to our logical reasoning is called our “Wise Mind”. In this part of our minds we can feel connected and guided. What ways are you finding to get into your Wise Mind? Gardening? Watching insects? Hiking? Painting? Playing an instrument? Listening to music? Spending time with a pet?
Below are some fun brain activities you can use to practice Wise Mind:
- Stone flake on the lake. Imagine that you are by a clear blue lake on a beautiful sunny day. Then imagine that you are a small flake of stone, flat and light. Imagine that you have been tossed out onto the lake and are now gently, slowly, floating through the soft, clear blue water to the lake’s smooth, sandy bottom. Notice what you see, what you feel as you float down.
- Walking Down the Spiral Stairs. Imagine that within you is a spiral staircase, winding down to your very center. Starting at the top, walk very slowly down the staircase, going deeper and deeper within yourself. Notice the sensation. Rest by sitting on a step, or turn on lights on the way down if you wish. Do not force yourself further than you want to go. Notice the quiet!
- Breathing “Wise” in, “Mind” out. Breathing in, say to yourself, “Wise”; breathing out, say, “Mind.” Focus your entire attention on the word “Wise,” then focus it again entirely on the work “Mind.” Continue until you sense that you have settled into Wise Mind.
- Asking: Is this Wise Mind? Breathing in, ask yourself “Is this (action, thought, plan, etc.) from Wise Mind?” Breathing out, listen for the answer. Listen but do not give yourself the answer. Do not tell yourself the answer; listen for it. Continue asking during each inhale. If no answer comes, try again another time.
One more fun exercise for smaller children and the family: light a scented candle. Watch it for a while. Observe what you are experiencing with your senses: the smell, the movement of the flame, temperature change, shadows on the wall, ect. How many different things can you observe and experience all at once? Watch what happens to your mood and mind in this moment. This type of exercise is called an “Open Focus” activity. Training the brain to widen it’s experience of a small task, item or activity has a huge amount of physical and mental health benefits! (Instead of a candle, you could watch a bee, or feel the texture of a favorite blanket or even practice this while washing your hands.)
After this morning, I am committing to diving into more Zoom classrooms to say hi and experience the rush of seeing all of those sweet faces. Please don’t forget that we are all still holding our charter community in our hearts, and all of the work we’ve done to connect during the past years is paying off now. We are guided by our individual and collective Wise Mind!
Robin Bates, LMFT
I am still holding “office” hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays